The Baxter Family

John Deere Heaven

2012-01-29T21:55:00.013-07:00

Heaven...I'm in Heaven...I just got a John Deere blanket, shirt, movie & 1962 1010 JD special for my birthday. Imagine, little 'ole me bein' tickled green and yella by all things John Deere. Shucks, call me crazy, but I think every kid needs a two cylinder Johnny Popper amongst their trains, planes and them thar Wii Play Stations. I mean come on, a Johnny gets to play in the dirt all day, dig thangs up, cut crops down and spray water and manure everywhere. And if he's really lucky, he'll get shined & polished for the Pioneer Day Parade in July. That's when a good 'ole JDT has really hit the big time.

I told my Ma, when I growed up, that I like to be a tractor driver. Right now, I'm a little short to reach the peddles of my grandpas tractor, but he lets me steer that beautiful piece of machinery around his field when I visit.

On my own time, I get plenty of drivin' in with my mini 8020 and '62 1010 special John Deere models. I drive them everywhere...in my room, in the kitchen, in the car. I've tried sneakin' 'em into church, but I ain't had no luck with that one. I thought Mama wouldn't mind if my 1010 & I snuggled in next to her and Daddy early this morning. But I guess he just wasn't as soft and cuddly as them sheets, pillas and blankets, so Mama took us down to the kitchen for an early oatmeal breakfast, instead of more shut eye.

I know exactly where to pick up "All About John Deere" picture shows at the library. And if I'm really polite like and beg just enough, Mama will let me watch the picture in the wagon on our way home. Gosh, she's so good to me.

Yep, I think being three years old and havin' my own set of mini farmin' machines, with a blanket and shirt to keep me warm on those cooler harvest nights, suits me just fine.

Honest. I ain't bluffin'. Liars don't get to go to John Deere Heaven.

It Came

2012-01-21T22:26:00.024-07:00

It wasn't to be found in Utah over the Christmas break.

We have heard that it is scarce in the northwest of the U.S.

The season seems a might strange without it, but we are no strangers to it's crystal splendor.

It's texture is soft, yet chills your every touch. It can come as quietly as a mouse through a wall or make an entrance as bold as Beethoven's 5th Symphony in Vienna.

And when it first comes, what joy. What excitement. What thrill to become an angel, build a man of snow, slip and slide with ease and throw the uncontrollable snow ball!

It came.

"It came!"

Bits of Joy

2012-01-07T14:35:00.010-07:00

Bits of Joy we've captured and will cherish for days to come...

Thanks to our family and friends who made our season so bright and merry!

Ready, Aim, Party

2011-12-22T22:36:00.010-07:00

It was target practice at the Baxter Home the 13th of December. Six boys and a very eager 5 year old girl, filled their Nerf guns, to the hilt, with Styrofoam darts and much anticipation for an all out war. The adrenaline was thick the ammo abundant, but most importantly, the pure joy of a boy's birthday wish was coming true. Friends, games, goodies and presents are all he needed to lighten his step and lift his spirits.

First, a bit of target practice was in order for the troops. Lined up to test their skill, careful shots were fired towards a group of suspended balloon targets. The hanging globes shivered and quaked as their attackers flew by, pelting their big, red and black bellies from side to side, only to swing back in line to take another blow.After a quick army crawl to station #2, bullets were propelled toward 4 large window targets. The key to success here was to make it stick! Points would be awarded to the sharpest shooter of the bunch. Then as they drop their larger weapon, they grab a light weight automatic, ready to dash through enemy kitchen lines, and take out any red target showing it's pinned up face. No mercy.
And to finish the rigorous course, nearly out of breath, the sharp shooters jump into the closest fox hole, cocked and ready to pounce on any big bubble, crazy enough to slide down the Mount Everest of Stairs. No prisoners, no excuses, no room for error, these boys were trained and ready to do what they wanted to do the whole time while at the party...chase each other around and pow, pow, pow until the mommas came home to pick them up.

No prisoners, no cry babies, no memories lost.

Mission Accomplished!

Thank Heaven

2011-11-27T22:19:00.013-07:00

Thank Heaven for kids who push your every button.
Who whine, cry and fight over everything but nothin'.
"Mom guess what he did?"
"No I didn't. You lie!"
"Now Angels, let's all sit and enjoy some lemon pie."

Thank Heaven for spilt milk and juice,
That graces the table when all hell breaks loose.
You think to burst, you want to cry,
But wait, he's grabbed the towel, ready to dry.
And what's another spot, another stain, another tear,
Bits and pieces of life need not hide but learn to share.

Thank Heaven for sleepless nights that never seem to end,
A wet bed, a leg ache or a simple need of a friend.
I'll sing you a song, a glass of water and say good night,
Another day gone, another day out of sight.
Is it all worth it to me, can I wake with hope enough,
To wipe away more tears and say, "E, Mai & Z, you've got the right stuff!"

I Thank Heaven, I thank God for sending my precious three,
I love them and they love me, a perfect place for spilt milk and insanity.

By The Way...

2011-11-13T22:09:00.015-07:00

We've moved! We've taken the plunge and set sail to The Great Northwest. Aaron received the much anticipated letter of acceptance to a Law School in Portland and since August 1st we've set anchor to reside in a beautiful suburb of The Rose City. I've never seen so much moss in my life and never heard so many Canadian geese flying over my house in one day. I think the temperature reached 90 degrees 1 or 2 weeks this August, but other than that, you could say I live in a perfectly green, temperate paradise. We're not in the desert anymore, Toto.

I have found Oregonians a very eco-friendly people and all around great group to be with. Our neighbors are happy to give help and advice as to which stores to shop at and which pumpkins patches to visit.

We've visited the coast two or three times and each time has been spectacular. (Unless of course you’re a mighty 7 year old and think you can take any wave that comes your way, but oops that wave seemed to knock you over and fill your gut with seawater.) Good thing mom sticks close by and Dad is not far either to help build the traditional sandcastle.

E and Mai have loved their new school and especially riding the bus. Mom likes that perk also.

Adam has become king of the sidewalk with his red trike and black cowboy boots. He may even surprise you after sneaking out of naptime to reveal his true intent of playing the piano in black and green striped tights.

Aaron is close to finishing up his 1st semester of law. Extra prayers would be greatly appreciated for the sake of finals the first of December. Aaron also thought he'd join the Army just to keep this life change interesting. I do have to say, he looks good in a uniform. We're proud to serve our country.

Melissa has had a bit of a time getting settled with an unsettled tummy. Yes, a little Mr. or Miss is on its way to our household in the spring of next year. We're of course blessed and very excited to have a new baby.

So as we raise our flag and stake our claim we give thanks to the many who have made our life here possible. It takes a fleet of dear friends, family and unknowns to see a family off and welcome a family in to a new frontier a new way of life.

I thank the stars that continually guide us through tempest and storm. I thank heaven's power, which calms and comforts continually.

A few pictures to enjoy of our family in OR.

Ethan the 2nd grader & Maille ready for the BIG K.

Grandma & Grandpa Cahoon & Kids in the beautiful downtown leaves.

Me & My Little Bro. at the Farmer's Market. Our home away from home.

Grandma & Grandpa Baxter at Portland LDS Temple

Nixon, Vann & Kandis came to visit. We love BFFs.

Aaron & Adam traveling through wild mushroom country.

Maille blazing the trail through our downtown bike ride.

Our sweet cousins that are now just a hop, skip and a jump away. Yay.

We love Halloween

2011-11-03T16:42:00.005-06:00

Really, can you tell a child that they have WAY TOO MUCH CANDY? You can try, but what undoubtedly will happen is a response even Willy Wonka would grin at, "Are you crazy Mom, I don't think there is enough candy in the world for me!" Alright fine, who am I to judge, restrict, confiscate or deny a child of enjoying one of his or her most sought after holidays of the year? I loved Halloween, my sisters and brothers loved Halloween. Free candy, awesome dress ups and parties are what made our little hearts race with delight. And so I say,"Let them eat candy, let them eat cake, they'll know when they're done when along comes BELLY ACHE!" Two hours later, "Oh, I'm sorry you don't feel so good honey. I'll just keep this bucket of candy in a safe place until you get better." (Under mine and Daddy's bed...wink wink.)
We hope everyone had a fabulous sugar filled weekend. We of course missed trick or treating with our loved ones, but The Black Ninja, Vampire and Model A Farmer are adjusting and making more and more friends, in Oregon, every day.

Y hike the Y?

2011-06-12T22:24:00.013-06:00

You can see it from an airplane, train or automobile. A passer by might ask it's meaning or purpose. A mother may ask her preschooler what sound it makes. It's big, it's white and high enough for everyone to see. It's the sacred Y set upon the mountain top for all to see. To some it may mean honor, respect or Alma mater. To others it may resonate big games, big crowds or Big Blue. A few may even shutter at the sight of it and turn north for a bigger badder letter to hail. (U)

But whoever you may be or where your allegiance may stand, the Y calls to the valley, challenging it's patrons to come forth and ascend. "Climb to my peaks and take in a view that I claim both day in and day out," she cries.

The Baxter Family rose to the challenge the 11th of June, 2011. Our packs were equipped with water, fruit snacks, juice boxes, a boomerang, a toy monkey and a diaper. Our course was set and we were off to the first rest stop. There are 11 switchbacks (rest stops) along the trail which are much anticipated and at times seemed unreachable. To help motivate the climb songs were sung to the tune of Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do...5 little ducks went out to play...I Am a Child of God...Pioneer Children...5 little speckled frogs. And as we reached the top and sat on the southern fork of "route Y" we did take in a view that took our breath away. The game I Spy took on a new meaning sitting a top the world. Two temples were spotted, an awesome water park, that we must visit in the very near future, was in clear view. The majestic and overflowing Utah Lake was spread across the background accompanied by green hills and white peaked mountains. Patches of green ball fields and white school rooftops dotted the valley with black licorice running through each block. Rays of sunshine illuminated the Provo Temple while Center Street Down Town Provo enjoyed the shade of a cloud passing by.

It was a site we had never seen before and an experience we'll never forget. The journey gave me the chance to stop time for a moment and behold a place that has been raising my children for the past 7 years. The adventure, culture, flavor and most of all friends of this valley are priceless. It was nice to stand above it all and say, thank you.

Y hike the Y?

You'll see.

My cup a' tea

2011-05-08T21:51:00.005-06:00

How did Willy Wonka do it? How did he fashion an edible saucer and tea cup from sugar and sweet, into a perfect daffodil flower patch? Did he use lemon drops, fruit roll ups, paper maché? I've spent my life wondering and perhaps hoping to find a magical chocolate room filled with sweet imagination.

After sitting in my neighbor Francis' daffodil patch, surrounded by the sway of sunshine, I truly felt the life of imagination that Mr. Wonka felt. We need but to simply look around and view the paradise that surrounds us each day.

Daydreaming in daffodils is my cup a' tea.

Check it!

2011-03-21T15:39:00.014-06:00

1 Shamrock Samurai/Ninja Party - check

6 ninja friends in training - check

2 brothers to watch me show my stuff on my new Electric Malibu Bike - check

1 flower basket to hold all of my fuzzy friends while I cruise on my bike - check

1 Provo City Library Story Time that is all about karate - check

10 tokens to win all of the tickets possible at Pirate Island - check

4 awesome grandparents to spoil me rotten - check

2 silly bears named Yogi and Bo Bo to laugh at hysterically in the movie theater - check

5 crazy cousins sleeping over at Aunt Cliney's House - check

1 big box of sidewalk chalk to express my inner artist - check

2 parents who love me lots - check

1 unforgettable birthday for Maille Louise - double check!

Tribute to a Lady

2011-02-27T22:10:00.006-07:00

A tribute to a lady, who resides at 1280.

What stories she has to tell.

Of tubing fun, scrubbing beets in the sun,

She's original, blazing her own trail.

And what's that you say? It's her birthday today?

Let white cake and ribbon fill the hall.

For the fair lady we adore, shall dance with grace to the floor,

Knowing she is the most loved of all.

It was the a weekend filled with celebration. My mom, Jeannine was swept off her feet to a night of dinner, ballet, gifts & good old fashioned pillow talk. The following morning was filled with orange juice, hot toast and more laughter. Our appointments at the salon were at 11 a.m. and our feet never looked so good. It's not everyday you get to celebrate a woman like Jeannine.

Saturday night we gathered around tables of pasta, salad & soup at my sister's home to enjoy a night with those closest to my mothers heart, her family.

You deserve to be swept off your feet and celebrated whenever possible Mom. The lives you've touched and the rows you have hoed reflect a woman of grit, beauty and nobility.

Happy 70th! What will you think of next?

Chewy, Crunchy, Yummy!

2011-01-05T13:49:00.008-07:00

It's time for lunch, yet again. What can my modern day ice box offer me today? I see leftover cubed steak, a few tortillas, bean sprouts, one and a half jalapeños, ginger root, onion, lettuce and a good variety of 'Crazy Asian' sauces. Hmmm, let's start chopping, slicing and dicing and see what we come up with. What you see before you is what I call a delectable new way to throw together edibles that otherwise would have been tossed in the compost heap. It's the Chewy, Crunchy, Yummy, I need a fun change in my diet, Crazy Asian Wrap!

Ingredients:

One Wrap (This chewy ingredient can be made of flour, corn, rice or you can opt out of having the wrap. Remember you can have control of what you add or subtract to your entree. YOU ARE IN CONTROL...now say it again, "I AM IN CONTROL"...good.)

Carne (Chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp. I wouldn't recommend tuna from a can.)

1 Small Onion (Slice in long wedges. This ingredient will contribute to your crunchy texture.)

3 or 4 Ring Slices of the Jalapeño (Fire, Fire, Fire. You know you need some.)

1 tsp of minced Ginger Root (Throw it in every Asian dish you fry up. It's amazing what it does for your olfactory and soul.)

1 cup of Bean Sprouts (Yet another crunchy ingredient that meets the 'good for you' list.)

1 or 2 Leaves of Iceburg Lettuce (Or whatever type of green crunchy fiberous material you can find in you ice box.)

Crazy Asian Sauces (These sauces can include Soy Suace, Sesame Seed Oil, Hoisin Sauce or Oyster Sauce. Yummy ingredients can be found at your Local Friendly Asian Market for a much better price than the Oriental Food Aisle at Smith's.)

How to:

On a medium high flame, add a couple of tablespoons of oil to your fry pan, saute onion, ginger, jalapeño and beef. Add a couple tablespoons soy sauce, three or four drops of sesame seed oil and stir fry for 3 or 4 mintues. Throw a handful of bean sprouts in after the meat has browned toss for 1 or 2 more minutes. Turn the flame off, place the tortilla wrap on top of your stir fry and warm. Grab a plate, lay the warmed tortilla down, then two large leaves of lettuce or whichever green you prefer, scoop your stir fry on top, then add the hoisin, hoisin, hoisin suace (yummy ingredient). Now tuck, roll and get ready for a treat. Find a not so sticky or slimy place at the kitchen table, hang your sign that reads "Mommy's have to eat too. Go play." and your set.

Ain't life grand.

(I've also got a killer Pho Soup recipe that coincidentally calls for many of the same ingredients as this Asian Wrap. Call me.)

Classic

2010-12-20T15:19:00.010-07:00

The word 'classic' means something that is a perfect example of a particular style, something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality. Classic a perfect example of a style a little girl in the 80's dreamed of portraying. The side pony tail, big earrings, leg warmers and ROLLER SKATES. She just couldn't wait for an afternoon at the Classic Roller Skating Rink. Now 20 years later, a timeless quality lives on in her son, Ethan. "What would you like for your birthday, E," I ask. He replies, "Roller skates." "Do you mean the roller blades that are in a strait line," I ask. "No, the side by side ones." Oh, be still my heart. Who didn't love cruisin down their sidewalk or around the roller rink, showing their stuff to what seemed to be a crowd of admirers. The legacy lives on.

On December 13th we were off to Orem's Classic Fun Center with a new pair of red and black 'classic' roller skates, ready to enjoy a birthday that would be of lasting worth and timeless. The lights were low, the disco lights dancing, the retro neon carpet stinking, and we were off down memory lane, ready to make even more memories. Everyone grabbed a scooter or a skate and were off onto a wide open floor of music, games, friends and fun. Ethan took to the floor like a champ. With knee, elbow and wrist pads, he was off with some guidance from his father and mother. One thing we did fail to attach was a bum pad. There isn't much padding on a cute little 7 year old tushy, not withstanding E got back up and continued on his 8 wheel quest.

Thank you to all that took part in what was a wonderful blast from the bast and a celebration of youth. My youth, Ethan. A Classic in the making.

Is it here?

2010-11-14T22:40:00.008-07:00

Ethan (My Mummy), Maille (Joan of Arc), and Adam (Alfalfa) have dreamt about the 31st of October for the entire year. Visions of Skittles, Snickers and suckers have been dancing in their little heads non stop since September. And do you blame them? Isn't it every child's delight to run through their neighborhood gathering bits of sugar and sweet, anticipating that 'melt in your mouth' sensation after the treasure hunt has ended? Well, my three little munchkins ran through wind and rain to reach their trick or treating potential, and ran they did. I don't think their little legs have ever seen such conditioning.

Alfalfa came back to me, after an hour of complete bliss, with a bucket full of "caannny". My Mummy and the fearless Joan of Arc returned one half hour later with cold feet, red cheeks and smiles reaching across the valley. Their dreams had finally come true and with candy spread across the front room floor, visions of what seemed to be a never ending supply of sugar, danced in their heads.

As the evening came to a close, My Mummy held on to whatever magic was left of the night. Joan, who was completely famished, lay sound asleep, and Alfalfa I don't think, was quite sure if he'd been dreaming or not the entire evening.

Sleep tight my sweets, only 364 more days to go...

Finders Keepers

2010-10-24T21:15:00.010-06:00

A real find. What does it really mean to come upon something you've always wanted. To search for hours, days, weeks, months or even years to encounter a person, place or thing that would delight you to no end. Something that would tickle your senses, ease your pain, shine in sunlight, and always be close at hand.

A great find happened upon me before I even knew it. A dear cousin of mine, called me one evening soliciting an invitation of a night of country dance. A mission friend he had made, was in need of a good adventure and I wasn't against the good judgement of my cousin, thus the blind date was set. We danced country through out the evening and have continued our dance to this date October 24th, 2010.

Thirty three years ago, my 'Big Find' was born in American Fork. And what a fabulous find it has been. He tickles my senses, eases my pain, shines in the sun (we're both working on our tans :)), and is always close by. Through out these past years I've found him cleaning kitchen floors, vacuuming out disgustingly dirty mini vans, mowing lawns, graduating with masters, walking to work, helping troubled youth, fixing bike tires, telling stories, building imaginations and most importantly...loving me.

Finders Keepers.

Happy Birthday Sexy!

Hobo Party 2010

2010-08-20T15:17:00.017-06:00

A HOBO: a migratory worker or homeless vagabond, often penniless often found wearing odd, weathered and worn clothing found at the local DI or closets of his/her parents house. They search for food under garbage can lids, in buckets and baskets, and use tin plates and cups in lieu of china's finest. And if they are really lucky, a smoked turkey or leg of ham might show up in Farmer Brian's garbage can just waiting to be gobbled up. For dessert; mud pie.

It is not uncommon to see little stinkers throwing oversized balls at paint cans and jumping around in brown potato sacks, found just days before in the fields. If there is a seasoned pick pocket in the group, he or she may have already snatched two dozen eggs from Farmer Bill's coop and gathered the family around for a wholesome game of egg toss. And someone, sooner or later, will let the cat out of the bag when pieces of taffy and sweets are found in the big pile of sawdust out west by the shed. Christmas has serious competition when that happens.

Caution, a girl hobo is never to be tried in a game of tug o war. The opposing boy will undoubtedly be thrust forward, falling onto his knees begging for mercy. But don't worry, any feelings of anger or humiliation will disappear once the the sun goes down and the film is rolling at Peters' Parking Lot of Pictures.

Summer just wouldn't be the same without mouths full of watermelon, hair full of dirt and grime, bellies full of gummy worms and hearts full of joy. To have A HOBO for a friend is to have pure adventure & delight at your filthy fingertips. And if you're lucky enough and dirty enough, you might catch a ride with them in their box cars. But please keep your hands and arms in at all times, it will be a ride...to remember.

Enjoy the Show!

Click here to enjoy more HOBO fun!

Water Boy

2010-08-02T22:24:00.007-06:00

Do you need your lawn, flowers, vegetables, cement, rocks, dirt, shoes, or anything else in your yard watered? Well I have just the little man for you. He's got sparkling blue eyes, a dashing smile, sturdy on his feet and will only charge what the city charges for the water bill. Just turn the spigot, hand him the hose or 'fountain of pure bliss' as he would call it, and he's off. The boy is exact in his aim and never takes his eye off of what he thinks needs a bit of liquid refreshment during these toasty summer months. He's thorough in his H2O application and takes his job very seriously. Do not rush this master gardener, proper irrigation takes time and a second, third, or fourth sprinkling to any and every area of your yard could be necessary at any given time. When a 1/2 hour, or an hour has gone by, Water Boy will give you the sign, letting you know it's time to turn off the flow when; one or both feet are lodged in the mud, thus inhibiting mobility; his trunks have gotten so soaking wet that they have dropped to his ankles, creating yet another mobility obstacle; pesky mosquito's are becoming intolerable; the big light in the sky has gone to bed and junior can't see where he's aiming; or the water bill is going to start drawing from the boy's college fund. Either way, Adam won't like the thought of relinquishing his control over one of the coolest elements on the planet...water!

Summer . . . and all of it's friends

2010-07-04T10:28:00.002-06:00

Summer has begun. Yes, JUST begun, as far as the weather is concerned. June was wet and colder than usual, which often left us with nostalgic memories of summers past, rather than actual sunshine. On those days we actually had sunshine, we decided to take advantage of it. How? (deep breath) By (and in no particular order): attending home shows, playing at the park, swimming lessons, hanging out with neighbors and friends, camping, boating on rivers and lakes, hiking, art festivals, visiting dad at work, and of course, gardening. We have put together a few snapshots in an album we like to call, "Summer.so far". You see, the summer has really just begun, and we plan to do so much more! Thanks to family and friends who have made it such a blast . . . SO FAR!

A million words...

2010-06-06T09:15:00.009-06:00

A picture says a thousand words, and after taking over 1,000 pictures in Europe that's a lot of words to post in just one day. We've created another blog http://www.postcardsfrombaxter.blogspot.com/ for your traveling enjoyment.We'll be posting all of our adventures across the sea and beyond at this new address so as not to take up precious baxter family time on the web.

Quintessentially German

2010-05-11T22:24:00.015-06:00

Put down your laundry, turn off the news, take a deep breath, close your eyes and begin to dream. Dream of a land covered with rolling hills filled with vineyards, orchards and dairy farms. A land that enjoys peace and lavender. It's tastes are authentic and the gems it holds, very real. As you wind your way along the Tauber River you will see a quaint little town surrounded by a city wall, just waiting to be discovered.

Step through the gated tower and take another deep breath as you have entered into the CUTEST LITTLE VILLAGE YOU WILL EVER SEE IN YOUR LIFE! Peeking around every little corner of Rothenburg is a story just waiting to be written. The houses are painted in creamy hues with complimentary trim. The shop windows are decorated with whimsy and lace. Carefully orchestrated flower arrangments are placed on every windowsill, and rod iron signs dangle above head to entice the enchanted travelor to stay, eat, adorn or take home a piece of Germany 'Home Town' .

The next time you wish upon a star, just as Pinocchio did, remember 'Rothenburg ob der Tauber' it waiting for you. The experience will take you back to a time only you knew, only you imaged as a child. It is a dream you will never want to forget.

The Awakening

2010-05-02T22:25:00.026-06:00

After setting up five different babysitters, packing two bags, carrying two cameras and flying 5,300 miles, Aaron and I made it to the land of schnitzel, strudel and spargel. Our lovely hostess for our trip to this beautiful German land was the one and only Megan Gillespie who's talent for seeking out 'eis' (ice cream) stands, is impeccable. Melissa's sister lives in Germany on a US Army post with her 4 darling kids and a man she likes to call Kev-ine lookin' fine. She was so gracious as to open her 'haus' to us and be our chauffeur while we explored Duetschland. We could hardly wait. But first, I thought I'd take a nap...the 'trying to stay awake for 24 hours' thing is much harder in my thirties versus what seemed to be a common occurrence in my college days...GO AGGIES. Imagine that.

Our first awakening to the tastes of Germany begin in Heidelberg, a quaint little town found in the southwestern region of Germany. The Neckar River runs through the middle of town with ruins of The Heidelberg Castle sitting to the east, aloft a hillside giving it's guests breathtaking views of red tile roofed houses and cathedrals of old. Breathing in the sweet air from atop a royal balcony, then losing ourselves in a village full of cobble stone, weathered shutters, blossoms and Christmas shops was a dream. Just my best friend and me.

So find yourself a mini, a bike, or just stroll through the day. A new world awaits to delight your senses. And when the film has run out and your wallet empty, fall in love with a piece of apple strudel under the shadow of a fortress.

Europe is to be understood at the pace of a poet, sitting at the corner cafe.

All roads lead to...

2010-04-25T22:00:00.005-06:00

Melissa & Aaron's Taste of Europe is

Coming Soon!

Easter Time

2010-03-28T19:24:00.008-06:00

It's that time again. Time for frilly pastel dresses, fluffy dollar store bunny ears, eating chocolate until you burst, and of course, chaotic egg hunts. Yes, Easter has already begun in the Baxter household. We kicked off the holiday with a family lunch and party at a local park. Ethan, Mai, and Adam all grabbed their baskets to frantically search bushes, trees, picnic tables, and the like for the fabled plastic egg filled with processed sugar treats. They were not disappointed. Aaron's siblings planned a very fun time for the kids. But perhaps none were quite as excited about the surprise hidden in each egg as was little Adam. He attacked his basket with fervor, desperately trying to fill his mouth with anything sweet before mom or dad ruined his fun by sticking their finger into his mouth to pull out a soggy jelly bean or "whopper" egg. Poor little fella, maybe next year you can have a full piece of candy. For now, we must first break your candy into smaller, less chokeable pieces.
With sugar rushing through our veins, lauding the inevitable belly aches to come, we played a rousing game of kickball. The cones were set just far enough apart that the runner would get exercise enough to momentarily forget the sniffling and sneezing that comes with each allergy season. Ah, SPRING!
We had a great time. Thanks to family who made it so fun! We love you! Happy Easter everyone!

Maille The Original

2010-03-21T14:54:00.009-06:00

When Maille's Mother is asked what Maille would like for her birthday, the answer always seems to surprise the recipient, "What she would probably like the most would be a ninja sword, Kung Fu classes, action figure, biker gloves, guitar hero...or, a pony would be nice."

A couple of days before her birthday party, Maille noticed a preschool friend passing by the house and yelled out from the porch, "Are you coming to my birthday party? Yes? I'd like a bow and arrow set that they have over at Macy's (Grocery Store)."
She did receive a Tinker Bell hand held video game, which required her and her dad to go online and create her own personal fairy. After all was said and done in cyber world, the name she chose for her new found feminine friend...
Lavender Speed Storm.

Maille The Original has her own way of thinking and dressing. It doesn't matter if she has a brand new outfit from Children's Place with butterflies and lace just waiting to be worn, she chooses the old jeans with holes in them and an over sized 'Handy Man' T shirt with a tool box on the front. She would rather wear an old beat up pair of sandals she's found in Grandma Cahoon's coat closet, then wear her nice white keds. She will put on the occasional skirt for preschool and wearing dresses to church is commonplace. Dance Tutus are acceptable while on stage, but more often then not, comfort and originality trump white pressed and poised.

And now you can see her this past year, blazing the trail for all future four years olds to follow.

"Be kind, be courteous, be silly...be you!"

Happy Birthday Mai Mai
We Love You!

Girls, they want to have fun.

2010-03-07T19:38:00.007-07:00

The lovely ladies you see before you are part of a Wildcat graduating class of Woods Cross High School - 1996 & 97. We had good times and not so good times, we laughed together and cried together. Girls camp just wasn't the same if one of us was missing in action or stuck in 'The Biffy'. Having sleepovers, makeovers and watching scary movies was to be expected every month if not more. The art of begging and pleading to our mothers was mastered in our teeny bop years. If you were thought to be the cutest boy in the neighborhood or if one of us liked a certain boy within a two mile radius, sometimes more in special cases, your house was toilet papered with much care. The WX 10th Ward Young Women Leaders never knew what was coming when we stepped into our Beehive shoes and danced and/or stumbled our way through adolescence. It was a time to remember.

Now fourteen years later we find each other again, with stories of life. There are pages we'd like to erase and pages we like to relive. Pages of intrigue, adventure, sadness, recovery, courage, triumph, inspiration, endurance, love and laughter. And to think we're just getting started.

"We are Daughter's of our Heavenly Father who loves us, and we love Him. We Will Stand...

and laugh at the world, because it's got nothing on us!"

Keep laughing ladies, you are beautiful. I am blessed to know you and am thrilled to be able to share many more memoirs of life with you.

Oh What a Beautiful Morning!

2010-02-26T22:19:00.007-07:00

Sing with me now, "Oh what a beautiful morning. Oh what a beautiful day. I've just slept on a new mattress. Every thing's going my way." Ah yes, the birds are chirping, the children are still sleeping, and my back isn't weeping.

Aaron and Melissa have finally purchased a new mattress after almost 9 years of marriage, and from what we've been told, it should last us that, and much more. You could compare tonight's purchase to Christmas morning for my Big Papa Bear. For years he's cried for the solace of deep slumber and now...sweet dreams my love.

Sweet dreams.

Little Boy Blue

2010-01-28T23:16:00.007-07:00

Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn.
It has been one year, since our darling was born.
And where is the little one we rock fast asleep?
In our hearts and our home is where we keep.

Happy 1st Birthday Adam!

Here's lookin' at you, kid!

72 Hours

2010-01-17T22:23:00.008-07:00

Three days can fly by in the blink of an eye when living an everyday life of sorting clothes, wiping up messes, running to the supermarket for milk or picking kids up from school. I may pause for a moment within that space of time to to check over my master 'to do' list, pencil in hand, prepared and ready to check off the tasks of the day.

Yet it occurred to me that something very important was missing from me and my families master list...

Three days can stand still when surviving a disaster, sorting through rubble, wiping away tears, running for cover, and saving lives. In those 72 hours will I be treading water or waiting for rescue on top of a roof top? Will my family and I be underground, biding our time until storms subside? Are we trapped indoors with no water nor electricity for 72 hours or more? Are my family and I prepared for the unanticipated, unimaginable task of survival? Are we prepared to change our lifestyle within the blink of an eye?

A couple of months ago, I added the task of assembling a 72 hour kit for my family. Don't ask me where I've been for the last 8 years, but now is as good a time as any, right? My little home may not be able to hold a years supply of food and water, but by darn it can hold a backpack and duffel bag full of beans, crackers, diapers, ponchos, first-aid, candles, radio, water and a picture of my beautiful family that it's going to hopefully save.

God help us if ever we are to endure such a trial. God will prepare us if we will but listen.

I don't think anyone can be totally prepared for the unthinkable, but I can breath easier knowing I've checked off one very important item on my 'to do' list.

Can you?

New Favorite

2010-01-05T21:40:00.015-07:00

"What should we have for lunch today, kids? We've got PB&J, Mac & Cheese, some leftovers...or wait...what is this, boiled eggs, Colby Jack, pickles, miracle whip, wheat bread, lettuce, tomato and don't forget the mustard." Yes, the fixin's for our new found favorite EGG SALAD SANDWICH.

You may cringe or even shutter at the sight and/or thought of sinking your teeth into one of these little morsels (namely my husband), but I love 'em! Where have I been for 31 years? Sure my mom would scramble a few eggs at lunch, toast some bread and slap a little miracle on it, but there is just something about The Dill Pickle. Oh, the ancient art of pickling and how it can transform a poor unsuspecting cuke into a zippity doo da day. Lucky for me my children love them too so why don't you shake things up in the household and serve something new or rediscovered? This is all you have to do to turn your mundane, haven't showed yet, dirty dish, what's that funny smell, day into a new and enlightening one.

Egg Salad Sandwich
Boil 4 fresh eggs for 10 minutes
Grate 1/2 cup of whatever cheese still looks descend in the fridge
Chop 1/2 cup of dill pickles (we like baby dills)
Reserve 1 Tb. of pickle zippity juice
1/4 cup Miracle or Mayo (I was raised on Miracle Whip. It still fits my fancy.)
A good squirt of mostasa (mustard)
1/4 tsp salt
And a shake of peppa!
Add the above ingredients into a nicely crafting mixing bowl or bargain Tupperware, lightly mix all ingredients until you have reached your desired consistency.
Add a sweep of butter to your bread of choice, be it wheat, rye, sour dough, pumpernickel, focaccia, flat...
Add the mixin's, layer with lettuce, tomato and you've got it!

Sure you can add or subtract an ingredient here and there, no problem. It's the "My day doesn't look so murky after all" factor we're aiming for.

My kids gobbled it up in 4 minutes flat. Even my 11 month old baby couldn't get enough of mommy's sandwich. And can you blame him, all he gets for lunch is some watered down baby cereal with a hint of sweet potato. Mmm.

Yes, tomorrow I just might shower before our anticipated luncheon. It's not everyday you get to please your palate with a homemade E.S.S., but why not everyday? I ask.

Bon Appétit

Christmas Card

2009-12-24T11:47:00.006-07:00

Dear Friends and Family,

The Baxter's rang in the year of 2009 with a darling little boy. Born January 28th, our little Adam came to us smiling and content and to date nothing has changed. Adam is already on the move, crawling to each corner of our little house, and enjoying the freedom that mobility offers. It is inevitable however, that I'll find my blue eyed bundle of joy hanging on to my pant leg in the kitchen, pleading to be part of my culinary world. He's a wonderful sous-chef and only gets into trouble when he thinks the sink could be his own personal swimming pool.

If you are ever in need of a superhero, just count 1-2-3 (in a relatively firm voice) and a curly haired, bare footed, pink shorted, birthday shirted, rubber band wristed, blue capped, swimming goggled (for underwater rescue), lightening bolt will arrive within a flash. Super Mai Mai is up to the challenge, but only if it does not involve making beds, picking up PJs, or taking a NAP. Mai is full of life and loves her close friends in the neighborhood of which she enjoys dancing and attending preschool with. Our little Maille Louise is Broadway bound, so keep your eyes peeled at the Tony Awards, she'll be there, front and center.

My first born has entered the world of an academic...sniff, sniff...Ethan is enrolled at Farrer Elementary, Provo City School District, UT and loves every minute of it! "Ethan is such a delight," remarks Mrs. Pond, his kindergarten teacher. He is my little man and helps around the house so much. He keeps Adam on his feet as he walks him carefully around the house. He and Maille are best friends...even though he might not admit that on camera. 'E' was my right hand man this summer as we tackled our best vegetable garden yet. If you happen to pass by next summer, he'd be much obliged to take you for a stroll through the green and enlighten you as to what is growing where and demonstrate proper harvesting technique.

La Señora de la casa, ME, keeps busy with too much at times, but my sweet husband is always there to bring me back to earth, where the oxygen is not so thin. Three children has been quite a change and from what I've heard, if I can survive three I can survive...we're still working on survival mode and I'll let you know what comes next. Even though my brother will give me grief for saying this, I do love living in Happy Valley. Our neighborhood offers an abundance of popsicle pals, bouncing babies, literate ladies, curious cats, dancing darlings, food fanatics, grumpy gooses, and sewing sassafras, but most of all forever friends. Yes, there are many pleasures found on our spot of land, speaking of which, seed catalogs are coming soon and you know what that means...SPRING PLANTING!

After 4,000 hours of therapy and frisbee golf, Aaron J. Baxter now holds the title of an elite Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Wahoo, break out the bubbly and pull up a chair. Aaron will solve all of your problems, your child's problems, and your gold fishes problems (subject to fees & availability). Yes, Aaron is a great husband, father, social worker and U of U Alumni. He just can't get enough smack talk in amongst co-workers, friends, brothers and father. His blood runs Crimson yet tends to turn a cooler hue when his father asks if he'd like to accompany him to a BYU game at Lavell Edwards Stadium, dad's treat. "Well, ok," replies the unsuspecting son to his father's attempt of a true blue conversion. Aaron can make a kitchen floor shine like the dickens and follow it up with an adventure packed tale of Karate Boy & Karate Girl to his kids. The man is loved by many.

Until next year, we'll have to see which stars align and where the wind blows. We are so blessed and find comfort in knowing our Savior holds us in His heart and hands always.

We love you all. Keep in touch.

The Baxter Family
Aaron, Melissa, Ethan, Maille & Adam W.

All I want for Christmas is Kentchurch Court

2009-12-20T22:10:00.009-07:00

While perusing through the PBS section of the Provo City Library DVD section, I happened upon a reality TV series called "Regency House Party". PBS took 4 women and 4 men out of the 21st century and put them into a world of matchmaking, 200 years prior. I'm a sucker for the times of Jane Austen's Regency where a woman's hair was so delicately managed and placed in a fashion of curls, ringlets, feathers and more (fake) hair, her maid should have been paid overtime after completion. A time where strolling through the gardens of her father's estate was encouraged. Oh how it would be to think only of myself and of my accomplishments, and what sort of catch I'd make and how many 'pounds' I would gain by a most advantageous marriage. But alas, reality seems to always pop my bubble of fickleness and I begin to talk myself out of a life of boredom. No one is keeping this little lady inside so as not to spoil her figure, while the men play sport outside. Mercy!

Now those days have since past and women such as I are left with the remains of the day. And what remained with me after four episodes of gaiety and frolic was a fairytale house and landscape. Heaven on earth.

The Regency House Party Series was filmed on a 5,000 acre estate in the Herefordshire Countryside, England. I fell in love with Kentchurch Court while watching this reality from the past. The rooms are all so unique and hold a flavor of their own. The colors breath fresh air into the home and the ornate stencil and woodwork throughout is unbelievable.

The gardens are of course...a dream and just up the hillside, rolling hills of green fields and groves of trees with a cottage or two dotting the horizon take your breath away.

Heaven, I'm in Heaven.
So this year...all I want for Christmas is, well, a wonderful dream where I find myself walking through a meadow of wildflowers, or flying a kite against the backdrop of a setting sun and miles of miles of green, lush earth.

Just drink it all in Santa and send it my way...without the corset.

December (So Far)

2009-12-12T20:42:00.006-07:00

He was born on a snowy day. And when he decided to enter this world, it was done quickly and full of adrenaline (which his parents heartily attest to). And so it was fitting that Ethan chose to celebrate his 6th birthday speeding down a snowy mountain side on a thin piece of plastic. He invited friends and family to join him at the famous "bowl". To keep everyone from freezing their keesters off, he served his guests hot chocolate and doughnuts, after which they sang him a rousing verse of "happy birthday." It was a day full of presents, fun, and frozen fingers. Thanks to all who attended.

On that same day of the party, we retired to our home for soup and a bit of rest before our next event, Maille's Christmas dance recital. Her teacher, the master that she is, put on an incredible and very uplifting version of the nativity. Our little Mai Mai was a little lamb for the shepherds. She leaped, she twirled, she made us laugh.

And so our December continues. We are busy, but very happy. And very blessed.

Parental Ninga-ness

2009-11-11T17:41:00.003-07:00

Some may look at this face and think, "How cute", or "Awww", or the like. We enjoy him as well. However, three times a day he becomes our mortal enemy. We devise a battle plan which requires precision timing, careful distractions, swift movements, practiced stealth, and dogged persistence.

What is this battle plan for? Meal times. Our little Adam is just that - little. A mere 2% in weight, in fact. And so we employ our tactics and strategies in order to maximize caloric intake at each meal. "It's for your own good!", we say. But he doesn't seem to be impressed. He flaps his arms, turns away, whines, and exercises his own resistance in our never ending war of wills.

But we always prevail.

In fact, not only do we prevail, we do our job so well that he feels as if nothing happened when our battles have run their course. Not only does he feel this, but it all ends with a smile. We are in, we are out, our opponent does not notice. He smiles.

It is the way of the ninja.

Halloween & Me

2009-11-02T17:39:00.004-07:00

This year our kiddos had an average, run of the mill Halloween. That is, except for the costumes. It was a little over one month ago when Melissa asked them what they wanted to be. Ethan wanted to be a Pirate (to be expected, I guess).

Mai thought for a minute and said, "well, I either want to be a princess or a cow." Two very different ideas. We laughed it off and thought it was a cute moment, until we realized that she was serious about wanting to be a cow more as time went by. But that's what she wanted. Melissa took this idea, and, inspired by a recent visit to the Utah State Fair, made her into a blue ribbon cow (the blue ribbons were in her hair). No regular cow costumes for us, no sir.

To add to the theme, Melissa made little Adam, our young and defenseless little boy, into a chicken. Not just any chicken, mind you. That's right, a blue ribbon chicken. Let's face it, he is
about the cutest little chicken we ever did see. In our estimation, he deserves a blue ribbon. We even have video with him flapping his arms (like babies do) when he became excited about something. This footage we plan to use as leverage for keeping Aaron & Melissa into the nicest convalescent homes at his expense when we become old and decrepit. Sorry young fella, it's what desperation does to a couple of otherwise respectful parents.

What we did this summer

2009-10-11T19:21:00.005-06:00

Many of you may have wondered why we have not touched our blog for most of the summer. The answer is easy - we had too much fun having fun. We were busy with hikes, bike rides, swimming, and of course, VACATIONS! This year we packed up the kiddies and headed west to the beautiful state of Oregon to visit family and see the sights.
We began by going to Roseburg to see Aaron's Aunt Carol and Grandmother, which we enjoyed immensely. It brought back some good memories for Aaron and lots of laughs.
After spending a couple of days there we headed up to Eugene to see the University of Oregon's Law school. The campus was BEAUTIFUL as well as the school itself.
Following Eugene we made it over to the coast to spend some days in a town called Newport. There we enjoyed some camping in a state park, hiked up to some lighthouses, checked out the main drag with all of it's shops, saw a really great aquarium, and went CRABBING. Aaron and Melissa's brother (Dan), father, and Aunt Bonnie chartered a boat and went out into the harbor to score a mess of beautiful and very tasty crab. That night we ate crab until we could eat no more. Gold Beach was our final destination where we went on a jet boat up the rogue river to see wildlife and built a tepee/fort to protect us from the fierce wind on the local beach there.
Very tired but very satisfied with the trip, we headed back home to Provo. It was definitely one for the books. Thanks to ALL of our family who made it all so fun! Feel free to peruse our photo's of the trip.

Family hug?

2009-08-04T19:32:00.005-06:00

Awhile back, Ethan decided that we should begin a new family tradition. You guessed it - a family hug. Neither of us are sure where it came from, but Ethan (and thanks to his example), and now Mai, are absolutely adamant about having it before bed and before Aaron leaves for work each morning. Mai will even shed some tears over it if we don't do it. It's quite cute. It's funny how intuitive kids can be. So despite ourselves, the Baxter family now has a new tradition. Thanks "E".

Ode to the Man

2009-07-14T15:00:00.007-06:00

Ode to the Man who took my hand

On that fateful summer day.

My heart full of whimsy, his legs a little flimsy

A wonderful match, they all say.

Two crimson graduations, with help from the trax stations

Just in time for a bouncing baby boy.

Then the color of pink, that at times puts up a stink

But we love our little curls of joy.

And let it be known, Happy Valley we call home

With social work and gardens galore.

And did I mention, our latest invention

Blue eyes, bright smile, we added just one more.

Yes, ode to the man, who holds my hand

Who makes life more easy to bare.

I'm the luckiest gal, I've got my best pal

Our lives we have promised to share.

Happy Anniversary, Hot Stuff!

8 years

4th of July Madness

2009-07-12T18:53:00.003-06:00

Like many families, our 4th was very . . . um. . exciting. Lots and lots and lots of . . fun. Busy at least. Just to recap:

Our 4th week began with a kids parade. It's an event where kids decorate their bikes, trikes, scooters, etc. and parade down center street in Provo. We were joined by cousins Taylor and Ashlyn. I'm not sure one can appreciate the amount of work such an event takes. Work for the adults, that is. But the kids had fun and enjoyed being the center of attention for once *snicker*.

Later that week, we attended Provo's annual "colonial days". We walked around a lot filled with people dressed in colonial period dress, listened to colonial style music, played colonial era games, ate colonial food, and even enjoyed looking at a half replica of the mayflower.

On the actual day of the 4th Aaron sat on center street at the early hour of 5 a.m. to save seats for the parade. The entire family filed in as the morning progressed. The parade was a lot of fun, with the usual band music, salt water taffy, beauty queens, and even an alien or two (Mai really enjoyed that - her dad has the scars around his neck to prove it).

Following the parade, the family congregated at our home where we enjoyed a classic meal of fruit, chips, sloppy joe's, lemonade, and cake. We followed up the meal with a rousing game of home run derby. Very fun.
THANKS FAMILY!
Enjoy the pictures!

The Great Outdoors

2009-07-12T18:12:00.007-06:00

Being summer and all, the family is beginning to take on the great outdoors. Recently we were invited to go to Payson Lakes to paddle around a bit. Mai was a real trooper. She needed to *ahem* take care of business on the lake. As is custom, mommy lowered her over the edge to take care of it. Mai liked being in the water, and asked to stay for a bit. With careful supervision and a certain amount of anxiety on her parents end, Maille hung on to the side of the boat and squealed with delight. Yes. This is Maille. She is scared of spiders, imaginary monsters, spider man, Darth Vader, and a whole myriad of other things. Apparently her list does not include swimming out in the middle of a lake with naught but a swimming suit and life preserver.

Mai with Uncle Matt

Ethan and his Granny

Ethan had a great time too. But with his advanced cerebral development and all (being a lofty 5 years old), he was smart enough not to enter the murky waters in which heaven knows what is swimming. However, he did enjoy the shallow ends near the beach. Good lad.

Adam and Auntie Allyson

Adam hung out on the sidelines. He was much too busy with his fists to bother with the great outdoors. Mountains? No. Lakes? Nah. Trees? Sorry. It's all in the fists, baby. At least he had great company!

Thanks for the invite family!

Children and Cameras

2009-06-07T16:54:00.002-06:00

Needless to say, our children are bored often. To fill the voids, our children create lavish fantasies with anything from bouncy balls to sticks found in the garden. Very creative. However, there are times when these imagination sessions are simply not enough. Don't ask me why. It is at these times when our children find other varieties of entertainment, like drawing portraits on the wall, making sounds resembling flatulence, or torturing each other, for example. Here is photographic evidence of such a time. Perhaps that by viewing this slide show you will also identify which child in our family is most often bored. Yes, each picture in this show was actually taken by said culprit. Happy viewing.

We're off to see the Wizard

2009-05-24T22:59:00.004-06:00

Well, my little girl decided she try on her little poof of a snowflake outfit, four days before her dance recital. She was a little weary at first. She wasn't sure about twirling and jumping around a big stage with lots of lights and people, but after encouragement from her dance teacher, other moms, other dancers, Daddy and of course Mommy, she sat quietly back stage ready to make her grand entrance Friday night. And with a swish of Glenda's wand, Maille and her class twirled and leaped across the stage, spreading their good magic onto Dorothy to wake her from the poisonous poppies. The entire Wizard of Oz production was amazing and Amber Cramer, her dance teacher, is amazing. Have you ever seen anything so darling in your lives?

Too many twirls

Dorothy and Maille

Mommy and Me

Easter Bliss

2009-04-15T14:20:00.016-06:00

Oh, how we long to be young again. To run with wings on our backs, diligently searching for that golden egg that holds treasures of sweet delight. To squeal with joy when our baskets get too heavy to carry. To steal away to our own corner of the world to cast our eyes upon our long awaited treasure.

Yes, to be young again is to feel that same tickle of delight as you watch your own little bunnies, dance through the grass with baskets in hand.

Thank you so much Aunt Adrienne and Aunt Allyson for making our dreams come true!

Bless You

2009-04-02T13:54:00.005-06:00

Sunday, March 29th, our little baby Adam was blessed by his daddy, Aaron along with two grandpas and six uncles. It was a lovely day and God was so good as to drop white flakes of heaven from the sky to show Adam how much he loves him. Adam gives everyone a big hug and smile for all your love and support on his special day.

Grandpa Cahoon, Aaron, Adam, Grandpa Baxter

Grandma Cahoon, Melissa, Adam, Grandma Baxter

Back: Karl, Jonathan, Matt, Ryan, Grandpa, Nathan, Aaron

Front: Heather, Adrienne, Alyssa, Adam, Grandma, Melissa, Steph

Walk-Ins Welcome

2009-02-21T17:13:00.014-07:00

Our beautiful, bouncing, baby boy is 3 weeks old now and enjoying his stay on this lush planet. He especially enjoys his routine beauty...I mean manly treatment at the Båxtér Salon and Spa. Walk-ins always welcome.

First, Señor Adam will receive a tender tushy wipe with natures best, Huggies Gentle Care Sensitive baby wipes, then be escorted the natural springs of the wash room where he will be drawn a luxurious, lukewarm, bubble bath compliments of the bathroom sink. He feels oh so relaxed and tranquil as his mother dips his little physic into the agua pura. He thinks to himself, "This is the life...warm water, warm milk, and service at my every beck and cry. Heaven, I'm in Heaven...la, la, la, la, la @*&!!#..." But wait! It's time to get out of his little haven of buoyancy and feel the chill of the open air. Aaaaah! Not to worry, the freshly pressed bath towel is quickly applied to his delicate skin which is now prepped and ready for it's daily moisturizing treatment. After Aveeno Baby with Natural Colloidal Oatmeal has been applied, the popular monkey under pant is strapped on to give comfort, ease, and most of all protection of the Family Jewels. Señor's wardrobe will consists of a one of a kind, cotton woven onesie with a choice of designer puppy, penguin, frog, farm animal or rock star PJ. And last, but not least Jean-Claude Van Daddy rushes AW to his hairstyling salon. With a flick of the comb and a little spit and polish, our overly eccentric stylist gives his son a super star hair do.

You look fabulous darling. Simply FABULOUS!

We love to see the temple...

2009-02-11T20:55:00.003-07:00

If you haven't had the chance to visit the Draper Temple open house...make it happen! We logged on to www.lds.org Monday morning to see about tickets and parking and were able to sign up for a time that same day. We went Monday around 11:30 a.m. and did not have to wait in any lines. We drove right to the church parking lot, watched a 10 minute video and jumped on the bus that took us to the mountain top where a beautiful Temple of the Lord stood. Immaculate, plus every other breathtaking adjective you can think of. There is beautiful wood work, marble, upholstery, crystal, etc... The colors are yummy blue greens and golds. And of course the feeling inside the temple is something that is not found anywhere else. My cute little Maille kept asking me when she was going to see Jesus.

So grab you best friend or neighbor across the street and peddle on up to the temple.

Heaven awaits!

Adam William Baxter

2009-01-31T16:46:00.007-07:00

To Adam, our new little baby.

We were so excited to have you in our family! You were born on January 28th, 2009. When you were born, you weighed 8 lbs, 10 oz. You were 19 1/2 inches long. Here you are just an hour after you were born. You were on your stomach because you had a rough time breathing . . . but the respiratory therapist helped!

You now belong to a family of . . (gulp), FIVE! Can you feel the love we have for you! It is almost palpable!

So now what? You may ask. Well, let me introduce us to you. We love to swim, go for walks, camping, bike riding, and doughnuts - especially the powdered ones and the chocolate ones . . mmmm...

Oh yeah, there may be one more thing to add. You have a brother and a sister. Here they are:

Sorry Dude!

More Picture FUN...

La Navidad

2008-12-26T20:59:00.003-07:00

Maille was a little lamb . . .

2008-12-14T10:53:00.007-07:00

Our little Mai Mai has been in dance class learning a special Christmas dance recital. She was a lamb in the nativity scene. We thought she was the cutest little lamb there ever was. We hope you do to!

For her little part, she came on with the other lambs and danced around (well, more like she jumped around and wiggled her little hips a bit) for awhile. She and another little girl were given the little baby Jesus doll to cradle and put into His manger. She did a great job!

How does he do it?

2008-12-05T11:49:00.002-07:00

Ever wonder how a big man like Santa gets down a little 'ol chimney? Do you know how he does it? No?? Well they do.

A Mothers Love

2008-11-23T11:23:00.003-07:00

I came home from work one day to find my wife and children dressed in garbage bags, stickers on foreheads, plastic stethoscopes, Halloween princess crowns, and flowing blue capes.

They were chasing each other around.

Mai could hardly hold up the gun she had - it was as big as her. To compensate, she would lean way back and heft the gun up at me with her little feet spread out beyond her shoulder's width.

Ethan came rustling around the corner in his brown paper bag, "Bang-banging" away. He made his get-up in preschool that day. Very good looking, and well done.

Then there was my lovely wife. She was doing her best to keep up. It looked as if Mai had dressed her, as she had the signature sticker on the forehead and plastic stethoscope around her neck.

Glad to be a father to these kids. Glad to be a husband to this woman.

2008-11-23T11:14:00.002-07:00

We are officially old. Above is a picture of many of Aaron's high school friends and their spouses and . . children. It is a bit surreal to have these gatherings with friends because in a way it's like we are still in someone's basement messing around on a friday night like in high school days, and yet we have wives and children as well. Yet somehow our conversations are not totally unilke those wallflower days (one friend of mine confessed to eating a can and a half of chilie, followed by a bowl of cold cereal . . and the aftermath that ensued). But we have matured, changed, and usually for the better, with the exception of a little less hair and a little more spare tire around our waists. But life is good. Thanks for the good times.

Happy Halloween

2008-11-14T11:13:00.008-07:00

Well, the long awaited day of candy, candy, and more candy finally arrived for the Baxter kids. After months of asking, "Mom, when is it going to be Halloween?" It finally arrived and the kids loved every second of it. The Saturday before was filled with treasure hunts and yummy Navajo Taco at the Grandma and Grandpa Baxter's home. Then Ethan and Maille got ready for the big Halloween night and took to the streets and doors of the local neighborhood. We had to be out early to get what yummy treats we could and say hi to all of our friends around town, then we were off to Eagle Mountain to Aaron's friends house to party some more. It was a little rainy over on the west side, but that never deters a true tricker treater. It was a great day and night...now the trick is to manage the amount of sugar entering into your little cuties tummies. I'll just have to help them eat their Snicker and Twix Bars while I'm monitoring!!!

GOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!!

2008-10-21T21:20:00.005-06:00

Well, we made it to our first and last Salt Lake REAL soccer game for the season last Saturday, and it rocked! The new Rio Tinto Stadium was awesome. The design is state of the art. The lights and sound were perfect and our seats were great. We were down close enough to the action for me to yell a few pointers out to the professional soccer players, who didn't seem to know what was going on at times...we the fans must have a voice in every play, no? Well Aaron lost his voice yelling and was surprised that I didn't. It must have been due to all of those years being a Raa Raa that conditioned these vocals to be tough and endure any type of crowd.

REAL did score 3 excellent goals compared to FC Dallas' 1 goal. Now, they are off to the playoffs. I will have to say that REAL still has some fine tuning to do as far as moving up in the professional soccer rankings, but you've got to hand it to them, they have chosen the divine sport (next to softball) as a career and I must stand and applaud the power that can drill a round leather ball through oppositions gut (the net)!

¡VIVA FUTBOL! And always remember to stop and smell the green, luscious, slide tackling, jersey soaking, corner crashing, red card flipping, air bicycling...grass.

Provo Farmer's Market

2008-09-28T09:17:00.037-06:00

After taking a vegetable gardening class at Thanksgiving Point in early March I thought, "I've got the space. Why don't I plant a few heirloom and roma tomato plants this year and take them to market." To market to market to sell whatever comes out of the ground! So 22 tomato plants later, including 1 tomatillo plant with a few jalapeño additions, I was off and running to see what I'd come up with at summer's end. September 6th it was off to market. I had 25 pounds of lovely pink Brandy Wine heirloom tomatoes, 19 pounds of Romas, 25 pounds of Celebrities, 6 pounds of little Juliet cherry tomatoes, 4 pounds of cherry, green tomatillos and to add a little picante...Jalapeños and Cayenne peppers. My little basil plant put out a few stems of basil that people snatched up and Ethan was in charge of the Lemonade of 25 cents a pop. Then there is the Salsa that everyone seemed to like. I was a crazy mess the day before, organizing babysitters (thank you Mary, The Watsons and Uncle Jonathan), Tomatoes, signs, and trucks and cars to haul all the tables, tents, baskets and produce. We were up bright an early Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. setting up our tent down at Provo Pioneer Park off Center St.

I had a wonderful time talking with the locals about gardening and organic bliss. I knew I had to do this again, but it was time to call in the authorities on real old fashion "Home Roots" decorum and style. "Mom, it's Melissa. It's time to pull that old antique door out of your garage and let 'er shine in the Provo sun. And do you have any old windowpanes? Bring whatever you've got!" Well I recieved about a dozen phone calls from my mom after I had called her reguarding props for next Saturday's farmers market. It was like talking to a giddy school girl, getting ready for the big play or dance. She had old cupboard doors, chairs, pans, thread, jars, spoons, etc... She was beside herself pulling out all of her antique treasures she's collected through the years, ready to give them new birth.

"Caroline, it's Melissa. You know you want to bring you kids down to my house Friday night and sleep over so you can be my master decorator for the Farmer's Market. Oh and Uncle Dan is going to come and sleep over too. No worries, there will be plenty of room." Well after the kids played to their hearts content and after Cline helped weigh in all of my cherry tomatoes and sunflower seeds she snuggled up to Lauren in Ethan's twin bed. Ethan and Bridger were on the floor and Maille slept soundly in her own bed...never mind that it was about 10:30 p.m. before they all crashed. Dan and Aaron were still creating their salsa masterpiece at that hour and made enough to fill 8 tupperwares of delicious homegrown salsa...it all sold the next day. At about 12:30 a.m. Dan helped me glue on the last button to my little HR signs and we said, "Hasta mañana." And off to sleep we went.

The posse (Wild Bill, Two Step Tom, My Lover, SpiderDan and Piccadilly Cline all set off to set up our stand at 7:30 a.m. the next morning. I stayed at home to get the kids up and rolling then we took them to the park. When I arrived about an hour later the new and improved Home Roots Stand was gleeming. Of course Caroline worried about things not being how I wanted, but I just looked at Dan and said, "Would you ever doubt Caroline in setting up and making a corner of the world look absolutely fabulous? I think not." It looked divine and Cline and I had a great time selling tomatoes, nectarines, apples, carrots, zucchini, salsa, peppers, pickled beats and the coveted Pickled BEAN! Oh yes, we charged $10 a bottle for those babies and yes, people bought them. We had many visitors including Sweet Pickle Neen (Melissa's Mom) and Heather's kids. The kids had a wonderful time playing on the playground, strolling the market and indulging in mammoth sized cotton candy.

Many shoppers came by just to check out the fun display and to say that if ribbons were to be awarded at this market, ours would recieve the blue. I was just happy to have my family there enjoying in a conglomoration of green thumbs and creative ink. Cline and I were in serious need of R&R after all was said and done, but the journey was as sweet as peach pie and as tangy as a quart jar of Piccadilly Beans! Check this one off my list!

If you grow it, they will come. Thanks to all, and remember to GO GREEN!

Are you a true Aggie?

2008-09-22T21:05:00.005-06:00

If you are a true Aggie I have a new found respect for you. Only the chosen few can claim this honor and I'm proud to say that I got to spend the day with a few of Logan's finest, last Saturday. About 10 or so years ago, I found myself in a new town, living on the 4th floor of a Utah State University dorm. Five other girls shared this humble aboad with me and who would have thought we'd be laughing about all of our adventures and heartbrakes a decade later. Amy Duke and Ang Perry were my partners in crime our freshmen year, then Leslie Smith joined the pack our junior year. We had the time of our lives and even got to witness the beginning flirtations and courtship of LeAnn and Dyllon, only later to witness wedding rings and now, 3 1/2 kids to their credit. The two and one half years that I spent at USU were priceless, but as I pondered last week upon that time in my life, I was glad to know that I'd survived it and was where I needed and wanted to be in my life right now.

The reunion with Ang, Amy, LeAnn, and Leslie was refreshing and endearing. The Blue Bird Cafe still has the best chicken. The Cache Valley still calls to me. And my roomies are wonderful examples to me as to what life is really about and how each one of us can pull through any ugly crisis that presents itself and tell it to "Go to Hell," as Amy would say!

Go Aggies!!

"Knock-Knock"

2008-09-21T18:12:00.002-06:00

The children have been learning jokes lately. Ethan brought up the subject the other day. He told a joke about a penny who is shy apparently, and will run and hide if you look at it. I'm not sure what the punchline is, except that when the boy in the joke showed his friends, he always got into trouble. Ethan begins to laugh when he comes to the end of the joke, where the boy, who is in time out on his bed, shows his dad. We all do our best to offer a courteous laugh, which seems to appease him. Aaron tries to teach his children jokes, his favorites being the following knock-knock jokes: "Wave your hand like this (up and down motion, elbow tucked to rib cage). Knock-knock? Who's there? You. You who? Hello yourself." "Do this (waves hand in circular motion above his shoulder - like a lasso). Knock-Knock? Who's there? Yah. Yah who? Ride-em cowboy!" "Knock-knock? Who's there? Yo de leigh he. Yo de leigh he who? I didn't know you could yodle!" Tee-hee, very funny. Mai, who tries her hardest, will start to tell a joke in the conventional way - Knock-knock: "Knock-Knock? Who's there? (bursts out into a random song at the top of her lungs which may last from 1-3 minutes)." She ends it with saying "The end.". Sometimes it's the effort that counts.

Pond Family Renuion

2008-08-03T12:39:00.002-06:00

Here are some pictures from our recent reunion with my Mom's side of the family in Kalispell, Montanta. For those in our family who wish to download these pictures, you can click on the pictures to go to our picasa web albums page and download which pictures you want inside the album.

Freedom Festival Fun

2008-07-08T09:02:00.012-06:00

Howdy Folks. I'm here to tell ya that my Ma did it again. That's right, she done got me all gussied up this year for the annual Freedom Festival Baby Contest. I'll have to admit that I did look cuter than a bug in a rug and so did the judges. I got me a shiny metal and a chance to get my picture taken a few hundred times.

I also got to ride my fancy red, white, and blue buggy that my pa and ma made for me. Whoo Weee, I tell ya I'd done never seen so many kind folk in these here parts, smilin' and clapin' as we made our way down the parade route. I'd never had so much fun! Gosh, thanks to all of my posse who come out to cheer and support a little cherry blossom like me. Ya done me good and I love ya.

--Miss Maille Louise

Family Fotos

2008-07-06T20:18:00.003-06:00

We found a fun program on Grandma's computer. Here are some photos of us heretofore not seen. Enjoy!

Pictures can say a thousand words . . .

2008-06-22T21:39:00.002-06:00

Books are great. They serve as go-to-bed tools, calm down tools, learn your abc's tools, know your color's tools, time-killer tools, and teaching tools of all sorts. Melissa found this one, called "Howler", by Michael Rosen and Neal Laston. We generally do not post book reviews on this blog, we have anotherone for that. But this one is . . . particularly good for . . . teaching things. Read it, and let us know what you think!

Summertime!

2008-06-16T20:52:00.004-06:00

Here are a few happenings thus far in the great summer of 2008. We're not so sure about 90 degree weather already in June, but it's better the 40 degree weather in April and May. Enjoy the little snippets!

The Doughnut Incident

2008-06-16T11:49:00.002-06:00

Our family loves doughnuts. Daddy particularly
enjoys the "hostess raspberry filled donuts", and
will buy them on occasion for our family on
family night. Maille loves donuts. She will perform her "yummy-song" until every delicious morsel is finished. On one occasion, she was enjoying her donut, when we were all surprised to hear a frantic scream come from her sugar-filled mouth. "Ahhhhh! My do-dut!" Neither of us knew what the problem was, until we looked down and saw the raspberry filling she was pointing to. "It's bleeding!", she said. We laughed, all the while trying not to inhale the donut pieces in our mouths. Silently we chortled and shook, all the while Mai was looking at us with eyes wide as saucers. After about 5 minutes or so, we got ourselves together enough to explain that the donut was not bleeding. It was simply the raspberry filling inside, which is yummy to eat. After getting out what seemed to be a satisfactory explanation, Mai sat down again, began her yummy sing-song again, and carried on as if nothing happened. We chortled and shook for about 5 more minutes. Good times.

European Cup Time!

2008-06-10T18:03:00.002-06:00

We in our family are soccer fans (as one may see from previous posts). We would like to take this time to promote a very large, yet largely unknown, soccer tournament taking place in Europe. The European Cup. It is very fun, very exciting, very colorful, and happening as we speak . . uh, read. If one chooses, one may visit their website: http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/ to see the current standings. I am cheering for Russia (of course), though they just suffered a loss from Spain. Go soccer, futbol . . . whatever.

Come Rain or Shine . . . or Both!

2008-06-01T20:43:00.004-06:00

Through rain or snow we were there to yee-haww! The Baxter family reunion went off despite the . . . challenging weather. We gathered in the Wellsville city park near the tabernacle to party-it-up. We only had a small group (more food for us), but we had plenty of games and laughter to brighten up the gloomy clouds. Here are some pictures from the event for your viewing pleasure.

Music the Wife Loves...who else?

2008-05-15T15:04:00.009-06:00

What girl did not jump around and lipsync like there was no tomorrow to their idol Tiffany?! There were many a sleepover making up dance routines to "I think we're alone now" and "Radio Romance" (Uh, dedicate it to the one who loves you baby!) I dedicate this one to my partners in leg warmer crime, Angie Peters and Paige Barlow!

I distinctly remember saving up my nickles and dimes to have my dad run me up to Fred Meyer to buy my first Whitney Houston cassette tape. Whitney and I had some serious hair and vocals, bouncing around on my bed. I cheered her on every year she won a zillion Grammies on TV. She's got to kick Bobby Brown out and revive the killer vocal chords (and hair) she's got!

Pat Benetar...I need a HERO! (Dedicated to my sisters & Ren McCormack.)

So call the girls, put on your blue eyeshadow and strawberry lipgloss, turn on the "blast from the past" playlist and go totally punk!

Music We Love

2008-05-12T22:56:00.003-06:00

Music is one of the things that helps our family in many-many ways. By-in-large, most of the music we have is nothing that is not already popular or listened to regularly by our friends. However, when we run across something that is really good, we tend to want to share it. This is one of those moments.

I'm sure many of you have seen the tv show "America's Got Talent"? Well one particular contestant stands above the rest. That is, as the picture indicates, Cas Haley. His website: http://www.cashaley.com/, has samples of his music. Kind of a reggae feel to it, some acoustic stuff, some mellow electric stuff. Have a listen, you might like it.

The other artist I have always liked is a man named Kevin Moore, or "Keb Mo'". He also has a website: http://www.kebmo.net/. It has samples of his music as well. He has won various music awards, but for some reason, not many people I know seem to know about him. He is one of the best blues/guitar musicians I have ever heard.

If you have any lesser known or little known artist that you or your family like, let us know! We are always up for something new.

¡Buenas!

2008-05-02T16:14:00.003-06:00

FYI - You may want to pause the slide show and navigate through it manually, or bump the seconds up to 7 or 8 to be able to read the captions. Enjoy!

Bad to the Bone

2008-04-12T12:34:00.002-06:00

Ethan has recently acquired a taste for bike riding. His mother, in all her generosity, has purchased a bike for him to ride (a DI special). Ethan has taken to riding it like a duck to water. He will ride circles around the carport next to the home, and up and down the sidewalk near our home. At the moment, he has training wheels to assist him. His father is determined to have him riding without training wheels, and, following the purchase of a helmet and perhaps elbow pads, will promote the idea to Ethan. Already he is being trained in the school of hard knocks to go fast but carefully, especially around corners. In fact, on one particular ride he crashed three times in a row because of high uncontrolled speeds around a bend on a park trail. He cried for the first two, was mad, and needed comfort. Apparently the experience scared him a bit. But after a brief explanation from his father that crashing was a part of riding bikes, and after it became less scary, he got right up on the third crash saying "I'm OK-I'm OK-I'm OK". A true warrior. That's my boy!

Supa-Kick!

2008-04-02T10:22:00.003-06:00

Melissa is the proud new coach of a local soccer team for 4 and 5 year olds. Each week, she bravely dedicates two days to running around a small field, whistle in hand, trying to teach basic skills such as running and kicking the ball, passing, etc. Ethan is on her team, and is working not only on his skill as a player, but sportsmanship as well. He still gets really offended if someone takes the ball while he is trying to kick a goal - "Hey! I was trying to kick a goal! Give that ball back right now!". It appears we have some good teaching opportunities before us as his parents.

Baxter Family Easter

2008-04-02T10:12:00.007-06:00

Easter was a fun holiday for the family. We went with Aaron's family to Rock Canyon Park in Provo to do an Easter egg hunt. Mai loved "wak-wak"-ing around the park and discovering what was in each plastic egg as she found it. In her classic style, she was not concerned about the hub-bub going on around her. She just took her sweet time and did her thing. Ethan, on the other hand, was really active, running around trying to find eggs as quickly as possible. When he did find one, he would scream and laugh wildly and say, "I GOT ANOTHER ONE, YEEEAAAAA!!". Fun stuff.

A two year old, and so much more

2008-03-16T20:32:00.003-06:00

Mai-Mai is two as of 3/17/08. We are so proud of her and of how much she's grown. She gives us too many laughs to count, and smiles a-plenty. She has developed into a shining little personality, with her own little sayings and actions. We hope you enjoy these little pictures as much as we enjoyed taking them.
Happy Birthday Mai-Mai! We love you!

The Call of the Asparagus

2008-03-04T20:10:00.003-07:00

Asparagus is:
Low in calories, only 20 per 5.3 oz. serving, less than 4 calories per spear.
Contains no fat or cholesterol.
Very low in sodium.
A good source of potassium.
A source of fiber (3 grams per 5.3 oz. serving).
An excellent source of folacin.
A significant source of thiamin.
A significant source of vitamin B6.
One of the richest sources of rutin, a compound which strengthens capillary walls.
Contains glutathione (GSH).

I don't know what it is, but Asparagus has been calling my name for the last couple of weeks. I dream about sinking my teeth into one, two or twenty spears at a time. You can eat them raw, steam them, broil them, pickle them and wrap them in prochuto ham for a nice appetizer. They even make a nice center piece. And get them while there HOT (in season). Nine to Ten months out of the year I pass by the asparagus in the produce section and have to turn my head in disgust of the prices. However, when February, March and April come around, it's asparagus every night...well, maybe every other night! ($1.29 lb at Albertsons!)

So get out there all of you Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, and Folacin (Mommy Power) Lovers and ENJOY!

To my 30 year old

2008-02-16T12:35:00.004-07:00

Will I be yours you say?

How could I resist?

Happy Birthday - I love you

My Funny Valentine

2008-02-13T14:28:00.004-07:00

My Funny Valentine.

(Our first date at the Omni Dance Club, July 8th 1999.)
Sweet comic Valentine.

(Our first Buzz Game with Melissa's niece.) You make me smile with my heart.

(That's why I married you.)
Your looks are laughable, unphotographable.

(Have you ever seen anyone look so good in a butterfly collar?) Yet you're my favorite work of art!

(Young Love...isn't it grand!)
Aaron, will you be mine?

What to do when there's nothing to do...

2008-02-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

Dress in appropriate attire to roam the house.

March to the beat of your own ipod.

Eat with all 4 limbs on the table,

and eat them too.

Take a nap.

Conquer.

Surrender.Start over tomorrow!

Family Fun

2008-01-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Baxter was kind enough to invite us to a BYU Basketball game over the weekend. Mai inherited the unsavory piece of clothing you see in the picture (if it was red, minus the "BY" it would be stunning!) from her cousin. She wasn't interested in the game as much as the hallways outside of the arena. I would have guessed she'd like the game atmosphere more, as she regularly chants "B-Y-U-B-Y-U-B-Y-U" at the breakfast table, a tradition started by her mother on the BYU vs. U game day last year.

Ethan loved it, and was riveted to the game for the first half, but slowly lost interest in the 2nd half. This is when we turned to taking pictures of his strange faces you see in the "picture of the week" on the side. His mother likes the "stretch face" the most . . . .

It was a fun day!

Sopa de Tortilla

2008-01-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay...Here is the recipe for the Tortilla Soup the Baxters ate on Christmas Eve.

Sopa de Tortilla (Tortilla Soup w/ Chicken)
2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
½ cup onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 c. chicken broth
1 or 2 dried red chile, ground (This all depends on how daring you are...and how many kids will be refusing to eat it after burning off a few taste buds.)
¾ tsp. basil leaves (dried)
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 (15 oz.) can tomato puree
2 limes sliced
Queso Ranchero (fresh mexican cheese sold in a circle shape by the mexican dairy products)
Avocado
Bag of corn tortilla chips

Boil the two chicken breasts in 5 cups of water (about 1 cup will be lost to evaporation), season with salt and garlic to make a nice chicken broth. Shred chicken after cooked completely, strain and save broth. In large sauce pan cook and stir onions and garlic in 2 tablespoons oil until onion is tender. Stir in broth, ground red chilies, basil, salt, pepper, and tomato puree. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Divide broken tortilla chips and shredded chicken among 6 bowls; add a few cubes of cheese and avocado; pour broth over mixture...and a little lime makes everything sublime! ¡Buen Provecho!

Ethan for President!

2008-01-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

Ethan for President....or at least Governor! Yes, before your very eyes you see Governor Ethan, his lovely assistant Maille and Most Trusted Advisor...Grandpa. They are sitting at Governor Huntsman's desk and loving every minute of it. We had a lovely day with Grandpa and Grandma Baxter on Wednesday. We took a field trip to the Capitol building in Salt Lake City and enjoyed an afternoon of on the "Hill". Wow we're the only words uttered as we entered the rotunda of the newly renovated Capitol Building. The acoustics are magnificent and everything looked bright at breathtaking. Mary and I could not stop our "photo" trigger fingers for one second. I thought of how fun it would be to work in this magnificent building everyday. Mary and I picked the Gold Room as our own. If you've ever felt like becoming queen for a day...We've got gold leafed crown molding, ornate crystal, velvet chairs, dreamy drapes, and tea time with the Governor all in store and you don't even need to fly to Buckingham Palace. We actually did get to talk with the Governor for a moment as he gave his little girl a tour of the Capitol. And to top our journey off, we ran into the Public Lounge, which was filled with salad, stroganoff, beverage and a deliciously divine devils food cake! We did feel like Kings...after all, our tax dollars need to be put to some good use. Hee hee. We highly recommend a stroll through one of Utah's finest!

Ethan's Blog

2008-01-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

Ethan and dad were stuck at home all sunday. He was sick with strep throat. Ethan wanted to post his own blog. Here it is:

1. g jhkgjhgkkggkjxf jjjgkhj

- Translation: "I love mom and dad

and Maille and me. We are a happy family."

2. bfhhghjbhgjhjhguuhughgfyrttuht

urhutrhuhu6hrjthjrhtrtht8thrhttngj

gnjfhjhthyhjtjhtyhjtjyhjjghghjghkjht

gjhjhgjgjknj jjgjhjgjhjhhjgkhgjgkj nh

- Translation: "I won't get sick so I can be

better so little bugs can't get in my throat."

My Wife's Children

2008-01-13T18:32:00.000-07:00

As a father, sometimes it is fun to stick out my chest as if I were a pigeon strutting around a city sidewalk when talking about my children - "Ethan knows the whole alphabet." or "You should have seen the picture Maille drew the other day, it was amazing!". However, there are also sometimes I wonder from whence these children came. For example, when Mai lets a stinker in the bathtub and laughs about it, saying "my bummy . . ", or when Ethan is seen absentmindedly picking his nose while watching a movie.

I have had two such experiences this week. The first is Ethan who decided to take a box we had out when packing up our Chirstmas decorations. It has a slit just the right level to fit to his eyes when carefully fit over his head. Where he got this idea . . . I have no idea. To make matters worse, he decided to sneak around corners to scare his sister, father, and mother. It seems he has a knack of doing this, as evidence of Mai scampering around the corner with a wild look it her eye towards my leg, and the deathgrip she had on my thigh after she reached it. Ethan loved the attention as well. Whenever he had a successful scare, he would laugh wildly as the sound echoed around his cardboard helmet.

Then there's Mai, who has an unusual streak of what I call "Cahoon-ness" that creeps out every once in a while. (I call it Cahooness in homage to my lovely wife, whose maiden name is Cahoon. Anything somewhat strange or eyebrow raising that my children do must have come from her genetic line . . . right?). For example, Mai, who is learning to swim, decided to take a dip in her cereal one morning my crawling up onto the table and splash milk and bits of frosted mini-wheats everywhere. When confronted by her father, not only was she completely unabashed, but relished the moment by giving a big "Cheese" for the camera. Another example comes from the day of this post, where she was instructed by her father to eat her eggs. She responded by nodding her head emphatically and saying "K dad . . . k dad . . kdad. . .kdadkdad . . kdad", and stuffing a large amount of fried egg into her mouth. She finished off the show with a large toothy/eggy smile.

Where do these children get this? I shudder to think.

Christmas

2008-01-02T16:33:00.000-07:00

Christmas was a lot of fun for our family. We all went to the festival of trees with grandma and grandpa. At one point, Mai and grandma were sitting down watching a clogging group. Mai loved the clogging and the music, so she decided to try a bit of her own. She would bounce up and down on grandma's knees, then lean way over to the right, then way over to the left, all the while saying "whoaaaaa . . . whoaaaaaa", as if she were on a rollercoaster. Ethan, as detail oriented as he his, would stop and admire the tree's . . . all of them. It took nearly three times the amount of time it probablly should have to get through them, but it was fun anyway.

Snowman

2008-01-02T16:20:00.000-07:00

Ethan has been outside with dad whenever possible. He espeically loves to build large mounds of snow and jump on them, in them, around them . . you get the idea. Our most recent project has been this snowman, which only lasted a short while before some punk teenagers knocked it down. At least we have a picture to remember him.

Ethan is holding a picture of his great feat of creating a snowball. The one that ended up splattered all around daddy's neck and melting into his underwear . .

Maille likes the snow as well, but for some reason looked surprised to see it on this occasion.

Snowy Fun

2008-01-02T16:03:00.000-07:00

Ethan and Mai love the snow. Mai loves to pull these nutty faces for the camera, which you can see. She has a lot of spunk, and fit right in to the holiday party atmosphere.

Mel's Halloween Note

2007-11-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

Halloween was a scream! Ethan was decked out in his Piiiieret (Pirate) costume, AARRR. And we dressed Maille in a little Tinker Bell Tutu. We went to Aunt Heather's for some Halloweenies and Ethan ran around with the big boys and got way too much candy. Do you think we can sell it on EBAY? And just when I thought Mai had had enough trick or treat fun, she grabs my hand and says 'Wak, Wak' and we walk down the street to 2 or 3 more houses...she knows exactly what she is doing. Even an 19 month old can't elude the sweet smell of candy at every doorstep.

Birthday Surprise

2007-11-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

Melissa surprised her hubby by taking him on an adventure crossing state lines. We went to the Tacoma/Seattle area to visit my big brother, Sean. We enjoyed their hospitality for a total of 4 days. We enjoyed several adventures, ranging from travelling to the big city, to coloring pictures around the island in the kitchen. Sean's better half cooked us some gormet-grade meals, for which we were very grateful. Sean's kids, Avery, Tobin, and Tenley were a hoot. Avery was everything princess, and even has a hidden talent of dancing to spanish music (imagine a 5 year old, dressed in a ballet outfit, with oversized bead necklaces strung about her neck, hands on hips, shaking from side to side . . very cute). Tenley was a little jokester, who loved to play little games with her Uncle Aaron while travelling in the car. We especially enjoyed her bright smile! Tobin is a man's-man, a rough-and-tumble type. He looks exactly like his father. Here is a brief outline of some highlights of our 4-day adventure:

We arrived on October 24th. Sean and Avery met us at the airport, and drove us to his home, which is situated in a beautiful area full of pine trees and open spaces. That night we celebrated my birthday(my 30th birthday . . I'm old now). Melissa, Sean, and Melissa and I went to an outstanding restaurant to gorge ourselves on seafood of the highest caliber.

On day number two, we took the ferry over to Seattle, and enjoyed walking around the town, including a visit to the infamous "Pikes Market", an outdoor market famous for flinging fishes. Melissa (my wife) bought herself an extremely large apple which she could use for a second noggin should the need arise.

On day number three, we took a stroll down to the beach to brave some very cold winds for a moment while we hunted for seashells. Ethan was loving the great hunt, and actually ended up with a live crab living inside of one of the seashells we collected. He was our guest for a few hours before we found a new home for him in a roadside inlet.

On day number four, Sean drove us back to the airport, where Melissa took this great picture of the peninsula where the Sean Baxter Homestead is located. In the picture you can faintly see a bridge leading from Tacoma (on your left) to the Gig Harbor area.

Bye!

2007-10-15T20:34:00.000-06:00

After days of watching Daddy go out the door with his back pack on to his glorious ride to work (a bike), Mai and Ethan decided it was there turn. Mai is wearing Daddy's green back pack, which doubled as a pad for her bottom during the times she slipped. Ethan has his classic "Superman" back pack, a much treasured Christmas gift from last year.

After they put on their packs, they circled around a chair in our kitchen saying "Bye-bye!". It was a moment to make a parent proud . . .

The Baxter Family is now ONLINE!

2007-09-23T18:56:00.000-06:00

Hello family and friends. Melissa and I have had many friends and family send us links to their family's blog. We thought, "why not us?", so here you are. We will post pictures and information on this blog on interesting/funny/weird/etc., events to update you on our status. Currently, we are excited to say that after a long time, we are living a "normal" schedule. I have finished school at BYU, and am working at a hospital as a therapist/social worker for children and families. Melissa is busy with the kids at home, but somehow finds time to continue photography here and there. Her current website is: http://www.lifephotography.net/. Here you can see all of her work, as well as contact her for any photo needs. Ethan is now 3 1/2, and loves about any sport you can throw at him. When I asked him what his favorite sport is, he said "football", but I think that's because it was just the most recent sport played. He is very helpful, and loves to help his little sister, Mai. Maille (pronounced MAY-lee), is 1 1/2. She is hilarious, and can make faces which are unique to a one year old. She thinks she is a little Mommy, and will follow Ethan around saying "NO-NO!", or while looking for him she will say "Eeeee . . where are you?". Overall, I would say we are happy with where we are, and eagerly looking to the future.