c+d

fall festivities

2011-11-11T13:24:00.000-08:00

Fall is a wonderful time of year here. Kids are back in school (so playgrounds are left for the smaller children), the leaves are changing, the weather is still (mostly) pleasant, and so we savor the outdoor time before winter hits. Halloween was especially fun with Josie this year now that she's starting to get it. I asked her what she wanted to be, and she was adamant about being a "pink pig." Seeing her go after the candy with her little pig outfit was a sight to behold!

It's amazing how well little people can get around on these scooters

Visits with grandmas--Josie with Clint's mom in NY and Sam with my grandmother during a quick trip to Utah

Quality time--hours coloring with me; pumpkin carving with Clint (as you can see, Josie did not like the "goop")

Pretty cute pink pig! And Sam, wearing Josie's first costume, was a wonderful bear. Trick-or-treating consisted mostly of going to the apartments in our building via the elevator. This proved to be a wonderful way to do it with little ones

september firsts

2011-11-11T13:02:00.001-08:00

September was full of many firsts, the biggest of which was Josie starting pre-school. She loves it and is learning many "meaningful" things, like which kids to stay away from because they hit. (She told me recently that she likes to play with one boy and when I asked her why, she responded, "Because he doesn't hit me.")

Another big first was meeting my brother's first baby in Milwaukee. I took Josie and Sam for Max's blessing and then we spent a week in MN. I love to travel, but it's become much more work with the addition of #2. It was a wonderful trip, though, as almost my entire family was together and attended church where my dad had been baptized. Life has a funny way of coming full circle.

School is six blocks from our house, luckily. In rain or shine, this will be our mode of transportation. (The backpack especially kills me)

Max and Josie became fast friends

Aunt Anna got lots of "helping" from Josie. Uncle Tim with the boys

We spent a beautiful Saturday morning at a sculpture garden and art museum in Minneapolis

Josie's first exposure to kite flying--one of my dad's favorite pastimes

beach time

2011-09-11T18:41:00.000-07:00

We were really fortunate to spend the last week of August on Long Island. Even though Clint had to work most of the time, it was a magical trip for our family of four. We are learning to love East Coast beaches and hope to make this an annual tradition.

Making memories

Our beach routine--lather with sunscreen (inevitably sand, too), bathing suit on, explore beach...

...build sand castles, get buried...

...and find treasures during sunset walks--all while Sam snoozes on and off

Sam was a bit disenchanted with our seafood feast, but Josie dug in and loved it

Hard to keep her out of the ocean even when it cooled down; clam carnage thanks to hurricane Irene

We loved our sunset walks

summer days

2011-09-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

This summer has been a busy one with all of the ordinary things and a few out-of-the ordinary ones (most notably: moving, again). However, we found time for a lot of unstructured playtime at the park (our favorite activity) and can't believe summer is winding down.

This is what happens when you tell our 2-year-old to smile at the camera

Photo op while furniture hunting

Family visitors enjoying some favorite activities--zoo, reading, and bedtime

Watching Tangled and getting untangled--she definitely prefers the former rather than the latter

The summer has brought a variety of weather--earthquake, torrential downpours, and hurricane Irene

4th of july

2011-08-24T19:08:00.001-07:00

We started off our 4th of July weekend with a wedding (of a "Josie", no less!) in Maryland--it was so fun to see old friends. As our first road trip as a family of four, we were thankful not to have any major mishaps. The setting was beautiful and (our) Josie was introduced to blue crabs, of which she couldn't get enough. We, of course, were relegated to shelling so that she could eat whatever delicious meat we could scavenge. We made it back to NY in time to celebrate the 4th with sparklers and yet more dear NY friends who have since moved. With all of the churn in the city, hard to believe we're becoming the old guard after only 3.5 years.

Beautiful bride and setting

She quickly took a liking to crab

Lots of swimming and good food with friends

Sam loved the sparklers much more than Josie

We miss these "girlies" daily

west coast time

2011-08-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

In June we had the chance to spend two weeks in CA with Clint's family to celebrate a milestone birthday for his mom and attend a family reunion. It was wonderful time with family and great for Josie to have the freedom to go outside unaccompanied whenever she wanted. She was a bit reluctant at first, but soon could be found wandering off on all sorts of adventures with her 2- and 3-year-old cousins.

Beautiful setting

Well-orchestrated surprise for the birthday woman

Adult dinner and family music program

Good pals and lots of morning walks

Food firsts--s'mores and In-N-Out

may happenings

2011-06-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

May was full of celebrations. Most significant for our family was Sam being blessed (similar to christening) by Clint over Memorial Day. Clint's parents joined us for the weekend and we were thrilled to finally have a weekend of good weather. We also attended the weddings of two friends--an Indian wedding here in NY and and a beach wedding in Mexico (sadly, only Sam and I were able to attend that one). Both were beautiful and we were so pleased to share the day with the lovely couples.

Our family on Sam's special day--finally a family picture!

Best buds

Three generations of Clintons in the picture--Joel Clinton, Clinton Randall, and Samuel Clinton (and perhaps another one looking on, great grandpa Clinton E.?)

Wonderful Saturday with Peterson grandparents in Central Park--included brunch at The Boathouse, Bethesda Fountain, and a wander through the Rambles. Summer is finally here.

Lots of shoulder rides!

Clint's friend from college invited us to his wedding, and it was incredible. It was our first Indian wedding, and it included closing off a street in Tribeca to accommodate him on a horse and a bhangra dance party paving the way for him. Such a fun, beautiful, and elaborate wedding!

A dear friend from my Bain days got married in Playa del Carmen, so Sam and I made the trip. Wonderful to reconnect with great friends, the wedding was amazing, and Sam even got to "swim" in the ocean for the first time. Wish Clint and Josie could have come!

easter

2011-05-04T18:45:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter weekend doing all things that make a two-year-old happy--going to the zoo, lots of time in the park, coloring eggs, and an egg hunt. I guess this is our new "normal."

Our little bunny awaits the arrival of spring

Coloring eggs with dada and coloring Dora with mama

Easter egg hunt is on!

Enjoying her treats; attempting to wake Sam during her sugar rush

Josie loves having Sam in her bed; our smiley fuzz head

New stroller feels like we've gone from a compact to a suburban; spring is finally here

march happenings

2011-05-04T18:34:00.001-07:00

March was spent enjoying life with two kids and trying to figure out what our new "normal" is. We have to leave the apartment at least once a day otherwise both Josie and I go nuts. Sam's a trooper for being dragged around to whatever we have to do that day. We also had an unexpected trip to Salt Lake.

We're still great pals even though she has to share me with Sam

Sam at two months

We failed to adequately document our trip to Utah. The highlight was the service for Amelia Gale--she will be missed. Other highlights included a Jazz game, Sam meeting his great-grandmother Hassell, and time with Peterson cousins.

sam's first weeks

2011-05-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

Sam's first few weeks were filled with firsts and family. Highlights included visits from both sets of grandparents, Aunt Annie, and Aunt Peelo. Josie loved the visits as well.

Good pals already

Still has enormous yawns

Hassell grandparents

Peterson grandparents and Aunt Annie

Aunt Peelo visits from Stanford and we get a little golf range in at Chelsea Piers

a busy valentine's week

2011-02-20T04:17:00.001-08:00

Valentine's Day typically is not too eventful in our house, and we had no plans for this one to be any different. Clint has been particularly busy at work--in fact, he was double-booked with meetings that day and had to cancel a day-trip to Cleveland. This proved providential. I started having some mild contractions that morning. That afternoon I went to the hospital to get checked for peace of mind. Four hours later, we welcomed Samuel Clinton Peterson into our family! We are thrilled with his arrival. A few highlights from his first week--meeting his big sister the morning after he was born, opening his mouth twice as big as seems possible when he yawns, lots of eating and sleeping, and Clint saying, "our apartment feels really small" after we arrived home. We love the brief newborn period.

The week finished with a celebration of Josie's 2nd birthday. She is proving to be a wonderful big sister and especially loves to help change Sam's diapers and share her toys with him. Recent Josie highlights include using the toilet (almost 100% of the time), counting, pointing out letters (often correctly), singing any song she knows, and non-stop chattering. We are really enjoying seeing the two kids "interact" and are looking forward to watching them grow up together.

Samuel Clinton Peterson, born 2/14/11 @ 7:38pm, 7 lbs 7 oz, 19.25 in. Here he is just minutes old.

Josie and Sam's first meeting; breakfast in the hospital (2 kids!)

Mom and Sam getting ready to go home the morning after

Lots of nap time

Hard not to love that 2-year-old face

She repeatedly requested brown cupcakes with purple and green frosting

Party guests

She loved the frosting

beginning 2011

2011-02-20T04:02:00.000-08:00

The beginning of each year always marks a lot of milestones. This year was no different--4 years of marriage, 3 years in NY, Josie to turn 2 in February, and the pending arrival of baby boy Peterson. With this last event looming, we have been enjoying these last few weeks as a family of 3--decorating sugar cookies, hosting a babysitting coop, "baking" with Josie, and Josie's first haircut. And many more undocumented activities (including potty training!). It's been a great beginning to 2011.

New Year's sugar cookies; frosting and sprinkles were the biggest hit, naturally
Our babysitting co-op: 6 kids between the ages of 1 and 4--thank goodness for movies!

I put the dominos up, she knocks them down--an ideal setup for her
Baking banana bread--she loves adding things to the mixer
Her first haircut! The only part she seems to remember is the lollipop at the end

hassell time in minnesota

2011-01-17T18:45:00.000-08:00

What better time to visit Minnesota than the winter, right? That's just what Clint was thinking when we booked tickets to see my family for the week between Christmas and New Years. As luck would have it, MN turned out to have better weather than NY. And we all had a fantastic time--especially Josie. She went sledding, visited the Children's Museum, bowled, made sugar cookies, and enjoyed time with grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins most of all.

Josie riding her snow chariot

Josie (in her "Joe Mauer" shirt) riding her horse, and driving the bus--notice a theme?

Sugar cookies one evening; a night out the next

Tea time and bath time with cousins

What happens when Josie is left home alone with "Dadda" for 30 hours

ny holiday season and visitors

2011-01-17T18:18:00.000-08:00

Despite the cold, December is one of my favorite months--I love the buzz of the holidays and any chance to see family. This year, we had most of Clint's family visit NY - his parents and 4 of 5 sisters came for a weekend mid-December, and his brother and wife came for New Years. Christmas day, however, we enjoyed as just our family of three. Josie makes Christmas so much more fun for us, even if she likes the wrapping paper and boxes as much as new toys.

A trip through Macy's North Pole to finally end up on Santa's lap--clearly a bit anti-climatic for both of them

Christmas morning--"stockings!"

A visit from Clint's parents and 4 of his sisters (we were sorry to have missed Sarah)--nearly everyone got a try with the backpack, though we only captured a few digitally

Josie loved storytime with her aunts; Josie ("pill face" at church the first Sunday of 2011) was so disappointed to see Alex and Ben leave after New Years (as were we)

A few Josie sitings--how we get around now that it is cold; music and gym classes

At left, playing in snow-covered Sheep Meadow, obsessed with riding the "snow duck"; at right with her space harness, apparently: "Mama, I getting ready to go in space ship. To outer space."

thanksgiving

2010-12-05T13:38:00.000-08:00

My oldest brother and his family came to NYC for Thanksgiving. His wife has a sister who lives just a few blocks from us, and we were all able to share Thanksgiving together. We loved going to see the balloons the night before the parade (Josie's favorite was Horton), the parade itself, and lots of good food throughout the week. Thanksgiving is everything a holiday should be--family, food, and time to reflect on our many blessings. However, I did comment to Clint that we've entered a new Thanksgiving phase--no longer can we sit and enjoy the meal for hours. For the foreseeable future, we are overseers as the next generation grows up. It's a great stage to be in...most of the time!

Macy's Thanksgiving parade--night before and just after

The feast

The feasters

Post-feast festivities

Other weekend activities included Museum of Natural History and brunch for Becca's birthday (note stickers on Josie's face--one of her favorite activities)

falling leaves

2010-12-05T12:27:00.000-08:00

Fall is a beautiful time here, especially with the mild weather we've had. These last few months have been busy ones, which makes us wonder how life will be after a baby boy arrives in February. Of course, being busy is good as long as we remember small moments. Fortunately, we've been able to share many of these moments with friends and family--including a visit from Clint's mom in October.

Josie loves to ride on my shoulders, her bunny, the sandbox, and cows--hence her Halloween costume

A Sunday walk included admiring the Halloween decorations near us and a gorgeous sunset

Trick-or-treating NY style

We got a chance to host two girls from South Africa involved with Ubuntu (nonprofit I work with)--Josie and I took them to the MoMA, Times Square, and SoHo

end of summer

2010-09-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

I don't know where the time went, but suddenly October is here. We were fortunate to have wonderful visitors in August and a short golf trip to Florida (thanks to my parents for watching Josie) to commemorate the end of summer. Fall will be spent outside as long as the weather permits, and then searching for suitable activities when it doesn't. One thing we're currently trying is "art" class--basically a 45-minute exercise in gooey chaos. I love it, mostly because she seems to like it but also because I don't end up with paint on my walls. And check out the last picture for some news...

Art class ended up being on her face...

Feeding sheep and goats, and then riding a mystery animal in her summer uniform - crocs and a swimsuit

Visitors included Clint's sister, Sarah, and her daughter Abby, and my Aunt Michele, Uncle Steve, and cousin Allie

A great time golfing (Clint got two birdies in a round) with family and friends

Picking tomatoes and raspberries with grandpa (Josie couldn't inhale enough raspberries during her stay)

She quickly became grandma's little sweetie

Going retro in one of my dresses when I was her age--check out that pose!

Big news--baby #2 will be joining us in February around Josie's 2nd birthday (gender TBD)

surviving the heat

2010-07-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

It has been hot and sticky these past few weeks. We've tried to figure out ways to survive the heat but still enjoy the city. Josie begs to go outside whenever she is awake, so we spend as much time outside as possible in the water. Occasionally Josie is satisfied with reading indoors, but that's pretty rare. We still spend most days in the park and exploring the playgrounds around the city. We were incredibly fortunate to get away for the weekend to the Hamptons, thanks to a friend.

Sunday afternoon in Sheep Meadow

Loved the weekend away--beaches and bbq

Walking to the park

Strolling in the park, boulle in the park, and a new pair of sunglasses

Playgrounds and water galore; she loves books and often "reads" them to herself

grocery shopping and ny visitors

2010-07-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

One day Clint surprised us by coming home early, and we decided to grab groceries and make dinner at home. Clint is rarely able to join me for grocery shopping (or eating at home, for that matter), so he documented it. A typical trip to the grocery store entails Josie riding on my back the 10 or so blocks to the store, picking produce from the outdoor area, and gathering whatever we need indoors (and trying to avoid getting run over by the old NY women and their pushcarts). I always seem to load us up with more than I can carry home, so we usually jump in a cab instead. I'm a pack mule for my child and all that she consumes.

In May and June we were fortunate enough to have visits from three of Clint's siblings--Annie and Cameron came from Boston for Memorial Day; Rebecca brought her daughter, Claire, for a mother / daughter NY trip; and Elise joined us for a weekend before she heads to Ecuador. It was great to have them here. Come again soon!

Josie usually doesn't mind the trip and I've become quite adept at keeping her from pulling too many things off the shelves (the aisles are barely wide enough for one cart)

A walk down Madison Avenue and treats at the street fair with Cam and Annie

Rebecca and Claire joined us for lots of time in the park; games and walks with Elise--whom Josie calls "peepee"

visits to family

2010-07-28T07:53:00.000-07:00

May was spent visiting family in Milwaukee and Salt Lake. My youngest brother, Tim, graduated from Marquette Law School. Nearly all of the Hassell family was able to gather to celebrate with him. We also had the chance to visit the church where my dad was baptized and converted to the Mormon church when he was interning during college. Coincidentally, Tim and his wife, Anna, now attend church at that same building. Earlier in May, Josie and I spent a week in Salt Lake visiting the Peterson clan. Clint had business in CA so was able to join for both weekends. We had a great time playing with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. It's such a treat to get time with family!

Time with the graduate; the church where my dad was baptized over 40 years ago

Josie and I in the baptismal font; Josie was fascinated with Tim's beard; on Marquette campus in front of the Joan of Arc Chapel

Great walks while in Salt Lake; Josie loved Grandma's goose

Time with Grandma's chickens; she wasn't too happy when she got close and they pecked at her fingers; happiness soon returned when she got dinner at Grandma's

easter weekend

2010-04-04T16:53:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter weekend, complete with sunny and warm weather and Clint having some time off. It makes everything more enjoyable. We had a few adventures including one to the Bronx Botanical Gardens to see the renowned orchid exhibit. Despite excessively slow trains and several hundred other people that had the same idea (two tough things about living in NY), it was worth the trek. The orchids were amazing. I'd love to live in a climate conducive to growing a wide variety of orchids. For now, I'll have to be content with a few that I manage to grow indoors.

And what weekend could be complete without rambling through Central Park, now with blooming trees to admire. To further get in the Easter spirit, Clint and Josie decorated some eggs. This year her "helping" involved cracking a few, trying desperately to spill the dye, and eating the hardboiled eggs. We're looking forward to next year when she'll be able to help decorate.

Easter eggs, thanks to Clint

Sheep Meadow in Central Park is finally open

Just arrived and happy admiring the orchids; enjoying playing in the water (she would have jumped in had I given her the chance)

Josie lost interest in the orchids but found interest in pulling my hair; the subway ride home was a bit rough on a tired one-year-old

Her newfound necklace; she's learning Dad is always taking pictures whether she likes it or not; Herald Square in bloom

phoenix

2010-03-30T08:49:00.000-07:00

Clint had business in Switzerland recently so Josie and I took the chance to go to Phoenix to visit my brother, Alex, and his family and meet Josie's newest cousin. My brother, Tim, and his wife, Anna, came from Milwaukee for a few days as well. Brooke and Alex were wonderful hosts--we went to the zoo, a spring training game, golfed (sans kids), and had great food. Josie loved being able to go outside whenever she wanted and couldn't get enough of the trampoline. Her favorite activity, though, was following her older cousin, Hailey, around--the magic of a built-in playmate.

Rangers vs. Padres; great pizza at Orreganos

Hailey was a great older cousin--she let Josie do everything with her

With the arrival of Lindsay, Josie is not the youngest anymore; Aunt Anna and Uncle Tim were definitely the girls' favorites

ny visitors

2010-03-30T08:28:00.000-07:00

Big happenings for us over the past month has been visits from or to family. My parents came in February amid the blizzard. Clint's sister and her husband joined us the weekend of the blizzard as well. We got 22" of snow which turned crosswalks into traffic jams and the park into a winter wonderland. Despite the weather, we enjoyed lunch at Katz Deli (Josie's first pastrami), storytime at FAO Schwarz, swimming, and good company. In between family visits, we enjoyed the St. Patrick's Day parade (mostly just random people parading down 5th Avenue) and hours of swinging time. Josie is now running, not just walking, and squeals at dogs and balloons. We're looking forward to spring.

All in green for St. Patrick's Day

Time with Grandma and Grandpa Hassell

Swimming and pastrami

Uncle Kevin and Aunt Leah

Snow time and swing time--spring is finally on its way

park sightings

2010-03-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday after dinner, Josie and I were at the playground (she can't get enough of the swings). I see lots of unusual sights, but this one was definitely out of the ordinary--a toddler wearing a bicycle helmet. I know, I know, heads are fragile, but really??? I don't think Josie will be wearing one until she's had at least one concussion. Until then, I guess she'll have to figure out how not to hit her head on things (a skill still yet to be mastered).

celebrating josie

2010-02-20T17:07:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is yet another one of those posts where we celebrate our child, but given she turned one this week, we figure it's a good enough excuse. And how can you not love that face? She's been a walking whirlwind for the last several weeks and is understanding more and more each day. We love the laughter, smiles, and jabbering she brings to our home each day. She's full of independence (especially when it comes to eating), loves any type of music, and could read books all day. We had a little celebration for her where she tried her first cupcake. It wasn't a huge hit, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. Can't believe it's been a year!

Happy Birthday! Her first cupcake--she daintily licked a bit of icing and then her only interest was in throwing it on the floor.

Party time.

Faces of Josie

I know she's growing, but how does this happen overnight? In one night, both toes cut through her pajamas!

An outing to see the Rangers and Ovechkin, sans Josie, of course. My first trip to the Garden and I was not disappointed. Hockey is definitely better in person.

Last but not least, some precious time with her Peterson grandparents (Grandma is hiding in this picture). It's great to see family whenever we can.

christmas in manhattan

2010-01-18T12:22:00.000-08:00

"Home" brings a lot of different images to mind. Clint and I have had three homes since we got married and each of us has had 20+ prior to joining forces. For us, home is wherever we are together, especially now that we make three. With the last two years in Manhattan we decided to give Christmas here a try. It was filled with lots of new firsts for us as we merge family traditions and start some of our own. We couldn't help but feel that Manhattan is actually starting to feel like our home. We also had a few days in Salt Lake between Christmas and New Years where we were fortunate to get time with some of my family and all of Clint's. Always a highlight!

Christmas love and bundling (hooray for Leroy and Meli)

Christmas joy

Christmas for Clint (front row seats at Jazz v Sixers--thanks, Joel!) and a 2nd Christmas for Josie

Christmas feasting, here at a Hassell family gathering to celebrate my mom's birthday; Josie finally got to meet my sister and her family who were kind enough to meet up with us for a few hours on their way home to Iowa

autumn reminiscing

2010-01-18T11:52:00.000-08:00

We're a bit late in posting these pictures, but we can't resist--it was such a beautiful fall and now reminds us that, yes, spring will be here some day! In bleak January we now miss our regular outings in the mild weather we had all the way through Thanksgiving. The trees all turned brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red. We decided to stay home for Thanksgiving and were fortunate to have Annie and Cameron (Clint's sister and her husband) join us from Boston. Our first time preparing the whole meal and it was a success--no one left hungry, not even the fish.

Our first "official" family photos--Josie was quite cooperative

Such edible cheeks!

Lots of walks, stroller time, and a visit to the Kandinsky (one of Clint's favorites) exhibit at the Guggenheim

Thanksgiving for us and for the fish

fall, foliage, and family

2009-10-27T13:15:00.000-07:00

It is difficult to believe that not only is fall upon us, but it is nearly the end of October. We have had some amazing Indian summer days (one fortunately coincided with our first professional family photo), but some cold, drizzly ones that make me wonder what winter will bring. But the cooler weather brings brilliant colors to Central Park, lots of excuses for hot chocolate, and a chance for Josie to attempt (and sometimes succeed) to eat the fallen leaves. Recently some of Clint's family was in town. We had a great time relaxing with them and Josie enjoyed all of the extra attention.

Josie continues to amaze us as she grows and develops. Her favorite activity is pulling her books from the shelf and then "reading" them with me. She continues to pull herself up at every opportunity, and has recently decided she can stand on her own--of course, this never works very well, but that doesn't stop her from trying. (We think she practices in her bed... Seriously.)

Josie's music class--which one does she like more?

Guess how many times a day she does this?

Trips to Central Park and to art galleries where we found art we could touch, play, and eat

Lots of enjoyment both indoors and out (clearly, sometimes we have more success with her hair than others)

Game time and aunt and uncle time

Good food and good company

grandparents, golf, and growing

2009-10-04T18:15:00.001-07:00

September began with a week in Florida to golf a few holes, and my parents graciously agreed to watch Josie while we were gone. It was our first time leaving Josie overnight and she couldn't have been in better hands - they say she never fussed! She immediately took to my parents, got to know some uncles, aunts, and cousins, and learned to sit up on her own. I guess we know who she'll be going to when she gets into those terrible two's...

Florida was wonderful, though "a few holes" of golf was a bit of an understatement. Together with two other couples we actually golfed more than 180 holes (and left with sore hands). Although hot and humid, we couldn't get enough golf, sunshine, or together time.

Life quickly returned to normal after our return. I started working one day-a-week at a nonprofit (ubuntufund.org), Clint continues to work relentlessly, and we both try and keep up with our ever-changing and ever-growing daughter. Recent milestones for 7-month-old Josie include lots of crawling (!), feeding herself Cheerios (hours of entertainment), pulling herself up, lots of "g" sounds, and noticing animals.

I forget how lush and green MN is until I'm there in the summer

Lots of time enjoying grandpa's flowers and abundant raspberry patch

Reading time with grandma and watching football with Uncle Tim

Golfing our brains out with Cam and Annie and Neil and Carly
Night matches at Flushing Meadows are magical - thanks, Joel!

Recent visit to Central Park Zoo where Josie's most enjoyable moment was eating with the big kids

Josie's favorite activities-- eating, sleeping, and swinging

moving and visitors

2009-08-31T08:57:00.000-07:00

We got back from Bear Lake at 1am with the news that we could finally move after 8+ months of looking and 2+ months of negotiating! We didn't think the day would ever come. So, 3 days after receiving this news, we'd put everything in boxes, dumped it in our new pad and had ordered furniture. What to do about that 18' wall with floor-to-ceiling mirrors? No problem - we'll do it ourselves (ha). What about not having a bed? No problem - we'll figure it out. No couch, no crib, no dishes, no TV? No problem - we'll figure it out.

And we did - mostly. Just in time to have Bec and her boys come visit us - such a treat. If only the weather had cooperated a bit better. Come back soon!

Little bit of a before/after shot. On the left, we're peeling off the dry wall surface because the mirror epoxy was too tough to sand off. Yes - that means we had to remud it. Dust everywhere. On the right, we're having homemade pizza with the boys in a mostly clean place with furniture. Ah.

Walking to the park and waffles

Egyptian temple in the Met

Cruising around the UWS - so much more resident-friendly than Midtown!

bear lake + fam

2009-08-31T08:18:00.000-07:00

Bear Lake is the best. Turquoise waters in pristine mountains with miles of beach. Add toys, milkshakes and family, and it's essentially heaven. So glad we were finally able to go, and what a treat to see family in SLC, too.

Magical

Toys

Beach

The Bear Lake crew

Here's Josie picking her newest cousin's nose, and pool time with the older cousins

Here with her great grandma, Helen.

summertime in the city

2009-07-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

My summer childhood memories consist primarily of time on bikes, freshly cut grass, swimming, and, of course, hoping that the ice cream truck would come around (and that its timing would perfectly coincide with Mom feeling generous). I can't say that NY will give Josie all of these same opportunities, but perhaps some. Though she can't ride a bike yet, she likes to watch all of the things on wheels -- unicycles, motorized scooters (basically a push scooter with a battery pack), roller skates (visit Central Park on Sunday afternoons to see them out in full force), and strollers of all shapes, sizes, and costs. I am certain she knows the smell of cut grass since we venture to Central Park's many grassy spots (and sometimes dirt patches) daily. She will eventually enjoy some of the ice cream trucks about every four blocks and yogurt stores galore. As for swimming, that's a bit tougher, but we are trying a few of the splash parks (there's a terrific one on the roof of the Museum of Natural History). I recently had Josie stand in the fountains at Columbus Circle--it didn't seem to be her favorite thing as the water was a bit chilly. So here's to summer in the city and making memories with a five-month-old.

Food, glorious food (sorry Dad, no ice cream, yet)

Walks with Dada and jumping

Joining the many half-naked sunbathers in the park--why not start early, right?

Josie modeling her sweater and headband made by her great-grandmother Joy

four months old!

2009-06-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

Josie turned four months on Friday! We love her bright eyes and her increasing giggles. She puts _everything_ in her mouth, so we decided to try rice cereal on Clint's first Father's Day. Mostly a success.

Also on this post is a Boston trip from a few weeks ago, where Josie met Uncle Alex, Aunt Brooke, and cousin Hailey who made the trip from Phoenix, as well as visiting with Boston friends and family (Cam&Annie). It was great to see the two cousins interact, meaning Josie watched Hailey with awe and Hailey would occasionally show interest in the immobile Josie.

Although we miss Boston, we are enjoying NYC more and more. For example, this past weekend we took Josie to the US Open at Bethpage Black (on Long Island). She was probably the only baby there , and she did pretty well to not squeak too often during the golfers swings. Alas, they don't allow cameras of any sort, so we have no pictures to commemorate. Still, we're hoping some of Tiger's mojo rubbed off on all of us as he walked by - just feet from us.

She puts everything in her mouth, including the mail (what kind of mother gives her child the mail, anyway?)

Hanging out with cousin Hailey and Aunt Brooke

Quality time with Uncle Alex

Grabbing burgers at Mr. Bartley's in Harvard Square with the Williams clan

A smuggled shot of Tiger as he walked past (thanks to Ron); and thanks to Celeste for scoring the tickets

park adventures

2009-06-02T19:45:00.000-07:00

Central Park is priceless. It's where we do most things--stroll, run, swing, meet up with friends, and most recently, play petanque (lawn bowling). It is the key to enjoying NYC.

memorial day in mn

2009-06-02T09:42:00.000-07:00

We decided last minute to take Josie and go see my parents in MN. Memorial Day for them is always a weekend filled with planting flowers, the garden, and other yard work. For us it was a chance to help out, have Josie meet Uncle Tim and spend more time with her grandparents, and get some fresh air. Clint and I are convinced we slept better there than we have in months. And we can't believe Josie is three months old. She loves touching everything, especially her ears and hair. Her latest activity is squealing for minutes at a time.

Patty cake with Grandma, napping with Grandpa, and swinging with both

Bouncing by herself, strolling with Grandpa, and hanging with Tim

Somehow she consistently turns herself 90 degrees while sleeping.

I turned 31 over the weekend and it was birthday x 3 --pre-birthday celebration with Clint (hooray new golf clubs!), then birthday breakfast with the family in MN, and finally cake (courtesy of Celeste) with friends the following weekend. Thanks to everyone for the kind words, wishes and gifts.

spring in new york

2009-04-23T18:55:00.000-07:00

2 months old!

We've gotten glimpses of spring over the past few weeks and, after such a long winter, have tried to enjoy all of them: time in gorgeous Central Park, wandering through the Met, Josie's first Easter, the annual auto show, and the Tribeca Film Festival (we spotted Woody Allen a couple of days ago at the theater close to us).

The Met--our favorite stop after a walk through the park.

Our first Easter with Josie

The Audi S5, one of Clint's many dream cars

Josie at two months. Such a happy sweetheart. She's discovering her voice, becoming more "social", and seems to be trying out each finger on each hand to find her favorite. We think she might be settling on the left thumb...

...though here she is giving the right thumb a try

brazil

2009-04-07T18:42:00.000-07:00

With Josie just five weeks old, we ventured on our first family vacation...to Brazil! We'd been planning on attending a wedding there ever since Clint's college roommate got engaged two years ago, and decided to make a week of it, infant included. Josie was great on the loooong flights and generally a happy camper while being hauled around to the various places. We loved Brazil, the warm weather, great food, relaxing time together, and especially the chance to share the time with Leroy and Melissa and friends.

How can you not love Rio?

Enjoying the sunset over Ipanema (our hotel is the one at the base of the mountain - so nice!)

Tour of the favelas (Rio's projects)

Night out at Copacabana

Enjoying the view of Floripa, the island where the wedding took place

The big day for Leroy and Melissa - what a beautiful wedding!

The newly-minted couple

four weeks old

2009-03-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

This week, Josie hit the four week mark! She is too tasty for words, so here are some pictures.

daddy's girl

2009-03-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

It seems like one of the first questions people ask after you have a baby is who the baby looks like. I'll let you decide for yourself...

Clint

Josie

Diana

josie's first two weeks

2009-03-05T13:29:00.000-08:00

We can't believe we ever lived without Josie. She (and we) have had a lot of firsts over the past two weeks. We're loving every minute and just hope she doesn't grow up too quickly.

Grandpa time

Kisses time

Magical morning time

Diaper time

Play time

Central Park time

Manicure time

Snow suit time (a la Christmas Story) and ready to go to church to be blessed (by her dad)

Such a treat to have both sets of grandparents, Uncle Andrew, and Auntie Annie / Uncle Cam here for her blessing - thanks for coming out!

baby josie!

2009-02-23T20:00:00.000-08:00

Josephine Ruth Peterson

Born February 19, 2009 at 4:41am, 7lbs 3oz, 19 in.

Words can't describe.

What a difference 6 weeks makes. Here I am Jan 4 and then Feb 17 (doing some living room yoga).

Little Josie, seconds after being born with a cord around her neck and a tummy full of meconium, lying on the warming tray and trying to see her daddy through the nasty eye goop they put on. Such a sweetheart.

Mere minutes old

Here I am in postpartum talking to my mom with my freshly bathed baby

Sleeping with daddy

Little toes!

Our walk home from the hospital

We made it! (Now what?)

christmas and new years in salt lake

2009-01-07T16:32:00.001-08:00

Our last holiday season without baby was spent in Salt Lake with family. Days were spent in typical holiday fashion--lots of great food, catching up on sleep, celebrating birthdays (four while we were there), ice skating, skiing, and many game nights, among other things. The holiday season is a magical time with uninterrupted time with family.

Winter wonderland in Salt Lake on Christmas

My attempts at craftiness before Christmas in NY

Christmas Eve feast and nativity reenactment, where I got to be Mary being "large with child."

Christmas morning with the Petersons (now numbering at 26 with 2 more on the way)

Clint and his niece, Abby, who knitted this Christmas beanie for him

Celebrating my grandmother's 87th birthday

Ice skating for Jeremy's 8th birthday with most of the Peterson clan

Three-year-old Susie was fascinated with my belly

Slumber party! Every child's dream--a cousin sleepover

New Year's Eve with the Hassells in Park City celebrating my Mom's birthday

Petersons paintballing--perhaps a family New Years tradition???

thanksgiving with the hassells

2008-12-07T17:49:00.000-08:00

We spent our Thanksgiving this year with my family in Minnesota (sadly minus Pam and Co.). The week started off with my brothers and dad going pheasant hunting, and the women went shopping--I made my first purchases for the baby. On Thanksgiving Day, we continued our tradition of Thanksgiving bowling (Clint's contribution since joining the family). My mom is czar of the kitchen and assigns each of the kids some role in making dinner. Everything turned out wonderfully. With Thanksgiving so late this year, Friday was spent searching for the perfect Christmas tree. We found a beautiful one and in my dad's tradition, it was indeed very tall--over 15 feet. We spent the evening decorating it. What a great way to end the week!

My dad and Alex with "their" kills

The annual Thanksgiving Day bonfire

The grandkids in awe of the fire

Rebecca bowling in style

Brooke and Alex at the bowling alley

The adult table

The kids table

Anna and me telling Santa our Christmas wishes

Searching for the perfect tree

Found it!

Getting the prize home in my dad's '59 Ford, and Hailey's first driving lesson

golf and gators

2008-10-22T15:43:00.000-07:00

Since May, Clint's hours have been long, and so when a deal died at the beginning of October we seized the moment and flew to Florida for a week. We figure it will be our last vacation without kids (forever?) and wanted to take full advantage of it. Why not improve our golf game (or "golf our brains out" according to Clint)? Check. We golfed 11 rounds in six days at a PGA resort that had 5 golf courses (and 20 tennis courts, swimming pool, good food, and zero people!). It was a perfect week away.

Watching a long putt

Clint actually somewhat figured out his driver

Chip shot, gator in the background

Before Clint introduced himself

Clint introducing himself

Ah, if that isn't beautiful?

it's a girl!

2008-10-02T17:32:00.000-07:00

We found out today that we're having a girl. She was extremely active during the ultrasound (let me tell you, she seems active all the time...) and everything looks healthy--what a blessing. We don't have a name picked yet, but I think she's still "Bob" to Clint.

How can you not love that profile?

annie and cameron tie the knot

2008-10-02T17:30:00.001-07:00

Clint's sister, Annie, married Cameron Wheeler (friends with Clint since Cub Scouts and whom I met while living in Boston) this past Saturday in Salt Lake. We are thrilled for them. And the wedding was gorgeous - perfect weather, a beautiful setting, and a great time.

The entire Joel and Diana Peterson clan

The nieces from both families--they loved showing off their matching dresses

The wedding party

Father of the bride enjoying a dance with his daughter

Suzie and Luke (both three) tearing up the dance floor

alex and brooke visit the big apple

2008-10-02T17:14:00.000-07:00

We had a special treat in September--my brother, Alex, and his wife, Brooke, visited us. It was perfect fall weather while they were here--a nice relief from the heat of Phoenix for them! We took in a lot of sites including Chinatown, Ground Zero, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, the Met, and the MoMA. Kristy and Joel Williams made the trip from Boston for part of the weekend. The visit gave us an excuse to try a few new restaurants. Such a great visit.

Van Gogh's self portrait at the Met

Peter Luger's Steakhouse in Brooklyn

Dinner at Tao, where coincidentally, Sarah Palin and company ate the following evening

The morning they left, there were snipers on our roof and across the street at the Sheraton, which was hosting Bill Clinton's Global Initiative Conference. We don't know who all of the security was for, but with all of the armored vehicles, police, and secret service, you'd think all of the leaders of the Free World were in there. Fortress America!

milestones: 30 and baby

2008-08-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. I turned 30 and we're having a baby, due February 10. We find out the gender in about a month. Big milestones. Thanks to everyone for the kind words and gifts, and to my wife for taking me to dinner and golfing.

Work ordered all the desserts on the menu. Awesome.

Here is "Bob". So far, so good. This is at 11 weeks.

the house that ruth built

2008-08-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

This past Monday we had the opportunity of a lifetime. Clint's dad was in town and miraculously bargained his way into three tickets to a Yankees vs. Orioles game. But these weren't any ordinary tickets. We were six rows back, just off of home plate on the third base line. It was an amazing to be that close, to hear the ball hit the catcher's glove after each pitch, and to see how big (and small) some of the players are. A-Rod is huge, Jeter's pretty skinny, and those pitches come really fast. On top of this, a classmate of Clint's from Stanford (Jeremy Guthrie) was pitching for the Orioles that night and held the Yankees to no hits through five innings (and beaned a few guys in the process). It's too bad they are tearing the old stadium down (26 home games left), with all of its tradition and history. It's a magical place on a summer night, especially when you're in ridiculous seats. A true NY highlight. Thank you, Joel. Come see us again during basketball season, ok?

Jeter up to bat

Guthrie walking off after another hitless inning - he couldn't hear us over the angry yanks fans

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack...

Amazing to be so close

hot times in phoenix

2008-07-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

With my ample free time, I get to do wonderful things...like spend a week in Phoenix visiting my brother and his family. Meanwhile, poor Clint burned some midnight oil at the office...ah how the tables have turned. Last summer, I was slaving away as his sugar mama while he was golfing. Good husband.

So yes, I certainly missed him, but glad I took the chance to see Alex and Brooke and their adorable 16-month-old Hailey. That is one seriously cute kid. See for yourself. My mom flew out to watch Hailey while Brooke was at girls camp, so I decided to tag along. We had a great week doing whatever it is you do with 16-month-olds--puzzles, books, playing in the water, taking naps, etc. Alex and I played some cutthroat racquetball as well. Their city has an amazing tennis and racquetball complex where you can play for $3/hour. Oh, the joys of suburbia! We're looking forward to more time with Brooke and Alex when they come to NY in September. I also got to see one of my college roommates and her three kids (and forgot to take pictures, as usual). Three kids -- and she made it look so easy!

The female obsession with shoes has started early

A Hassell tradition--the States puzzle

Bath time and crazy hair

The splash park--Hailey loves playing in the water

Yes, they do have grass in Phoenix and Hailey loves it, especially when she gets to water herself and the grass with the hose!

Three generations of the Hassell family

boston on the 4th

2008-07-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

There aren't too many more patriotic places to celebrate the 4th of July than Boston, and we had lots of reasons to do so this year. Good friends of ours were married that day, Clint's sister is there for the summer, and she recently got engaged to Cameron Wheeler! It was our first time back in Boston since living there a year ago, and we were reminded frequently of how much we love that city. It has a great feel to it, very liveable (especially compared to NY). And we had a great time -- golf, bowling, incredible food, wonderful friends, and Rafa winning on grass.

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Yin

The happy couple enjoying their first married meal

Cameron and Annie--woohoo!

Me, the bride, and Jessica Heiner

Among the masses of people watching the fireworks from the Mass Ave Bridge - packed like a club

America the beautiful

Annie golfs! Even parred a hole or two

Poor bird--one of Clint's many shots into the trees happened to kill something afterall

Boston Bowl, where C+D scraped out a narrow win! (notice the matching socks)

balex wedding, etc.

2008-07-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

June marked the beginning of a new life for Ben (Clint's brother) and Alex, his now wife. They were married in Salt Lake on June 20. It was great to celebrate with them. We also had the chance to attend Stanford graduation the week before the wedding where Ben and Clint's sister, Annie, graduated. Lots of changes all around. Weddings are great as they mean we get lots of time with family, such a treat.

Stanford graduation is very West Coast, very relaxed. Oprah packed nearly a full stadium.

The happy couple the morning of the wedding

Lots of trampoline time for the kids

Sarah (Clint's sister) and Mark Harris and their youngest, Susie

The grandkids were very patient all day, here waiting for the couple to emerge

The first sighting of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Peterson

The Peterson siblings with the bride and groom

The three youngest Peterson sisters

Rebecca (Clint's oldest sister) and her family

Leah (Clint's younger sister) and her family

The whole clan

The momentous cake cutting

Grandkids

More grandkids

Peterson tradition of bizarre faces

BBQs, tennis, swimming, and here a picnic

Where were these things when we were kids???

Grandpa Joel with six of the nine grandkids

Luke turns three!

Priceless

sog and zelle

2008-07-10T17:54:00.000-07:00

We had a great few days in early June with Clint's sister, Sarah, and her oldest daughter, Isabelle. It was great to see this crazy city through the eyes of a 9-year-old, especially one with endless energy. Highlights included the Museum of Natural History, time in the Park, American Girl Store (Clint was the only male in the whole place!), Times Square, and lots and lots of walking. We love visitors!

Walk in the rain

Outside of the Museum of Natural History

Inside

I think Clint loved it more than anyone

American Girl Store

Dinner at American Girl Store; Clint was a trooper

Mmmm, M&M's of all colors

A child's paradise, the Hershey's Store in Times Square

Times Square by day...

...and night (can't get enough)

Sunday dinner on the balcony

30th birthday celebration

2008-05-29T17:12:00.000-07:00

To mark the end of my 20s (yes, I am now 30!), Clint took me to The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida. We had a wonderful time with lots of tennis, swimming, reading, scrabble, sunshine, relaxation, and of course the NBA playoffs (go Celtics). And the food - oh the food! The hotel has been in operation since 1886 and is set on 140 beautiful acres. Such a great long birthday weekend, especially the time together. Hopefully my 30s bring as many adventures as my 20s!

The entrance to the hotel
Chillin

The "croquet" lawn...

My charming husband
Beach time = perfect birthday

spring travels

2008-05-29T16:36:00.000-07:00

Fortunately, you can get a direct flight nearly everywhere from New York. Unfortunately, it takes nearly as long to get to the West Coast as it does to London! So we've had a lot of long flights as we've had a couple of weddings in the West. A big bonus for us is that the weddings were located in places where we have family. We love the chance to reconnect with parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, and in-laws.

However, before we had weekends away, we had a great visit from my parents in early April who helped us add a few plants to our place. Two weeks later, two of Clint's sisters (Rebecca and Annie) joined us for the weekend. It was great to have more visitors, especially since we even got some nice weather. And April market our first spotting of one of the many celebrities that live here--we spotted Liv Tyler at an outdoor market in the West Village. We also got a visit from the Jann and Randy Paul (great family friends of the Petersons) as well as the great regular visits from Clint's dad. We only wish we had our camera out more to capture all our visitors and good times.

Now to our travels...

Stop 1: Salt Lake for a wedding (a childhood friend of Clint's) and time with Clint's family

Stop 2: Charlottesville, Virginia for time with Clint's sister Leah, her husband Kevin (who just graduated with an MBA from Darden), and their darling daughter Rainey

Stop 3: Oakland for another wedding. This time it was friends from Boston, Jenny and Ben Forrest. We also got time with several of the Petersons who live in the Bay Area

Cactus garden we planted with my parents

Pansies for our balcony, again courtesy of my parents

Clint with his sisters outside of Pastis in the West Village

Liv Freaking Tyler

Clint made me put this picture in, but I have to admit, those were gorgeous tulips

Guggenheim's Cai Guo-Qiang exhibit depicting a car bomb

Love the Met

Chilling in Central Park

Sunday dinner in our place

Best NYC dinner yet, thank you Jann and Randy Paul!

Clint with beautiful bride Heather Galbraith (who we got to host just a week later with her new husband on a book tour!)

Hugs from Clint's niece (Claire) and nephew (Jeremy) - such great times with the DowDells and Sugs and Clint's mom, but no pictures

Uncle time with precious Rainey

Darden tour

The Mitchell family--doesn't get much cuter!

Mr. and Mrs. Ben Forrest

The Boston girls reunited

Cake time

Birthday dinner with the CA crew

Birthday boy

winter weekends in ny

2008-03-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

Two and a half months in the City has brought lots of visitors and we've loved it! (Though we've been terrible about taking pictures so only have captured a few visitors.) Our location in Midtown provides a great launching pad to all parts of the City. Visitors give us an excuse to try new restaurants, see new sights and shows, and explore new neighborhoods. We can't wait untl it is a bit warmer so everyone enjoys the exploring a bit more.

One of our favorite parts of the City is the Park. I've even gotten Clint on a few runs there. It helps restore Clint's spirits after hours in an office as it's "his place to see trees." We also love the Village. It has a great neighborhood feel and reminds us a lot of Boston.

We're slowly getting acquainted with our neighborhood. We've see In the Heights (great) and Mary Poppins (not so great) in the last month. We've also become regulars at a burger place close by, and I'm getting to know the delivery man at one of the grocery stores I frequent. And we love the Museum of Modern Art near us--especially one of their current exhibits, Design and the Elastic Mind. We've been several times! All in all, we're loving getting to know the City and look forward to more visitors (and warmer weather!) over the next several weeks.

Bryant Park with Jessica Heiner from Boston

42nd Street

Brunch on the Park

Reunion with old Dallas friends (now in Boston and Houston)

The best street vendor in the City (this time in Union Square). He sells these amazing peelers for $5 all over the CIty and was even given a spread in Vanity Fair.

Flat Iron building

Japanese BBQ on the Upper East Side--we love Asian food!

Amazing red velvet cake (thanks to Lynda Todd)

More good times with the Dallas crew

MoMA--one of our favorite neighborhood spots

Chris Bowler and Wilfred de Guzman (both old Stanford friends ) visit for a "guys weekend"

Chris' wife, kids, and in-laws join us for gelato on the Upper West Side

Some Wii action

My brother, Tim, and his wife, Anna, in Times Square

Tim and Anna on top of the Rock Center with the Empire State Building in the distance

Color exhibit at the MoMA
Tim and Anna just before attending a filming of the Late Show with David Letterman--just a block from our place

2007 christmas break

2008-01-19T16:49:00.000-08:00

Utah for Christmas, with all 22 members of the Joel Peterson clan. Quite the gathering. Though that was the highlight, the skiing was a close second, with the Wii not far behind. Good times.

The view on Christmas morning. Not bad.
Dumping snow, here on the driveway
Family picture time, here the grandparents with the grandkids
And here are the siblings (no mudbloods)
Sunday lunch
Sugar cookies
Dressing up for the obligatory nativity enactment (I'm the innkeeper)
Angels
Away in a manger
Playing lightning on Christmas morning
Some great surprises on Christmas morning
Including for papa Joel
The best Christmas gift of all - new mommy Leah and new baby Lorraine
Why do we love puzzles so much?
The Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
Totally engrossing (love the open mouths)
Even the wife got into it, tho sometimes she'd multitask, like here
Poor pops drove OFF the driveway at the cabin, and had to escape via the sunroof. Here he is on the other side of the ordeal, smiling

12/11 - 12/20 the end of the mega trip

2008-01-19T13:27:00.000-08:00

With the funds winding down, we had to cut back on some of our grand plans. That said, I'm not sure how it could have been better. We flew from the tip of Chile (Patagonia) to the lake district for a few days and then took a bus over the mountain to Bariloche, Argentina - a great mountain town, like an Argentine Park City. From there, we ended the trip on Starwood points in a great hotel in Buenos Aires. A few pix below.

The magnificent Chilean volcano, Osorno

Osorno at sunset
Wife at sunset
Crossed the border to Argentina, here in Bariloche

And this is the view from our room in Buenos Aires - notice the beautiful pool and tennis courts down right
Ok, the Buenos Aires zoo is NUTS. Only half the animals are in cages - here I am feeding some sort of large rodent
Here, the R.O.U.S. got a little close to the camera

My wife feeding reindeer

And toucans

She flippin loves toucans (and fruit loo ps, interestingly)

Hello, badger, or whatever you are
Searching for Evita's grave in the heart of the city

Loved the Italian district

Hanging laundry

Lovely

Washing ton DC in Buenos Aires?

12/8 - 12/11 torres del paine, chile

2007-12-12T16:30:00.000-08:00

Drove a ways north from harbor town of Punta Arenas (tip of Chile) through classic Patagonia (mountains, sheep, tundra-like plains, etc.) and ended up in the so-called centerpiece of it all: Torres del Paine Park. Well, it pretty much knocked us out (including the literal sense with some rump-busting hikes). Freakishly majestic. Wild, windy, and wondrous. Most of the time, we couldn’t believe our eyes. Try as we might, we could only get the camera to capture a shadow of what we were seeing. Enjoy.

Unreal.
Our trusty rental
A llama relative, the guanaco, that was all over the park
The foot bridge to our hotel, which turned out to be a dive... our room had no heat or windows (though you can't beat the view from the front)
Hiking through a valley
The elusive Torres del Paine (after 6 miles and 3,000 vertical feet up)
The Torres off in the distance, at the end of our hike
Water comes in that color?
The Cuernos del Paine in the ever-changing weather
Scrabble
So windy
Floating ice chunks from nearby Glacier Grey
Lakeside view
Hiking
Waterfall
Cuernos del Paine up close (well, closer)
Windy, windy

12/5 - 12/8 tierra del fuego

2007-12-12T16:20:00.000-08:00

Flew into Ushuaia, Argentina (the “world’s southern-most city”), where we boarded a boat and sailed around Cape Horn, up the Beagle Channel (yes, ala Darwin’s Beagle), and then up the Strait of Magellan to Punta Arenas, Chile. Flippin sweet, including the crazy storms that would blow through (I mean, the water came up over the bow of the boat, exactly like that Discovery Channel show about the Alaskan crab rigs). Fjords, glaciers, penguins, dolphins, vistas, mountains, and a boat full of lovely grey-hairs and us. Sweet.

Midnight sunset
Cape Horn - nothing between us and Antarctica but some wild and crazy ocean
Scrabble

Glorious hike
Love the Tierra del Fuego
A tasty fungus called "Indian bread" that we enjoyed on our hikes
Just before a storm hit

Zodiac trip to watch glaciers calve
Glacier pic
Coooooold, and wearing every stitch of clothing we brought
Penguin island! As far as the eye could see
Social and hilarious
Boat in the background

The view out our window

11/30 - 12/5 santiago

2007-12-12T16:13:00.000-08:00

Santiago is a nice-sized city surrounded by those amazing Andes. We loved the great seafood, sunshine until 9pm, delightful people, and the parks lined with cool purple trees. Things of note: we had abalone, I went running with my wife (I told her to lap me so that she wouldn’t get bored), breakfasted at Dunkin Donuts almost every day we were there (I love you, Boston creme donut), we got pick-pocketed in the main square (though she only managed to take Diana’s sunglasses case before we caught her), and, of course, shopped, played, walked, and took in the sights. Good times and a great launching pad.

On one of our city walks, Andes in the background
See? Purple trees.
Santiago's main square, minutes after the attempted pick-pocketing
Mormon temple, right next to the church

11/20 - 11/28 minneapolis

2007-11-27T11:05:00.000-08:00

In some ways America feels like yet another foreign country on our epic journey, but maybe that's just me growing up on the edges of America and now exploring "the middle" more (or, as I like to call it, "the heartland"). It was especially thought-provoking to land in Chicago, see the entirely-latina ground crew waiting to clean the plane, and hear over the loudspeakers "Bienvenidos a los Estados Unidos!" In Chicago.

But we had a grand ole time in the Twin Cities, in spite of the jetlag: a delicious turkey bbq'ed on a charcoal grille; 2 hours of shotgun blasting; T-day bowling (4 games of it); great football (and lots of commentary, esp the miracle BYU victory); movie time, play time, and story time; family picture all in blue; Trivial Pursuit; Fuddruckers; Mall of America; and, best of all, time with each and every member of the 19-strong Bill and Ruth Hassell clan. Thanksgiving is probably the best holiday of the year, and the Hassells sure know how to do it.

Back in the US of A, and what do we do? Mall of America, with a theme-park in the middle. Yes.

Diana and Andrew doing synchronized bowling.

Tim and Anna doing serious pose (and yes, recently transported from the 70s).

The entire clan (newest addition at the front) at Fuddruckers... mmm. Only surpassed by T-day itself.

Still at Fuddruckers. Pam, Elijah & Co. in front; Andrew, Sarah & Co. in the back. And no, we're not accidentally in matching outfits. Blue was the theme for the family picture and Fuddruckers was the reward.

Grandpa Bill and story time
Alex in unmissable gear and cleaning up with a 20 gauge, with Grandpa Bill teaching Brooke how to outshoot him in the background (which she did: 100%)
Me trying not to embarrass myself with the 12 gauge (love that pump action). Bruises all around the next day.

11/18 - 11/20 hong kong

2007-11-19T06:46:00.000-08:00

Our last stop before Thanksgiving in the US, Hong Kong couldn’t be more different from Lhasa. It is commercialism at it’s best (or worst depending on how you see things). We walked around Victoria Peak (amazing green space on an expensive and crowded island), went up the world’s longest escalator, saw the lights of Causeway Bay, visited the famous markets of Kowloon, and enjoyed the diversity and busy atmosphere of one of the world’s most expensive cities. And of course, since we'd reunited with old Boston friends, we had to go bowling. (Due to a very lucky 4 strikes in a row, Clint won - lucky punk!) We think it would definitely be a great place to live for a few years…

From Victoria Peak (what is with the haze everywhere in China?)
About to board the ferry in Causeway Bay
The never-ending quest for the perfect bag
Buy, buy, buy!
Super fun bowling with the Boston girls (Jessica, you made it!)

11/15 -11/17 lhasa, tibet

2007-11-19T06:36:00.001-08:00

We had to do a bit of back-tracking to get to Tibet, but it was well worth the visit. Lhasa (capital of Tibet) is actually closer to Delhi, India, than anywhere we had been in China. And it's not just distance that makes Tibet a tough place to visit - the Chinese government continually puts more and more restrictions on foreign travel there. But once we were there, we were so glad to have taken the trouble, even though it was SO COLD (no central heat - and sometimes no heat, period) and so high (at over 12,000 feet we sometimes had a hard time catching our breath). It is really unique place and beautiful people, and we were surprised to find that we had it almost entirely to ourselves (perhaps the cold scared the tourists away?).

Lhasa has a rich history, having served as both a political and a religious capital of Tibet since about the 6th century. The city is dominated by the residence of the Dalai Lama (called the Potala), but it has not been occupied by the Dalai Lama since he fled in 1959. In our visit to the Potala, we breathed in the treasure and history of Tibet. Room after room overflows with golden statues, prayer flags, and offerings. And best of all, because it is the end of their growing season, we had the opportunity to see Tibetan pilgrims come to worship at the Potala and other holy sites, walking through and around (and around and around) the temples with us - but always clockwise. Some of the families brought bags of barley for offerings, some prostrated themselves on the ground over and over and over again, hundreds chanted prayers in unison, and all gave money and yak butter to just about every buddha. Such a devoted and kind people, in spite of abject poverty, the hardship of life at 12,000 feet, and the oppression of the gov't. We especially enjoyed spending some time at one of the local monasteries watching the monks "debate", which was actually a lot of stomping, clapping, and yelling at each other. It seems to be their way of testing each others' knowledge—quite the cacophony of sound and color. We loved Tibet!

The Potala in the bitter cold morning
Me doing a "cold face"

We have to climb all those steps? At 12,000 feet? Huff and puff...
The view partway up the Potala
No pictures inside (sad), so this one was on the way down; these awesome ladies were sipping tea and singing at the top of their lungs
Our favorite ladies in the background

Weathered Tibetan face and her prayer wheel thing, ever swinging round and round
On top of one of the temples with some famers getting dressed in matching worship clothes and fur hats
Jokhang temple
Ahhh, beautiful, clean air!
Main square with the Potala in the background

The monks "debating"
So loud!
So Tibetan
Market street

11/12 - 11/14 shanghai

2007-11-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

We met up with more friends in Shanghai and it was again great to see familiar faces so far from home. With them we explored what some describe as the “Paris of the East.” Uh, yes, pretty spectacular, but the smog alone kills that comparison for me. Set on the coast, it was originally a French, British, and Russian concession in the 1800s. The city revolves around the waterfront area of the Huangpu River that runs through Shanghai, bordered on one side by the beautiful French colonial buildings, and on the other by the "Pudong" which has literally been built from rice paddies to sky scrapers in the last fifteen years. Wow, Chinese planning is really amazing! And is it inexorable - we kept running into examples of China tearing down something to make way for the new.

One thing they haven't torn down yet, thankfully, is the Yu Gardens and Bazaar. It is an area of the old city that has been restored, with quiet gardens and bustling markets (including a singing cricket market!), where we sampled things that didn't smell like innards and got pulled into secret back rooms full of knock-off purses. We also got to enjoy Chinese acrobats perform, and were especially amazed by the "ball of death" where they crammed 4 motorcyclists in a mesh ball whizzing around. And Clint says we have to mention the Shanghai Aquarium, touted as one of the best in the world. It didn’t disappoint and even has the largest underwater tunnel where shark literally swim above you.

Shanghai with friends, Jen and Benny
The Pudong across the river
Construction!
Yu Bazaar

Where the Yu Bazaar meets new Shanghai
Loved this - laundry, baby tending, and selling, all at the same time
Yay, Mom! Chicken feet again!
Live chickens sold from the back of a bike
Acrobats

Morning exercise, anyone?
This shark needs an orthodontist
Shanghai at night

11/8 - 11/11 beijing

2007-11-19T06:15:00.000-08:00

The seat of the government, Beijing is an incredibly modern city full of wide roads, freeways, universities, shopping malls, and lots of great historical sites. It is also cold, dirty, and "totally nuts", according to Clint. But we loved the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven (where the emperor prayed for a good harvest), the Great Wall, and the hutongs (small alleys that gov't has bulldozed to near-extinction). And of course, knock-off markets galore with relentless and feisty shop girls. What a place China has become!

There is also an air of oppression that makes us wonder what it will be like in ten years. The government controls everything tightly, but the people seem content - as long as life continues to improve. And billions of dollars have been invested to prepare for the Olympics so China can show the world that they are back and ready to be a major player in the world. It will be interesting to see if the city can handle the influx of people (the madhouse subways are already too crowded to breathe). I just hope the air will be clear enough so that the athletes can perform.

The best part about Beijing, however, was the chance to see friends - though we had such a great time with them that we forgot to take pictures! Duh.

Sunset at the Temple of Heaven

Me and Mao
The Forbidden City is massive

Really massive
Clint gazing into the distance - nice

Another great sunset

If you look closely, you can see all sorts of delights that they'll grill up for you: mystery meat, scorpions, sea horses, or pupae on a stick. Not joking.
The great wall, aptly named
So great

but so cold!
We hiked it for 3 hours, so we had it almost entirely to ourselves; at the entrance, however, it was packed - like most things in China...
Our favorite salesgirl, "Apple", who claimed she was 18. Yeah, 18 going on 12. But she was no novice - yikes!

11/7 xi'an

2007-11-19T06:01:00.000-08:00

Quite the process to get to Xi'an cheaply - flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong, ferry from HK to Shenzhen (in mainland China), flight from Shenzhen to Xi’an. But well worth it to see this ancient capital of China for over 1,000 years and home to the famous terra cotta warriors. We only had a day here so it was a busy one that included a trip to the Large Wild Goose Pagoda (yes, that is its name), the Confucius stella museum, and the terra cotta warriors. All amazing, the warriors were definitely the highlight, but what a change from when I was there 18 months ago. Now there are 100 times as many shops and it’s become more of a shopping area than anything. Still, definitely worth the visit, but beware of the pollution! With the amount of construction, there is a haze that is everywhere.

Massive bowl o' airport noodles (we seem to eat nothing but rice and noodles, rice and noodles, punctuated by McDonald's where we can find it)
Yes, that is the pollution haze out our hotel window
Wild goose pagoda

View from the top - POLLUTION! You could taste it. Seriously.

Calligraphy on ancient stellae
Terra cotta warriors!

11/1 - 11/6 tokyo

2007-11-04T03:13:00.001-08:00

The most densely populated area of the world, Tokyo is busy, busy, busy. We stayed near a subway stop that processes three million people per day! Thank goodness for their orderliness - people keep their distance, cell phones are rarely used in public, and everyone queues for the subway—all stark contrasts to India and China. Even the cab drivers wear white gloves!

Tokyo is also a place of incredibly high fashion and everyone dresses the part. Electronic displays advertising everything you can imagine, often with sound to match. One of our favorite shopping areas is Harajuku (i.e. Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Girls), which we thought well-deserving of its reputation for setting the latest, and most bizarre, trends. There are also streets and streets of electronics, but definitely no bargains for foreigners.

We loved wandering Tokyo's very retail-oriented streets, and we were reminded of the approaching holiday season seeing signs wishing us a “Merry Hearty Christmas.” The weather was also much cooler than we’ve had in months. Besides being rainy the first day, we had fall days with blue skies and clear air—it reminded us of college football games and Thanksgiving soon to come.

Other favorites included:
- seeing Japanese culture at the many shrines, especially the Meiji shrine, which happened to be the festival day and was packed with families paying their respects (the women and girls donning beautiful kimonos)
- the crazy fish market (30% of the world’s tuna is consumed in Japan), where we had fresh, fresh, fresh sushi (like, almost still quivering)
- the war museum - always interesting and educational to see how they view their own history, especially WWII
- the food! Nearly every meal we had there was incredible

Outside Shibuya station - Japanese everywhere!
Yeah, try figuring that out
Harajuku fashion ... right
Meiji shrine offerings

Wedding at the Meiji shrine
Traditions in the foreground, and rockers in the background

Shopping, shopping, shopping! As far as the eye can see.
Another shrine, this one where millions of Japanese war dead are enshrined
War museum
Yes, those are sea cucumbers for sale

Huge tuna for sale - it took all 3 of them to pull it on the table
Fish market closing down - massive

10/31 - 11/1 hong kong

2007-11-04T03:12:00.000-08:00

We needed to pass through Hong Kong in order to get visas for China. We’ll be returning here at the end of our tour through Asia, so we only stayed a day, but it was fantastic. Busy and very Chinese, but the influence of the British is indelible.

We started the morning walking the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui (Kowloon peninsula) and then had a noodle bowl at a classic hole-in-the-wall. After lunch, we headed north to Kowloon Tong to for some Mormon temple time. We finished off the day with dinner and then a visit to one of the many tailors in the area where we both got fitted for shirts. Along the way, we saw some Halloweeners and even some HKers singing English Christmas carols. What an interesting place—we’re looking forward to more time there in a few weeks.

10/24 - 10/30 vietnam

2007-11-04T02:55:00.000-08:00

Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) is less than an hour by plane from Phnom Penh but light years ahead. Much more modern and much larger, it flourishes, even amidst the guise of a “communist” country. Regardless, we did get a taste of the communism at the airport during the visa process—yikes! Good preparation for China I tell him.

I love Vietnam and am so glad to have a chance to share it with Clint. The people are a marvel—so industrious (pushy even), yet so tiny. I feel like a giant among them. And the South is so different from the North. Whereas Ho Chi Minh City feels somewhat modern, Hanoi (the capital in the North) seems like a large village that is bursting at the seams.

In Ho Chi Minh City, we mostly took in the Vietnam War sites, including the War Remnants Museum (basically propaganda, but photos and memorabilia are must see), and the Cu Chi Tunnels (a vast network of eerie tunnels used by the Viet Cong to transfer supplies and to make surprise attacks on American soldiers). And we were even able to squeeze in a bit of bowling! (Clint won, but only by 9 pins - I think it's because we gathered a little bit of a crowd, which he played to.)

After Ho Chi Minh City, we made our way up to Hanoi and loved it. In Hanoi we saw a water puppet performance (very unique), Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, roamed the streets, visited many markets, and chanced our lives aboard one of the many scooters that cruise through town. We were even able to catch the end of game 4 of the World Series in the early morning—GO SOX! We also had an overnight "junk" trip in Ha Long Bay where limestone formations jut out of the water everywhere —a magnificent site.

Vietnamese wiring. Nice.
Bowling time
Vietnam's war remnants "museum"
Shopping - look at all the ceramics (if only we weren't traveling for another month...)

Yes, those are weird fish, eels, and toads
And here is the tank that contained them. You sit down, point, and they serve it up to you. We're thinking maybe this will catch on in the States...
Our guide showing us how the Viet Cong would come out of the Cu Chi Tunnels, and Clint braving the creepy-ness of it to do likewise

Bottles of rice wine with pickled cobras and scorpions inside - a bona-fide cure-all. Hmm.
Internet cafe, where I am the only one not playing some bizarre internet game
Street side tasties
Clint lounging in Ha Long Bay, reading a Nat'l Geographic (notice the sideburns!)
The junk in front of us

Ha Long Bay at sunset
An amazing cave named "The Amazing Cave". Amazing.
Panoramic view
Clint doing one of his many jumps off the roof of our junk into the Yellow Sea. Good work, husband.

Water puppets. Apparently you have to train for years before you can control these things.
I don't know if you can see this, but they are dumping these odd sea creatures into the mortar and pestle thing where they are smashing it all into a paste. The purpose? Not sure, but we almost ralphed.

Classic Vietnam. Clint thinks this could be the cover of next year's Lonely Planet. Right.

Scooter MANIA!
Dried (and very pungent) shrimp
Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum. (Ho Chi Minh was founder of communist Vietnam, and very much revered as hero no. 1 by the people) (though in his pictures he looks a lot like the Colonel - yes, as in the KFC Colonel, with his "wee beady eyes" as Clint kept saying)
Apparently the preferred method of transporting anything from point A to B for Vietnamese women.

Yes, Clint the drummer. He says I have to write that I made him do it. I did.
Our last "taxi" (yes, after taking this picture, Clint got on the back and the three of us weaved in and out of the madness).

10/21 - 10/23 cambodia

2007-11-04T02:40:00.000-08:00

“More man-hours than I’ve ever seen in one place”—those are Clint’s, uh, lyrical words for the largest religious complex in the world. The Temples of Angkor are massive, awe-inspiring, and unbelievable. And fortunately for Cambodia, it is a booming tourist site that is helping to heal the economy of this war-stricken country.

But back to Angkor. Built beginning in the 8th century, Angkor served as really the first capital of a unified Cambodia. The temples are many and vast, stretching for miles in all directions. Think really, really big. What a marvel it would have been to see them in full color at their peak. And to think that Hinduism spread all the way to Cambodia from India, that these temples are Hindu! Who would have thought—I continue to marvel of the links between civilizations across geographic boundaries. A must see if you can make it to this part of the world, but hurry fast, as it’s changing so quickly. 18 months ago when I was here you could climb to the top of Angkor Wat but no longer.

From Siem Reap (the boom town close to the Angkor temples), we took a 5-hr boat ride to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. You first cross Tonle Sap, the large lake in central Cambodia, and then continue south down river to the capital. It's more of a bustling town than a city, but the economy does seem to be picking up due to increased tourism. I hope it continues; there is so much poverty here. But at the same time, I hope it does so in such a way that the good comes without too much of the bad.

Unlike the temples of Latin America, these ones have huge indoor spaces

One of the temple sites (Ta Prohm) the French left largely as they found it, which means huge trees growing over everything. Most of the other temples have had their trees removed.
As you can tell, we loved the trees at Ta Prohm
Massive trees
Massive temples

Beautiful colors
Just some random temple that we had to ask our faithful tuk-tuk driver to stop at so we could check it out

Huffing and a puffing, he made it!
This is the temple that has the massive faces carved at the tops
Angkor Wat at dawn
More Angkor Wat, soon after sunrise
Monkeys! (The front one seemed about ready to grab the camera)
Notice the elephants below and Angkor Wat far in the distance
On our boat ride to the capital we saw endless floating houses and villages, and the people always waved and smiled at us - every time

Finally arrived at Phnom Penh, and decided to go to the market
At the market, we saw and smelled all sorts of things. For example, notice the lady to Clint's left
This is what she was selling - skinned frogs? Yes, 2 please.

10/17 - 10/20 colombo / kuala lumpur / singapore

2007-10-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

From the Maldives we had an overnight stay in Colombo, Sri Lanka which was weird but cool, and then a long flight to Kuala Lumpur. Home of the Petronas Towers (i.e. "Entrapment" with Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones), KL is a Singapore look-alike, but more charm and warmth. The country is green, lush, and tropical and Kuala Lumpur is clean, modern, and organized. It is a shopper’s paradise so we spent a lot of time wondering the malls —the abundance of choice is astounding and American culture is all the rage. American music can be heard everywhere, and when you look at the teenagers, it’s almost as if you were in L.A. We also caught a movie there (love assigned seating) and played some tennis right in the city (reminded of us of our days playing in Boston Common - how we miss that place). In short we loved Malaysia, and we were sad to leave it for Singapore, though we enjoyed our time there, too (Big Brother, notwithstanding). Our cab drivers in both places were among the most intelligent, well-read individuals we've met on our travels. The cab drivers! What a great corner of the world.

Tennis courts where we played a grueling match
We're still not finished, but Clint is up one set, and I'm winning the second...
Shops galore
Wow, those towers are tall