Happy Campers

We had our first overnight camping experience with Zoe on Friday night. Our ward had a camping activity at a local campground in Lehi. We looked at this experience as a test run for our camping trip to New Mexico. We had a great time and Zoe handled it pretty well. She had a little trouble getting to sleep but once she did, she slept all night.

Willow Park Campground is not the most beautiful place on earth by any stretch of the imagination (see photos) but we had a great time with all of our friends. There was plenty of food including BBQ Hamburgers and Hot Dogs for dinner and S'mores around the fire and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and fruit for breakfast.

More fun in the park

On Tuesday morning, Zoe and I headed to the park to hang out with a bunch of our friends. We were joined by (in no particular order): Becca Shirts, Erin Wimmer, Deneal Spaulding, Annie Miller, Jessie Romney, LaDonna Counihan, and Cyndi Lowry. Plus all of their kids. It was a blast. Zoe got to show off her new talent of standing up, she got to swing and play with the wood chips. We even had lunch there. It was a perfect morning and great timing since most of these people will be moving far far away before the end of the summer (oh and it has been cold and rainy ever since we went).

Teeny Tiny Twinner Swimmers

It was Zoe's frist "pool party" on Monday and of course she made the biggest mistake ever - she wore the same swimming suit as the hostess! Yikes, that was awkward. Um, not really, I guess, since the hostess is only 3 months older than Zoe and they both looked adorable splashing around in the pool together. Check out what cute little twinners! Yes, Sadie is dripping the water from the football into her mouth. Should be a fun summer with these two...

Happy Anniversary!

Wow! I should have posted this on Monday but I have had so many projects lately that I have been lax in my blogging. As I type I really should be working on my talk for Sunday while Zoe is "napping" (read - in her crib completely awake). But on Monday was my parents' 47th anniversary! Wow. That's a lot of years to be with someone (especially someone who smells like my Dad - ha, just kidding, kind of). So congrats to my parents for making 47 years look so easy. And for any of the Eldridge clan reading this, mark your calendars for June 4, 2010 - for the big 5-0 celbration!

Will the real Zoe D'Lynn please stand up?

So Zoe and I were playing outside yesterday. She was doing her little gorilla crawl and playing with the dirt in the sidewalk cracks (her favorite thig to do outside). After a while, she pushed up, hovered over her knees, and was standing up all by herself! She did it three times and the third time she clapped before she sat back down. I would say that she is close to walking but she won't take a single step unles she is holding on to something. But we were very proud of her newest development.
Sorry there are no pictures. I can't leave her playing outside on the sidewalk for fear that she will crawl into the street (which she often tries) or eat the dirt she plays with (which she often does). But you better believe we are going to try wih all our mights to capture those first steps on video! Maybe they will be at Disneyland!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

I'm IT??

Wow, I didn't even know I was playing. Well anyway, Anna Connelly "tagged" me which apparently means that I have to tell 7 things about myself and then tag 7 more people. I've never heard of this before so Anna might just be making this up since we've never actually met (or maybe she was referring to a different Desta G). Oh well, here goes.

1 - I am not a Beet lover. Never have been. Seem a little too obvious? Well maybe it would help if I told you all that my dad LOVES them. That and liver and onions. I am sooooo serious.

2 - I know all the moves to the Macarena. Not that I've done them lately, I'm just saying, it was VERY big.

3 - I just signed up on Facebook and so that is pretty much all I have been doing for the past day. Sorry for the neglect, Zoe, but sometimes connecting with people you haven't seen for 6 years is just priority.

4 - I know every word to the movie The Princess Bride. Literally. Every Word. Ver Batim. Memorization. How else can I put this?

5 - I took piano lessons for over 10 years. From age 5 until the middle of High School when I had a major burnout. I can still play and read music but I am definitely NOT a prodigy or even close.

6 - I sew. Don't ask me to teach you, I make it up as I go along and would not want to pass along my bad habits. But I have made clothing for myself and Zoe and I've made the curtains for our house and all of Zoe's room decor (which also includes a little light quilting).

7 - I am so beyond excited for the Lost season finale tonight (except that it means an uber-long hiatus). Does that count as something? Whatever, Zoe is running a muck and I couldn't think of anything else, besides the fact that I'm a huge nerd. Straight A's and all. I even wear thicker-than-average glasses. And I miss school so much. Need more proof? I am working on some spreadsheets to plan our Disneyland vacation. Yikes. Enough said.

So, now the hard part. Who to tag? Are there even that many people who read this? Hmm. Ok, here goes - Keeks, Erin (Rivard), Joy Archibald, Fern (which means that you need to make your own blog - seriously we MISS you all so much).....umm, that's only 4, so if you feel like you want to be "IT" then consider yourself tagged.

Yummy New Traditions

We have a new summer tradition! On Saturday afternoons we've been heading over to Maverick (gas station) for frozen yogurt. They have the best frozen yogurt ever and it is so cheap. Plus, the Maverick we go to has some picnic tables in a shady area that we get to enjoy. Zoe sits on my lap and helps me with mine. I think she eats at least half and would eat more if mom wasn't so stingy!

Zoe and Daddy Writing a New Song Together

Zoe helped me write some music on Saturday. What you are witnessing is the birth of a new song. It is tentatively titled, "Wherever You Go".

Thanks Zoe!

Saturday In the Park

We had a wonderful time at the park on Saturday and here are some pictures to prove it.

A Day without Dirty Diapers!

Or as the rest of the world says, "Mother's Day." Yes, James changed every diaper yesterday, and did all of the feedings (that didn't involve a nursing bra) and took Zoe to priesthood, and watched her when she only wanted to take a one-hour nap and I wanted more, and gave her a bath and put her to bed so I could watch all 3 hours of the Survivor season finale and reunion show (hooray Earl). Does it get any better than that? Yes, as a matter of fact it does. He also gave me the most perfect card and a big bag of Ghiradelli chocolates. Has he done this before? Apparently being thoughtful on mother's day is in the gene pool because James' dad called me as well. What sweet Gillice men. And to all the rest of the Moms in our lives - We Love You!!!

UVSC Employee Golf Tournament

Yesterday was the UVSC Employee Golf Tournament. Our team of four included Travis and John from Media Services (my department) and Steve Namanny. The weather was absolutely perfect. The tournament was held at Talon's Cove at Saratoga Springs. The $20 entrance fee included an amazing BBQ lunch, a free hat (not that cool but it saved my head from the sun), driving range practice and clinic, as well as free snacks and drinks from the snack cart on the course.

It was a good time. My arms are completely sunburned.

Our Weekend Guests

My good friend Aaron Taye stayed with us this weekend. He came into town from DC with his girlfriend Amy. They stayed with us on Friday and Saturday night. Aaron and I went golfing on Saturday morning before they went to a wedding. It was great to see him. The last time he was here he stayed with us when Zoe was a week old.

Amy is a great girl and hopefully things will work out with them and I will be going to a wedding sometime soon.

Aaron is one of several people who are welcome to stay in the Gillice home at any time.

The Angriest Easter Bunny

We have added some pictures of Zoe taken this Spring to our Picasa account. Here is a sample of some of the cuteness that can be found.

Click the image below to see all the pictures.

Spring 2007

The grass looks Green-er

When the Greens are in your front lawn! Holy crap, Andrew and Andrea Green just stopped by. They are visiting from California for Andrew's brother's graduation. We haven't seen them since they left Orem before Zoe was born. Of course, they were smitten with Zoe and the feeling seemed mutual. Maybe we will get to see them again before their unborn child is 10 months old!

Domo!

So, after I titled this, I realized that I'm not even sure if "Domo" is Japanese. Either way, we would like to bid farewell to our friends the Petersens. They are on their way to Japan as we speak. They are going to teach english there and after that, they are going to spend some time (a few years) in Sweden, where Eleanor is from. We loved spending time with them while they were here and Zoe is going to miss Christina - she was one of her only gal pals. Oh well, now she gets all the boys to herself.

Good luck Petersens! We will miss you! (Insert appropriate Japanese phrase here)!

The Littlest Sea Monkey

Zoe got to go swimming today!! No, it is not warm enough for outdoor pools, but we went to the Orem Rec Center and got our swim on. It took Zoe a little while to "warm" up to the not so warm water (I thought an indoor pool would be much warmer) but after she did she loved it. She kicked and splashed and tried to drink the water - just like she does in the bathtub. I think she would have stayed there all day if I had packed a lunch for us. I'm thinking we are going to have a TON of fun this summer.
Sorry there are no pictures it was just me and Zoe and a friend and her 6-month old. Maybe next time James will get to come as well. We really missed him.

Congratulations!!!!

Wow, after so much bad news, finally something good to post. And this is something that I really didn't see coming and makes me happier than anything else (besides James and Zoe). Today my mom told me that my brother Garrett proposed to his girlfriend and they are getting married next May. HOORAY!! I am so excited for them, I got to meet Heather when I was in NM a few weeks ago. She's nice and they seem to get along really well. Seriously, Garrett, if you EVER read this, I am so happy for you. I've always thought you would be an awesome family guy so you better prove me right!!

Great Aunt Mary

I felt like titling this post "Will it ever end?" but thought this would be more respectful. On Tuesday night, my parents called to let me know my great aunt Mary had died. She broke her hip on Easter and as they were transferring her to a rehab center she stopped breathing. My aunt Mary was an amazing lady and I love her so much. She was like another grandma to me and I loved visiting her each time I came to New Mexico. She was a wonderful penpal, even to Zoe. I wish I could go to the funeral services tomorrow but money is way tight after all we've been dealing with and I just can't drag Zoe on another trip. They have been pretty hard on her lately.
Mary was the first in her family to get a real education (like, past the fifth grade) and she put her smarts to work. She wrote a book called A Roof Against the Rain. It is like The Grapes of Wrath, only better because it is true. You can check it out at Amazon or Xlibris, the publishing company. She even let me "help" her with the book. She doesn't own a computer so she had me type her manuscript and send it to the publisher. When I sent her the disk she didn't even open the envelope because she was afraid of smudging the words off of the disk. I will really really miss her. Oh yeah, that's me she's holding in the picture when I was 9 months old. Hey, that's how old Zoe is now.

Brokeback on the Mountain

On Friday night we got news that my cousin Jessie had broken his back in a skiing accident. We spent Saturday in Salt Lake at the LDS Hospital visiting him.

It turns out that he broke his neck and back but will not need surgery. He can walk and move around if he wears his back and neck brace. He will have to wear it for the next 3 months.

Jessie's mom (my aunt Chris) and my other aunt, Cheri are coming out to Utah to see Jessie and take him back to Oregon.

Mii Familia

Our Nintendo Wii allows you to create little characters called Mii's. We were feeling crazy one day and decided to create our families. Here are the results for my family. See if you can figure out who is who.

Dozens of Cousins

Well, maybe not a dozen, but a lot anyway. Zoe got to be with all of her cousins (on James' side) while we were in Oregon. James also got to see all of his cousins (except for Tom and Joy's "coffee bean") but we didn't get any pictures. They probably wouldn't have been as cute anyway.

[left to right: Tre (JoAnne's); Jordan, Belen, and Rebekah (Fern's); and Zoe (ours of course)]

Uncle John

On Saturday March 31, 2007, my uncle John Montgomery passed away unexpectedly at his home in Bend, OR. He was a great man and will be greatly missed.

Desta and I found out the sad news on Sunday morning. That night we went up to Alta Ski Resort to tell my cousin Jessie the news. At the resort we made the decision to drive to Oregon early Monday morning to be with my family. Jessie stayed with us Sunday night and drove with us in the morning.

We were only in town until Wednesday, because Jessie and I had to work on Thursday, but we are so glad we could be there to offer what support we could. Our love and prayers are with my aunt Cheri and her two boys Kellen and Cody. We love you guys so much.

Miles of Milestones

Well, I'll be. After weeks of waiting on the edge of our seats, Zoe is crawling. On Thursday night my visiting teacher was over with her little boy (3 days younger than Zoe). He was crawling around and I guess Zoe decided she could too. She inched toward some papers on the floor and then (after mom ruined that good time) continued on to the kitchen where she could stare at her reflection in the dryer. She is officially mobile and life in our home will never be the same!!
If you haven't seen her for a while, she also waves, claps and scrunches up her face and breathes really hard through her nose. We call it her "nuggle bear" face. And oh what a "nuggler" she is.

Wild(not so)fire

So, as many may know, I got to go to the NM for a week. It was AWESOME. My parents had a blast with Zoe (who wouldn't?) and I didn't have to cook for 8 days. Woo. The only let down was the weather - gloomy and rainy. So because of the weather I missed the big barn burning for the ABC family series "Wildfire." Check it out here. I apologize for the cheesiness (and apologize for offending anyone who might be a fan of the show...)
Background info - The show is shot at some neighboring horse farms, but they use my parents property for parking/horse stables. Recently they built this huge barn that they are going to burn down for the big season finale. They should have burned it down last weekend, but, no dice. Oh well.
But all in all I had a great time. Thank you mom and dad for all you do. We love you and miss you. Can't wait until June!

It's Curtains for Zoe

Hooray for Curtains! Zoe's room finally has some respectable window treatments. I've had the material for months but not enough motivation (or time) to do anything with it. So, with daylight savings looming, I finished the curtains a few weeks ago. Yeah, old news, but I am SO proud of Zoe's curtains I just had to post. If you are ever in the neighborhood of Anne Circle, stop by and see them. If you can't make it over, maybe you'll be lucky and I'll post some pictures...

When the Cat's Away, the Mice Will...Record Songs?

On Wednesday, Desta and Zoe flew to New Mexico to visit Desta 's parents. Meanwhile, I am trying to remember how to take care of myself. It's not that bad really, although the dishes are piling up a little bit.

Despite the fact that it has been a little lonely around the house, this week is proving to be very productive for recording music. Since the "recording studio" and Zoe's bedroom are one and the same, it can be hard to book time slots for recording. For some reason her schedule always takes precedence.

So I am taking advantage of this week as much as possible. I have basically finished recording 2 new songs. They are called "Drifting Away (The Long Road)" and "Take Our Chances". Over this weekend I hope to finish a couple more. Who knows, maybe I will finish my new album this year.

I will also say that I do miss Desta and Zoe very much. I look forward to their return even if it means I lose my "recording studio" again.

New Pictures

Here are the latest pictures of our little "Nuggle Bear".

Spring is Finally Springing...

...or so it seems...

With a high temperature of 68 today, it seems that Spring is actually threatening to arrive. I know 68 degrees is nothing special for you folks in CA and NM, but considering we had a foot of snow on the ground a week or two ago, it feels pretty darn good. Now, where did I put my golf clubs?

Of course, being that this is Utah, we could get another foot of snow next week.

Doing My Duty

Well, it's officially official. I'm still in the Relief Society presidency. The now former president is moving to Fiji so for a while I thought I would be released. And for a few seconds I was. Then I got called right back as the first counselor under a new president. So I'm happy to have my calling again. I was a little afraid of being released and then called into Nursery. Not that there's anything wrong with that.......
Speaking of nursery, only 8 more months until Zoe joins the crew. Won't that be nice. Zoe is getting to be a lot of "fun" in church. At least she isn't crawling yet. She wants to but she has my coordination so can't quite get it together. Poor girl.
Well, I wish I had more exciting news, but I figured I should post something. Something. There. I have done my duty. Peace