Photography Keepsakes » Family

Hi Grandma

midder — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:53:08 +0000

Try this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/midder/

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The world according to Americans

midder — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:15:34 +0000

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Thai Food

midder — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:48:34 +0000

We made it to Utah last week. It’s been fun. We thought we’d try out the old tried and true Thai Chili Garden in Orem. But there’s a sign on the door that says they’re in Thailand until late July. Good for them. So we decided to go to the “other” tried and true Thai restaurant here in Happy Valley, Thai Village in American Fork. It was very, very disappointing.

I saw a new Pho restaurant opening up on State street in Orem. If it doesn’t open before we head back home, then we’ll just have to try the Thai restaurant across the street. Thai Village really soured us on Thai food for a while (even me — it was that bad!), but I think we’ll be ready soon enough.

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Gracie is 8

midder — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:10:24 +0000

Or will be next week I suppose. In what is I guess becoming tradition, Julie took Grace out for a girls’ day. She got her ears pierced, went shopping, had lunch, went to college . . . wait. Sorry. Guess I just had a moment there.

Grace from Brian Elcock on Vimeo.

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Visit to Pres-kitt

midder — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 23:02:22 +0000

I was actually cold yesterday. It’s coming up on the middle of June and I found myself cold yesterday. In Arizona. Granted, I was up at about 5500 feet in “Everybody’s Hometown,” Prescott, AZ. The Kreyling bunch appears to be embarking on a new adventure. They’re selling their home and buying a different one. It’ll be quite the project, but they always seem to do things up right.

I keep reading that this is one of the nicest Junes ever here in the desert, and I have to agree. We’ve been running about 10 degrees below average which, after the brutal May that we had, has been a nice break. We even find ourselves complaining that the pool has cooled off too much. My how the blood thins.

Lucy has decided that she loves to clean. Most days we’ll find her dragging the vaccuum out, cleaning up under the bar. She’ll pull the chairs out and everything.

I’ve found that when she decides to clean my bathroom that I find my glasses in interesting places. She does a great job and we’re just happy that she seems to enjoy cleaning. Now if we can just convince her little sister. Speaking of Lucy’s little sister, she’s for sale. I’ve even dropped the “to a good home” requirement.

Lucy also recently “graduated” from preschool. She really enjoyed her teacher and we’re all looking forward to having her in Kindergarten next year. Except there’s that little thing about her little sister being home without her. Not sure about that.

Henry continues to grow. And continues to find himself dressed in awesome things.

I try and dress like him to see if I can get some attention.

Sometimes it works. Most of the time it does not.

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Grace

midder — Tue, 12 May 2009 06:51:59 +0000

Friend (after swimming): “Thanks for inviting us over”
Grace: “We didn’t invite you”
Friend: “Hummph”
Grace: “Thanks for coming I guess”

Smooth and subtle just like her father.

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Spring Update

midder — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 05:34:36 +0000

Always lots happening around here. We have a few blocks of time throughout the year where we get really busy with birthdays and such. Gwenyth turned 3:

The loot:

We all had a good time at Grandma and Grandpa’s place for some food. The mashed potatoes were extra fatty (and good!) thanks to yours truly.

Lucy’s birthday is coming up soon. She’ll be 5, believe it or not. And we just got the invitation for her “Kindergarten Roundup” where we go and learn about how kindergarten will never be the same once “the hoo” walks through the door. She has been going over her list of friends to invite to a party that we’re not quite sure is really going to happen. She counts and orders and announces. She has also let me know the many things she’ll be expecting for her birthday. We got them a swingset for the backyard. I’m going to have to remind her of that many times I think.

We decided one day during spring break that it was time to take her training wheels off. It took her about 29 seconds to figure it out. After 3 minutes she was comfortable enough in the bedazzled shoes and hot bike that she would pose every time she passed by. It’s all about looking good to Lucy.

Henry continues to grow (not enough according to his doctor) and continues to be loved and spoiled. He’s really enjoying the sweet potatoes, carrots, peaches, chocolate, etc., in addition to his adoring sisters.

He sure thinks he’s pretty big stuff.

Click here for more pictures.

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For Your Entertainment

midder — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 07:15:24 +0000

There have been a few of you publicly and privately lamenting the lack of content on this previously-hip blog. To you and the many others I may have disappointed, I apologize. Ever since the assimilation into Facebook, the neglect here has been severe. Not only that, but I fear that my own brain has turned to mush due to the phenomenon:

I haven’t decided if I’m insanely jealous of that Facebook guy or if I enjoy laughing at his stupidity for turning down an offer of several billion (yes with a B) dollars for his company. Probably both, but likely more the former than the latter. Either way, I hear that a blog is a much better creative outlet. So I’m creating an outlet. Or something like that.

Julie is off in San Diego tonight with my mother and sisters. This follows 4.5 days in St. George with her own sisters and parents. Somehow Julie is not feeling the effects of this economic slowdown like the rest of us. I do my best to gently remind her that the balance in the world is a bit off. I even use charts and graphs, to no avail.

I am assured, however, that these consecutive weekends away will not become habit. Thank goodness. What’s the saying? Man shall not live by himself, alone? Err . . . man shall not live by bread alone? Man needs to eat more than just bread and something thrown in for humor? I can’t remember exactly how it goes. But the gist of it is that I’m much better off with her here.

Life moves on. The girls are all doing well. Henry is still unprepared for the life that awaits him. That’s OK. I’m thirty-something and I’m in the same boat. I’ve got a couple of interesting projects still going on, hoping that something will get me over the hump. One involves software to allow cities to manage their sports teams. Another is an EMR/EHR/Office Scheduler thing I’ve been working on for several years (which you’d never know in a million years by the looks of it). I’m just hoping for a little piece of this:

Turns out that the software has to “certify” to be included in the government’s list of programs. And certification costs $35,000. We’ll see. Another interesting part about it all is that the government has threatened to stop Medicaid/Medicaire reimbursements to those who do not adopt an EHR. But I digress.

Finally, happy spring. At least to those of you in the desert southwest. Here’s what my forecast tells me at the bottom of my computer. Not bad for the first day of March. Should be a good day to get out and fiddle in the yard. The garden has already been planted!

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Step away from the facecrack

midder — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 04:41:14 +0000

I have noticed a disturbing correlation between the last time that Julie posted on this blog and her being sucked into what can only be described as Facecrack. Unfortunately some of Julie’s friends from a bygone era found me on Facebook, in my profile that hadn’t been accessed or updated in a very long time. This was right in the thick of having a baby and all that, so she couldn’t be bothered. But once she was bothered enough, she was hooked.

For those of you experiencing similar concerns about the amount of time your significant other spends on the pipe, please know that you have a sympathetic (or is it just pathetic?) friend in me (cue the Toy Story music) should you need me.

I. Understand.

In other news, Henry is getting bigger.

We went to Pedro’s

Gwenyth wasn’t too excited at first

But ended up drinking the salsa (the hot one!)

We’re getting excited for Christmas

We’ve had some great winter-like weather recently. Lots of rain. And cool enough that I think the heater has come on during the day once or twice. I was beginning to think that it might be a White Christmas. No such luck.

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Oh Henry!

midder — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:05:01 +0000

Some of you may have heard that we were expecting a little boy.

Henry Charles was born on 15 OCT at 7:37 PM, after a short (but intense) labor. It was hard on Julie as well. He weighed 7 lbs 12 oz and was 21 inches long. So pretty much the same size as Lucy at birth. Poor kid even looks like Lucy! Henry is my grandfather’s name. Charles is my middle name, my dad’s middle name, and my great-grandfather’s name. So we definitely kept it in the family this time around.

Needless to say, his sisters were very excited and have been so cute in welcoming him home. Even Gwenyth has shown an interest.

Here are some pictures:

Everyone has been so wonderful. Thank you. My momma tolerated the girls for 48 hours and left us with a great meal. Thank you so much. We came home from the hospital on Friday (which was Julie’s birthday) to find that Tausha (well, Brian, I guess) had decorated our house with balloons and a big “It’s a boy!” sign.

More pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/midder/

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