Web Robin

Xander and Bastian Boom Boom Pow

There are enough top 40 stations around here that if you switch stations enough, you're almost guaranteed to hear The Black Eyed Peas "Boom Boom Pow" multiple times in even the shortest of car trips.  As we don't always like all the songs that are out there, we often switch stations, and whenever we come across this one, the boys plead with us to stay with it.  Hence, they know the lyrics pretty well, and I figured it would be fun to make a music video starring them.

So for those of you without Facebook accounts, and for my friends at work (where Facebook is a blocked site) do enjoy:

Happy Independence Day!

I saw "Uncle Sam" when I was running out by Lake Natomas this morning. Seems I picked the same route that the Folsom Firecraker runners were to take in today's race. Fortunately, I ran my 5.5 miles an hour before the race started. (The horse was out with his handlers to cheer the runners on.)

Hope you all have a great day!!

Landscaping Project

[Left: 2007, Right: 2009] 

When we were in San Diego for Ken's wedding, a fabulous landscaping crew was busy demolishing our old landscape. This week they put in all the new plants.

Believe me, working with the contractor to choose plants -- especially the day we went to the nursery to smell roses -- was really fun. This process has been so exciting.

Today they finished. Everything is in: We had to make some substitutions because of the heat. When it gets cooler we'll put in some bleeding hearts with the columbine and coral bells.

To see all of the changes, check out the collection of photos here.

It's a boy!

We are so excited to announce that we are expecting Jacob Allen in November!

Hooray for SUMMER!

It’s SUMMER! And while time, responsibilities, and financial constraints certainly limit the opportunities we might have for fun-in-the-sun, we have found some great opportunities close by!

Only 30 minutes from our house are the Great Falls of the Potomac River. I hoped you might “Ooohhh!” and “Aahhh” with me over this photo I snapped of Mather Gorge!

  

I also got a series of shots of kayakers going over the falls! Very cool, if not also very dangerous!

 

Since we all can’t go everywhere, please post some pictures of the lovely places you enjoy! I look forward to seeing the beauties you get to see this summer!

Happy Birthday, Jeremy!!!

Happy Birthday, Jeremy!!! 

Did you celebrate your birthday this weekend? or are you waiting until next weekend? or, maybe, you'll just get to have a special treat during Home Evening! 

Let us know. Love ya lots! 

[This photo was taken by a friend in LA a few months before Chela was born, so Jeremy was almost 3. It's one of my favorites and shows his charming, playful side.]

Happy Birthday, Wes!!!

Hope you have a great day. Know there's lots going on with moving out of your house and getting ready for the baby. Should be a great year!!!

(This photo was taken when we were out to dinner. Molly and Wes were being silly with salad garnishes.)

The fruits of unnatural progression.

It's been just a few days more than three years ago since this blog first discussed the fears about climate change.  I believe that we're about to see the natural progression of the volume of hype and attention the topic has gotten as fears about the environment become codified into law (I sure hope not, but given the current political climate, would not be surprised).  Tomorrow, according to an article on the Wall Street Journal's online site, the House will vote on the Waxman-Markey bill, or what is more commonly known as the Cap and Trade bill.

Quite frankly, I'm appalled that we've gotten to this point.  Distilling the whole idea down into it's integral parts, the Cap and Trade proponents' thinking goes something like this:  If the Earth is heating up, and if that heating will be harmful to nature and to mankind, then we need to do something to stop the Earth from heating up.  If the Earth's heating is caused by mankind, then we need to change what we are doing so we can slow down or reverse this trend.  If our usage of fossil fuels is what is causing the increase in temperatures, then we need to stop using those fuels in such volumes, and to persuade others to not use them as well.  We can't persuade others to stop using fossil fuels through logic, so we'll just place a monumentally high tax on the use of fossil fuels so that the people will not want to use them, because it's too expensive...  Essentially.

Happy Birthday, Chela!

Happy Birthday daughter! What a great year you have in store for you! Best wishes for a joy-filled day and lots of love and laughter all year.

Family Fun in San Diego

Ken's wedding to Nicole was beautiful. Here is a photo of the happy couple just after the ceremony.

Louis, Kristine, Matthew & Sarah got all dolled up for the wedding!

At Sea World, Molly, Shairna, and I got to pet a dolphin! More photos to come after we get back home.

Mitchell took this photo of us as Chris and Shairna were about to go to the airport. What a fun group of boys! Great to see Cindi and Mitchell again, too.

Happy Father's Day!

My First TV Appearance

I was part of the ABC News national program today that aired this afternoon. This is the story: http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=7865743

It was referencing this article that I published a few weeks ago, which was a lot more widely-recieved than I ever expected. http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/may2009/ca20090526_187821.htm?campaign_id=managing_related

Just remember the camera adds 20 pounds.. this one wasn't nice to me at all. (Not to mention I was terrified!)

Happy Monday From Sophia

Cameron asked me to post these pictures. We're taking some each week with this teddy bear for comparison, and this time we actually caught a smile.

We haven't gotten to this point, yet

Jessica in the News

I just saw on FaceBook that Jessica is being interviewed for an ABC TV news story related to an article she recently published. I hope that after the taping she'll tell us all about it!!

Congratulations, Jessica