Ode to Bobcats, and the men who drive them

For any of you who have visited the dangerous and untamed mole and rock retreat that was once our backyard- you are in for a little visual shock. Our bishop/landscaper came over the other day and braved the disgusting conditions to transform our hideous and seemingly hopeless jumble of random crap into a beautiful flat plane.


When he finished I came out and exclaimed, "WOW!! It is incredible!"
He, a professional landscaper, looked at me pitifully and replied, "Well, I don't know if I would say incredible, but at least it is an improvement."
I tried to describe our dread each day as we looked out over the daunting task, knowing that soon the rain would subside- and at that point we would be left with no excuse for doing nothing about the eyesore. Truly, to us, the transformation was nothing short of miraculous.
He laughed, "Yeah, when I got here this morning I was searching for any possible excuse that this wouldn't work because I really didn't want to do it. I hoped maybe the bobcat wouldn't fit."
Well- lucky for us, it did fit. And now all of our wildest dreams have come true.

The Changing Nature of Parties

Elementary School: I remember wanting more than anything to have my birthday party at McDonald's. I sent out invitations with a juicy (non-McDonald's) burger on the front and my recollections of the event tell me that it was as sweet as I had imagined.
The fun? McDonald's, of course.
Middle School: I hosted a huge blow-out at a park in my neighborhood,hoping upon hope that when the party finally came, my mom would change her mind and let us dance at the party. Didn't happen. I had about 15 girls spend the night afterward that split into two groups, becoming arch enemies for the night. The conflict?- one group wanted to go to sleep while the other would declare war on any individual to do so.
The fun? DRAMA.
High School and College: The fun was usually all about doing something crazy...typically irresponsible, thoughtless or spontaneous.
The fun? ummm, I guess maybe it was the moment. We were invincible then.
As Parents: A few nights back we celebrated one of our best friend's birthdays. While we had a great time talking and hanging out- the stark differences between this and parties of old was not lost on me. Our conversation centered mostly around funny or gross things that our kids are doing, whether or not they are sleeping, eating, teething, talking, walking, etc. The big hit of the night was when Lucy took a few steps for all to see. At that point John said, " Hey Rod, I'll bet you didn't know that your birthday party was actually going to be a big playdate."
The fun? Enjoying a new element of life, a new stage, new era. The big deal is poop, not glam; joy, not just fun.

GPS Gizmos Can change Your Life-It Has Changed Ours!

So on Saturday we had an hour to kill before we had to go to the airport to catch our flight from Houston. There we were, in the fourth largest city in America, not wanting to waste time but also being totally unaware of what was to find. No problem, says I. I'll find something to do.

So I push the "where to" button on our GPS unit in the rental car. Then I push the "attractions" button and choose "landmarks" from the several choices. I scrolled through several bland destinations until I found one that really caught my eye: Battleship Texas!

Before Mamie knew what I was thinking I had selected "Battleship Texas" and we were obeying the soothing voice of the woman inside the GPS box as she deftly guided us to our unknown (to Mamie) destination. As it turns out, the battleship Texas was next to the San Jacinto Monument, where Texans fought their decisive victory against Mexico!

After our Texas trip, we borrow the sentiment from the Tupperware customer in Napoleon Dynamite: "I waunt that!"

Happy Birthday Lucy

Today our sweet little chubby cherub turns one year old. How did we ever even enjoy life without her? Without that fiesty but oh-so-cuddly personality, or those funny scrunch faces, or the sweet sound of her voice, gurgling out serious and very determined converstion?


Just the thought makes me weak with joy and gratitude.

So, are you dying to know what we got Lucy for her birthday?

....WE GOT THE HOUSE!!!....

Feast your eyes on this little birthday gem, and thank you so SO much for all of your prayers and faith on our behalf. We beat out our competition. Really, though, we owe so many thanks to the Man Upstairs for the incredible bounty he is pouring out on us. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your faith and prayers.

WE GOT THE HOUSE! AHHH!

No place like home

Well, I guess it's about time to make our big news known. And big news it is, indeed. Remember how we talked about living in Seattle for at least five years? Yeah, well it seems our proverbial (space-) ship has come in a little earlier than expected. John, the aspiring rocket scientist, has accepted a very humble position with Boeing working as an engineer on the International Space Station Program, Life Support Systems group. Is he excited? Only if by excited you mean bouncing off the walls and talking a hundred miles a minute to anyone who will listen about the spacey derivation of every street name in South Houston. "Oh, Gemini, yeah, that's blah blah blah." "You see that building right there, that's where they used to house the blah blah blah." He has said a number of times that he feels like we are moving to a giant theme park.

Hog heaven, baby. Hog heaven.

Congrats to our favorite savvy and driven space nerd. We love you!


So here we are looking for homes in Houston, the armpit of the great state of Texas. How did it get this notorious nickname, you ask? We'll let you know as summer draws near. Our short sojourn in Seattle will be over in just 1 1/2 short months, and then we'll be back in Texas where we admittedly belong. I have a feeling we'll be missing the rain and moderate temperatures of Seattle when we go.



Our little cowgirl is easing into her roots just fine, don't you think?

Only in Texas

Lucy's hotel breakfast...Seriously, how many of you have ever seen a waffle iron in the shape of Michigan?

Prunes and Loneliness

So my darling wife is off to Texas to celebrate her brothers triumphant return from 2 years as a missionary in Zimbabwe. I'm glad that she can be there for his homecoming, but now I have to prove to her that I really don't fall apart when she leaves. Last night, as we spent the evening with our good friends the Stratton's, she said to them: "If you see any funky posts at our website, please invite John over to save him from himself." Well, only 24 hours later, here comes that post.

I took Mamie and Lucy to the airport this morning and then came home and chatted with family on the phone well into the morning. Finally, around 10, I got started on my online math class. Every couple of hours, I would make some meager attempt to feed myself. I had an egg sandwich, a spoon of peanut butter, a slice of bread... but nothing was really jumping out as something that I could really munch on to take my mind off of my hunger while I did my math.

Then I picked up the bag of Prunes. Tasty... Filling... Healthy... Whats not to love?

I'll spare you the details, but let me say first of all, the FDA is really dropping the ball allowing 3 pound bags of prunes to be sold to the general public. Second of all, the bag that I have doesn't even say "prunes" on it, but "Dried Plums." That is blatant mislabeling of a potentially dangerous substance. I don't see any hazardous chemical symbol on it either.

In any case, I started munching on these prunes without even thinking of it. Needless to say, when the Strattons did invite me over for burgers tonight, I only had one. My stomach was feeling just a touch out of sorts.

Mamie, don't worry. I love you. I promise not to eat only prunes or peanut butter or anything else exclusively while you are gone. And if I do feel like doing that, the Strattons said that I can just head on over there.

Our little climber

Nope, she's not really walking yet. Lucy is more of an "adventure mover" if you will. She is not too interested in taking steps on her own, I imagine it is just too conventional for such a daring little individual. Climbing has become a favorite pastime- into drawers one at a time, opening each one just far enough to make it a step to the one above; onto the dishwasher platform so that she can see above the counter top; and on top of any other raised surface that allows her chubby leg to mount. Take a look: Or here is the cleaned up version (the living room, that is) for those of you worried that our house always looks slobbish:

Family Home Evening at the Lake

Last night, as Mamie was picking me up from work, we noticed how beautiful the by the factory looked with the sunset. We pulled the car into the park and walked out on the dock as geese and sea gulls glided around our heads. Lucy was in heaven. She giggled as we chased around some ducks on the dock.

The sunset was beautiful. We walked around the large loop that the dock made into the lake, and cut across a lawn where about a hundred ducks were all heading together. Lucy laughed again as they all made a dash for the water. It was beautiful. We had a FHE lesson that I gave by giving the highlights of the seminary lesson that I had taught earlier, and headed home. It was really a beautiful experience.

Here are some more recent photos of Lucy. I know that's the only reason any of you good people still come visit this blog, even withstanding our regular lack of substantive posts. Thanks for your forbearance. A quick Lucy update: Instead of systematically pulling each book from our book case, she now prefers to climb each shelf and then dive head first back down. Most disasters, as yet, have been averted. She climbs up onto the sofa and onto the baseboard heaters in order to scream emphatically out the window at the neighbors' cats. She loves to walk through the dining room pushing around the kitchen chairs or her high chair. He vocabulary is growing quickly. Some favorites include "hi", "ducky", "dad", "hot", and "teddy". She also loves to imitate the sound of a sneeze. Annoyingly, "mama" is only preferred when she is sad or otherwise whining (oh, the injustice). In the last few weeks she has sprouted three big new top teeth, and loves to hijack the phone and make random phone calls to innocent recipients. Still, her very favorite daily ritual is when she calls daddy at work in the early morning. When she hears his voice her eyes light up and she gleefully greets him, "Hi dad."

Sew fun

I have finally overcome my lifelong fear of sewing. Thanks to a few key catalysts (nice deluxe sewing machine with detailed instructions) and mentors (you know who you are), I have entered the limitless realm of cloth-creations. Clarissa and I are making summer dresses for our girls and as we get further along in the process, I find myself looking ravenously for new sewing projects or new ways to individualize the current ones.
Why was I so anti-sew as a child? No one knows. At least it's not too late now. Next up, piano lessons. (Don't roll your eyes, mom. You know you can only lead a stubborn donkey to water...)

We Heard Barack, Now it is Time to Hear Hillary

Yes, we can.

What's Going On

Life has been going very well for Mamie and I recently. We got a big TV from our neighbors who said it was broken (we fixed it.) and I have finally let the ice in my financial heart melt so that we can turn on the (expensive) electric baseboard heaters and stop panicking about filling the stove with wood. Mamie and Lucy now go through the whole house without winter cloths!

Lucy started standing the night before last, and she also said her first word: "Ducky!" It is a pretty exciting time. Lucy has a brightness in her eyes and loves crawling from room to room discovering new drawers, doors, corners of rooms, and pieces of furniture. Yesterday, she was crawling on my lap as I sat in a chair in her room and she climbed up and pulled on the dangling light switch. Much to her surprise, the room went completely dark. I put her on the floor, and pretty soon, she climbed up onto my lap(with a little help) and made her way back to my shoulders so that she could pull on the chord again. She turned the lamp back on.

Also, our new ward is fantastic, and the people are super nice. Mamie is leading the family in keeping the house clean (most of the time I don't sabotage that) and we also are eating better food than only frozen pizza and burritos. This week already, we have had delicious lentils, burgers, and soup.

We truly have been blessed of late. The Lord truly does bless us when we choose to draw close to him.

Hercules! Hercules! Hercules!

I just have to tout the newest accomplishment of my husband. I am seriously impressed this time. Following a series of conversations regarding Barack Obama's lackluster support for NASA's manned space flight initiatives, I had finally convinced John to simply "write a letter telling him your position." After all, I could only do so much persuading in the face of the hard evidence against him. A few days later, John informed me that the January 30 L.A. debate moderators were asking for question submissions. The most popular questions will be asked to the candidates. So, as you might expect- John took this on as a personal mission. Using contacts and network ties from all over the rather decentralized 'Space Talk' front, he single-handedly mobilized thousands of interested individuals into action. With a few thousand questions already submitted, John has now brought space exploration back into the political dialogue- of the top 25 questions on both the GOP and Democratic sides, space questions clearly dominate. Obviously all of the questions won't be asked, but at this point it will be quite hard to avoid asking at least one. What he has done, in effect, is created the opportunity to ask Mr. Obama the question, himself.
But! It doesn't even stop there. After we realized what an enormous effect his little grassroots organizing had had, John decided to take things a step further by creating a website to inform on current legislation regarding space, politicians positions on space, complete with email and contact links for people to write their representatives.
I am SO proud of what he is doing, and others are taking note as well. He is bound to make a great impression on this world.

O-bomb-a

Despite what happened last time I posted something even quasi-political, I have chosen to brave whatever scorn may come from our few vocal republican commenters. This candidate has wooed me. I am consistently impressed with his candor and his willingness to form bipartisan coalitions in order to effect balanced change. I believe that one of the things we need most right now, as a nation, is increased unity and cooperation.

Christmas

We had our friends take some pictures in front of their beautiful tree (which we happened to pick out at the lot.) Afterwards we made gingerbread houses (The pictures will be uploaded soon.) Mamie made a nativity scene, I made Stonehenge, Rod made a legit house, and Clarissa made an abandoned construction site (The roof caved in under the pressure from the licorice.) We are headed off to Dallas in only a few days and look foreword to seeing whoever is there.

merry christmas!

Christmas is Beginning

For our first Christmas gift to you all: Pictures of our house!

Yesterday was the first of December. We went down to IKEA and bought a beautiful fresh Christmas tree (It's still in the garage), and had to change the alternator in our car (what a nightmare!) Then it started snowing. Hard. How fitting for December 1st. The previous owner left us 5 cords of wood, and we are going through it fast. Mamie and I are really getting into the Christmas spirit, and the stockings over the fire and the trash can full of egg nog cartons prove it! Merry Christmas everybody!

Looking out of our kitchen to the grill in the backyard

Living room

Kitchen from dining room

We just got internet. It's been over one month without connection and I admit I have been desperate for any link to life outside our home bubble as a result. When one of my close girlfriends came to visit, she remarked that she tried to watch the news for a little while before coming over so that she could let me in on what's happening in the world.
In fact, I had begun to keep a list of topics that I would research as soon as we got connected. So yesterday instead of posting immediately, I spent hours looking up things like the statistical efficiency of hot water baseboard heaters and what it would take to win tickets to see the Santaland Diaries in Seattle this season.
Well, here we are- back online, back to posting photos and videos of Lucy. Get settled in.
As some of you may know, Lucy is now her own lady-
feeding herself:

crawling around:

smiling like a champ:

and, my personal favorite, has learned how to eat and tap dance simultaneously:

Lucy and I have temporarily escaped the rains of Seattle for the brighter (and more humid) skies of Texas. We are having a ball introducing Lucy to her sweet and adoring cousins, aunties, grandparents, and random others. Lucy is basking in the attention- gratefully learning to love the social side of life rather than clinging to me at all hours. Tomorrow we will head north to Dallas where she'll get to meet and love more cousins, aunties, and uncles. It is such a fantastic feeling to be close to family.

From the bobble of last month to the more stable sway of this- little Lucy is sitting up on her own.
On August 10, 2007:

On September 15, 2007:

It's hard to believe that six months have already come and gone with Lucy around. To be honest, I can't really remember what life was like without her. I had way too much sleep back then, that's about all I know. She is my favorite little human; she makes everything in my life more enjoyable and rich.

We were so lucky to have the renowned Editor, aka Nana Benac, in town for a visit a few weeks back. We absolutely loved having her here! This particular photo is from the Spirit of Washington Murder Mystery Train.

Cana Dana Dana Da! or Canadia, if you will

Mamie and the Peacock

Mamie is determined to make a trellis like this whenever we get into a home

Lucy's First time to sit in a highchair at the Cutting Board restaurant in Hope

Standing on an old railroad bridge above a twisting river canyon

Lucy all tuckered out on the railroad hike

In front of the Bed and Breakfast

The street of the Bed and Breakfast. Check out those mountains!

Mamie and I went to Canada. It was great. Maps.google.com showed us a little town named "Hope" north of the border on a river and surrounded by forests. When we googled the name of the town we found out that is has some cool railroad tunnels, a municipal pool, some gardens, and Rambo was filmed there 26 years ago. It sounded good and Mamie needed a break so we packed up the car and the kid and headed out. It was my first time to Canada. We picked up a hitchhiker along the way, stayed at a beautiful bed and breakfast, saw the gardens, and otherwise relaxed as we started reading "Don Quixote." On Sunday, we made some friends from church and ended the day spending it with the Reno Family and their parents.

Baby cock fight

Lucy the Little throws down on the Gymboree Chicken.

Lucy and her friend Teah have a good time together. That is, until 10 month old Teah tries innocently to poke Lucy's little dolly eyes out. I figure it's good for her to get the kind of exposure to other kids that she will invariably dish out to a younger sibling one day. Maybe it will make her more empathetic and thus more compassionate. Then again, maybe it could create callous and meanness within her. Chances, chances. I guess we'll take ours.

Who does she look like? Vote in the comments!

Here are a few pictures of Mamie and I below. Who do you think she resembles more?

Joy of toys

Pirate festival

We had fun at the Alki Pirate Festival, although we became somewhat disillusioned after the pirates stormed the beach, only to be knighted as if being a pirate were something truly noble. It was one of those moments where you look around and are suddenly surprised at how endearing and acceptable pirates have become. I'm sure you are all familiar with that realization. Anyway, I guess plundering and stealing is back in.

4th of July

Lucy had her first ferry ride. We went with Bill and Kelsey to Bremerton where we enjoyed a nice, however unexpected, picnic at the Church of the Nazerene, followed by a visit to the home of their friends. The ferry featured stunning views of both Seattle, Mt. Rainer and everything in between. In the evening our little family headed back to Renton, where we met friends for dinner and fireworks. Lucy was unfortunately NOT ready for fireworks, and so needless to say the even was a bit stressful. Still, it was beautiful to see all the lights over Lake Washington.

Lucy's First Swim

Lucy had a fantastic first swim at our apartment pool with cousin Will and Bill and Kelsey.

I Got an iPhone!

Well, it took a lot of convincing for my wife to let me do it, but I finally got my iPhone. It's beautiful, sleek, and quite a status symbol. Mamie and I compromised and I didn't get the top of the line model. Shucks... it doesn't surf the net, play music, or even make a phone call. But gee, no one else knows that and it sure makes me look cool walking around with the hottest gadget since they came out with food!

Things Bush Has Done in the Last Few Months That Bug Me.

He said attorney General Gonzales "went up and gave a very candid assessment, and answered every question he could possibly answer, honestly answer, in a way that increased my confidence in his ability to do the job." after Gonzales embarrassed himself and the justice department in front of republican senators who couldn't get a peep out of him when he testified before congress.

He is exercising "executive privilege" and refusing to comply to congresses' subpoena for the legal justification used for his warrant less wiretapping after refusing to comply with multiple other requests for the information.

He vetoed Congresses' war funding bill that had timetables for pullout of Iraq, conflicting with the desire of the majority of Americans and their elected legislators.

When the senate wanted to question former White House counsel Harriet Miers about the firings of the federal prosecutors, Bush offered to make Miers available for a private interview, which would neither be recorded, transcribed nor conducted under oath. What kind of garbage is that?

These things are lame.

I know. It’s not that long of a list, but I feel kind of frustrated about it.

Thanks to the Madabushis and the Poons for such cute new duds for Lucy. Here's a shot of her in the darling dress a la Mary.

New Developments

Lucy has learned to grab things around her. She is quite partial to this little pup.

Hanging at the crib.

Congratulations to Lucy, who turns 3 months old today.

We owe a huge THANK YOU to Amber for these beautiful new family pictures. We will post the lot of them once we get photobucket linked to our site. She also created a fantastic composite that can be viewed online at fifephotography.com. Thank you Amber, we love you.

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A week and a half shy of 3 months, at 13 pounds and 24 inches. We just can't get enough of this baby.

Grandpa Bill's visit

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We loved having Bill visit this last weekend. He came virtually straight away from his long overseas adventures and still maintained a remarkable level of energy and enthusiasm. The Benac boys toured the largest building in the world and we all enjoyed sumptuous meals in classic Benac tradition.

Connecticut vacation

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Lucy and I took a vacation to Litchfield to visit the Jones' home. My Mom, Margaret, Monica and I went out to help Mel get their house ready to put on the market ( I was no help at all). I will be so envious when all of my sisters are together in Texas, but maybe I can coax Richard into moving northwest to live close to me when he gets home. Adrienne took special care of Lucy while we were there, often remarking, "I just love your little baby," and singing to Lucy that she is "the best best baby in the west west west."

Our first family hike

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Like I said, she is good to go for hours in the bjorn. We were out for about 4 hours on this hike with Bill, Kelsey, Will, and their friends the Burgesses. These Washington forests are quite incredible.

Forget tummy time

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Tummy time has been a disaster. When lying face down on the floor, it takes about 30 seconds before Lucy is totally over it. I don't blame her. Who wants their head shoved into a blanket if they don't keep it straight up? Enter Bumbo chair. Simple, dignified- makes any baby proud to hold up her head.

Going Out

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Lucy loves her Baby Bjorn. At first I couldn't get her to stay in for 5 minutes without screaming, and then Beth suggested that I try facing her out. It was magic, and now I hardly separate the two. She's with me through dishes and vacuuming, long walks and even trips to the W.C. when circumstances are extreme. The only problem is that it is the oldest and ugliest hand-me-down bjorn ever manufactured (no offense, Margie). Faded denim and gingham...yikes. So we always disguise its unsightly face with a blanket and save our pennies for the next deal on craigslist.

We're back!

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Our apologies to friends and family who have been anxiously awaiting newer photos and more frequent updates. We honestly will try harder. Here is little Lu when we first got to Washington at around 2 months. Unfortunately for me, she has since rejected that little passy and has yet to find a suitable alternative (other than me).

Hunger Can Drive a Man to Cook

Mamie is gone visiting her sister in Connecticut and things have gone to pot here.

On Tuesday, Mamie and Lucy left for Connecticut. As she was preparing to leave a *slightly* untidy house, I winked at her and said: "don't worry Mamie, most of these dished will be probably be done by the time that you get back." She was not comforted.

For the first few days, I reveled by shifting my work schedule later in the day, sleeping late, going to bed late, blissfully and randomly draping my dirty cloths wherever I wanted in the house, leaving cabinets and drawers open at will, and creatively managing to eat without doing the dishes (I usually did have to wash a spoon.) Last night I rented a movie that Mamie would never had sat through if I were to get it while she was here: "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" and reveled as I watched the movie and ALL of the special features until early in the morning.

Today, The party ended. I ran out of milk for my cold cereal. I used the last surface that could sanitarily be used for eating food off of. I had no clean cloths. After I had been out for hours this morning getting the oil changed and going to the park to read, I realized (while talking to the mechanic) that the shirt that I had felt so slick in was on inside out. I came home and finished the last of the milk in a tiny bowl of cold cereal. I forced down another granola bar (I have had 50 of them this week.) I even considered eating plain cheerios without milk. And other than that, I was hungry.

My light at the end of the hunger tunnel was the church dinner tonight. I anxiously did the dishes and laundry while I waited until 6:30 so that I could go and eat from a smorgasbord of food that other people had made. Even though I wanted to survive without food until then, I couldn't. I had to have something. I opened a can of corn, dumped it into a bowl, and scarfed it down after microwaving it. Then, at about 6, I laid down on the couch to relax for just a minute from my labors until it was time to get my cloths on and go to a real dinner.

Enter 10:30 PM. I groggily wake up on the couch in shock at the black sky outside of the window. Where had all the time gone? How had I slept so long while being so hungry? I lay there in groggy despair as I contemplated the gravity of my situation. Mentally I walked to the store and thought of what I could buy there that would satisfy my hunger, be healthy, easy to make, and appetizing. I thought of just buying a box of soy milk and drinking the whole thing. That would only cost $1.50, and I probably wouldn't be hungry afterwards... I couldn’t really think of anything. Then I imagined our cabinets and fridge, trying to think of something that I could have. Finally, I came to the stark realization: I would have to cook.

It wasn't easy, but we had a garden burger in the freezer and a bag of lentils on our shelf. I did what I had to do: Fry up the burger and put on as many things that could pass as fix-ins (tofu, pickles, ketchup, mayo, a fried egg, mustard.) I boiled the lentils with chicken bullion, onions, crushed garlic, and thyme. By the time that it was all done, I think that my stomach must have shrunk for lack of food. I wasn't even all the way through my burger when I started to feel full. Nevertheless, I had made this food, and I was going to eat it.

It is now midnight, and I am satisfied and happy. There is a half a pot of lentils on the stove (I should probably put that in the fridge or something before I go to bed.) The Lentils could be my source of nutrition tomorrow, I guess, unless someone invites me to dinner (Kelsey and Bill, are you reading this?) Now, the dishes are clean, the cloths are washed, the house is picked up (sortof) and I am happy. If Mamie doesn't read this post, she might even think when she comes home on Wednesday that things went smoothly here while she was gone. Now the only thing that I am struggling with is contemplating the fact that on the Saturday that my wife and child were gone I did nothing but hang out around the house in my underwear cleaning and sleeping while listening to podcasts about the nature of the universe. What does that mean about who I am?

Graduation

Hail the conquering graduates.

Lucy had quite a long day that day, complete with a blowout that Nana Benac somehow cared for in the dark auditorium using one of cousin Will's size 6 diapers.

Seattle--Week One

Saturday:

Plane arrives and we end up with a full sized Impala rental car instead of the mid sized one because of availability issues. We bumble our way to the Springhill suites.

Sunday:
We go to several church services and instantly find our home in the Maplewood Heights ward. They sure are friendly. Kelsey and Bill have us over to their great home for some delicious food. Our friend Rod shows us some apartment complexes that we might want to live in.

Monday:
We visit a beautiful 3 bedroom home in a great neighborhood with a big back yard, a hippie geodesic dome with a private dock on a lake, a smelly dump with dirt instead of paint on the walls, 3 apartment complexes, and decide that the Windsor is the place for us.

Tuesday:
Our first chance to relax. Mamie is sleeping in the hotel bed right now...

For weeks now I have adored my sweet babe, expressionless though she may have been in demonstrating positive affect- allowing us only the occasional reflexive smile in her sleep to remind that a wider array of emotion would be forthcoming. Grimaces are far more common, along with crossed eyes and lemon-sucked lips. Finally yesterday she gave me the gift I had been waiting for her whole life (4 weeks last Monday). While cuddling on the bed in the early morning, Lucy looked at me for a few moments intensely with her characteristic furrowed brow, and then busted out a huge gummy smile that would melt any man to tears. A few minutes later she followed with another, and I caught a small glimpse of the near future full of squeals and excited body movements to go along with these lovely smiles.

Welcome to Our World

Google Maps is the coolest thing since sliced bread. Stay posted as we populate the world with stories and pictures from our past. Kenya, Australia, Austria, China, Brazil, Taiwan, France, Craotia, Serbia, Mexico, Jamaca, Japan, Hong Kong...to name a few. These are all places that Mamie and I have been and over the coming weeks you will be able to zoom in on icons with snippets and pictures showing what we have done and where.

Easter on 4th North

Our house is alive with the beautiful blooms of springtime in Provo. We are going to miss this little cottage, indeed.

Three Faces of Lucy

Lucy received her first piece of mail today, a little number from the SSA. She is now officially able to work in the United States.

Tonight John gave Lucy the most beautiful blessing. We sure love this girl.

The difference between a happy baby and a sad baby...

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Mamie has heard me say to her, "The difference between a happy baby and a sad baby is..." about a hundred times so far, and with about as many endings. Gas, food, sleep, light in the eyes... these are all things that I have guessed make the difference for Lucy. I am learning that babies, like the more developed members of the human family, are effected by a variety of different things. These past few days, however, Mamie and I are beginning to appreciate the effect of food. Two nights ago we couldn’t help but laugh out loud as Lucy, previously grumpy and whiny, gained a look of complete serenity and bliss after she guzzled a couple more ounces of milk.

After massive feeding events at 1 AM and 5:30 AM last night, she slept so soundly that Mamie and I missed our classes. When Grandma Jamison spoke of why we missed our classes, I said that our "alarm clock" hadn’t gone off. We might have to go back to using our old alarm clocks if Lucy keeps this sleeping thing up. That wouldn't be so bad, though.

More Photos and Adventures

DSCN4695cropped.jpg, originally uploaded by mamieandjohn.

Head on over to our photo site for a chronicle of Lucy Gail Benac's first week outside the womb. She has had a thrilling week of eating, sleeping, burping, and crying. Grandma Jamison, Mamie, and I are more than content to wait on her every need. I love the electronics that come with the baby such as: the relaxing sleep sound machine, electric breast pump, baby monitor walkie talkies with integrated night light, and vibrating musical chair. Mamie won't let me sit in it though.

I love every minute of having Lucy in my arms. She will never be newborn again, and her adorable, clay-mation like movement of her head as it moves from side to side is truly priceless to behold.

Lucy wakes up whenever she has to burp. Which sometimes is many times a night. It's a test of endurance every few hours. When I have her on the couch, if she falls asleep first, then I put her in her crib. If I fall asleep first, then we both get to sleep in each other's arms on the couch until I wake up from cold or discomfort.

And Swaddling is a whole different story. I think that they should have a Boy Scout Merit badge on Swaddling. It can be pretty complex. depending on the size or her blanket, her arm position, and her leg position, there is a seemingly endless trial and error experience to get her wrapped up. Once she is wrapped up, though, she sleeps much better. I am getting the hang of it, and Mamie and I are already discovering that we have different preferences.

Burping is a intricate affair as well. I have come to the conclusion that Lucy is kind of like one of those old games where you try to get the marble to run the right course through the maze as you tilt the board up or down or left or right. The marble has to work its way through the maze without falling in one of the many holes. Lucy has little gas bubbles inside of her intestines and stomach; she has to be patted while on my shoulder, in my left arm, right arm, on my knee, etc. She needs to be patted on her back or bottom. As I go through this juggle, I can hear the gas moving around in her insides, and can even feel it sometimes, as if her stomach were growling. I get points when she farts or burps. However, sometimes its hard to know weather she is gasping or burping. So I just do it for extra long to be sure that I got everything out. If I don't, I wont be back in bed for long before she has me up again.

Yesterday we had a true adventure, where we went to Red Robin with Cousins Jenny and Chris. They had their own baby Lia there and we listened with new interest and appreciation to the story of their baby has grown. Lucy was a gem, complaining a little when our burgers got there but otherwise sleeping serenely in her car seat.

I absolutely love being a Dad. I truly enjoy doing nothing but holding my beautiful daughter. I am so impressed with my wife for her strength and sacrifice through this whole ordeal.

Stay tuned for more pictures and adventures of Lucy Gail.

Stanford Horse

Last summer, Before going to Asia and Eastern Europe, I kicked off my summer by visiting California and learning about the product development that happens there for products produced around the world. While I was at the Stanford campus, I saw a horse made out of driftwood. Pretty neat. While not necessarily a mass produced product, it was interesting. This post is made in honor of my Big Brother's acceptance to that fine university. Read more about his upcoming adventure at www.kelseyandbill.com/news/2007/03/oh-happy-day.html

Lucy Gail Benac arrived early on Monday morning at a whopping 9 lbs. and 6 oz. Here is the first of many adorable photos- this one taken by the "nursery photographer." Who knew they even had photographers lurking around labor and delivery? She was actually one of the first visitors on the scene, just moments after Lucy made her big debut. We held her off for a few days and in the final hours finally relented. Glad we did...

News From the Other Side

Lucy is here and well. Pictures soon to come. She looks a bit like Sabina and Mamie and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect, beautiful, well-mannered, LARGE baby. Mamie wouldn't have asked for a larger baby anyway.

My mom has been visiting for the last almost two weeks now, patiently hanging out around Provo as her 17th grandchild, just as patiently, does not show. While she's been here, though, we have definitely had some good girl time, a real rarity with this momma. It's so nice to have her unencumbered by the busyness that characterizes her daily life in Texas. I have been regularly enticing her to stay up late and eat ice cream, watch old movies and go out to karaoke, and certainly not least- the almost daily walks and hikes up Rock Canyon to maintain my own personal sanity. And in return she is giving us heaping doses of gourmet meals coupled with help on everything.

Last week Carlie and I went to Salt lake for a screening of a relatively new documentary called "God Grew Tired of Us."The film recalls the experience of young male refugees fleeing Sudan at the outset of civil war in 1987. From Sudan to Ethiopia they trekked on foot, many of them not even 8 years old. After the fall of the Ethiopian government, the "lost boys" again took to the wilderness, traversing over 1000 miles on foot this time to reach a refugee camp at the Kenyan border. Many died along the way from starvation, hostile attacks, and sickness. They waited for 10 years before foreign governments began to take any notice. Finally, the U.S. (among other nations) allowed for a small fraction of these homeless and mostly orphaned refugees to find asylum in the United States. The film further follows this journey, and portrays the immense change and sort of emotional upheaval that came along with these refugees to their new life in America.
At the close of the film, two dark black men with heavy accents gave audience to the crowd, most of whom were still internally silenced- a reverent sort, that- by the profundity and magnitude of the things we had just taken in. Through the lump in my throat, I looked on these two men with some level of wonder and great respect. As questions began to come from the audience, the men obliged. They began to recount their personal experiences from the last 20 years, experiences that closely mirrored those we had just witnessed from our comfortable seats. It was not enough to feel pain, certainly not enough to look on in any degree of pity. And then the man named Kone stood and stolidly announced that "everything that you have just seen is true. Only my story began, not when I was 15 but when I was 8. These things are real."
These things are real.
The phrase rang through my mind repeatedly as I watched and listened intently. I couldn't help a distinct dawning of the barest comprehension then, wandering in and out of the realization that this was no dramatically packaged film for our enjoyment, but the portrayal of current affairs even at this moment. These men are now unaware as to the whereabouts of their family members, they are currently refugees working to save and send every last penny to their loved ones still surviving in Kenya's Kakumara Camp in poverty and illness ridden circumstances. There was no neat beginning and, importantly, there has yet to be any semblance of an end to their suffering. The movie clearly did not end with the reel.
In my mind, this is a film that everyone must see. Not because after years of travail and death, all of a sudden it is fashionable to feign concern over the Sudan Darfur crisis, but because it speaks to humanity in a telling and profound way. It sends a message that goes much deeper than any politics and is vastly more probing than any news report will ever divulge.
It will only be played for a short period of time in certain nationwide theatres. Take some time, take your kids, and go see it. It deserves to be seen and felt and heard.

President's Day in Moab

Wow.

That's all Mamie and I have to say after our tour of three fantastic national and state parks in Southern Utah. We were amazed at the enormity and awesomeness of the intricate arches, massive chasms, and colorful rainbows of quarter-billion year old rock sediments. Our good friends Ryan and Michelle invited us to go with them this weekend and we really had a blast. Ryan and I got lost playing in windswept massive rock mazes while Mamie and Michelle contemplated the majesty of God's handiwork on less masculine trails. Mamie was a good sport, although her nine month pregnant belly brought gasps and looks of disapproval. Park rangers and guests couldn't understand why her husband would bring her to such a rugged and contraction-inducing place. However, Lucy is still protected in her mother's belly, and we had an incredible weekend. We can't wait to take our kids here after they have exited the womb.

Oh joyous relief. School is finally out, and we have been gorging ourselves in Texas on delicious holiday treats and relaxation of various sorts. Tonight we had an early surprise visit from Santa as we prepared for our annual nativity reenactment. I answered the door and actually let out a surprised shriek when I saw an unfamiliar and very authentic-looking Santa. I still have no idea who the man was. But my parents recognized him, so we let him in and all of the kids who were not scared of him sat on his lap just long enough for a photo. In other news,we spent the last few days in Frost, Texas at the Jamison's new ranch property, John successfully endured several grueling hours of interviewing at Dell, and Mamie's Uncle Gordon was baptized this evening without a hitch. Also we are proudly sporting our matching Gymboree jammies, thanks to Bethany.

John came to me last night while I was brushing my teeth. He said, "You know, we are really perfect for each other. We're very compatible." I gave a frothy smile, and through a mouthful of toothpaste asked. "Oh yeah? Why's that?" "Well, we help each other in our weaknesses. You know, like you help me in my weakness of being scatter-brained, and I help you in your weakness of being liberal."

Belated Happy Birthday

People give birthday cards late, so can I put up a post celebrating Mamie's birthday late?!

Mamie's family Margret and Shawn came to town with their kids for Thanksgiving and so we took the opportunity to celebrate Mamie's Birthday. What better way to celebrate than eating Mexican food at Los Hermonos, our favorite Mexican restaurant. Mamie, an admitted bean-and-cheese-burrito-a-holic, was happy as could be.

Admitting you have a problem is the first step, sweetheart.

Overall Mamie's Birthday was a generally pleasant experience, with a chocolate cake for breakfast and lots of phone calls from loving family and friends. Thanks everybody.

Alright, alright. I'll dispel the rumor at last. No, the large woman in the picture below (bless her anonymous heart) is not me, although if asked to project my physical self image, sometimes I swear she is a spitting image. Here's some real eye candy for you, at 5 1/2 months. Eat your heart out, Sarah.

Here is a glimpse inside at sweet Lucy. Our estimated due date is likely closer to March 9th than the 22nd after all...either that or she is already taking after the tendencies toward giganticism of her father.

In reality, our life is not so full of chaos. While we are keeping quite busy in preparation for our big life change early next year, there still exists order and harmony. In fact, whenever I get to thinking that I am so busy, I just stop and remind myself that in actuality life probably doesn't calm down too much once kids enter the mix. So essentially, we are just gearing up for the real show. I love my internship and my work as a research assistant for the School of Social Work. It is almost amazing that everyday I can help people avoid financial crisis and then spend the rest of my time studying ways to help people better. For me, this is the ultimate profession. So, life is happy- busy, productive, often sleepless, but moreover fulfilling, probably a little too chubby(gettin' hat and fappy), and increasingly our own. I love it when I recognize that John and I are really growing into good patterns and a family structure all our own, even amidst the hectic schedule we maintain.

A Rare Glimpse

It is 2:21 in the morning; I have to be at work at 8 in the morning. A mile away, my sweetheart restlessly tosses in her bed for want of me, and I sit here at the cold computer lab on the fourth floor of the Crabtree technology building. Croatia is long gone, fading into memory like all experiences do. I am taking 20 credits and work 20 hours a week. Life is so intense sometimes it is hard to keep anything in your brain long enough to really grasp what it means. I am trying to backup the hard drive of the computer that we used in Croatia so that I can return it to my impatient teacher. The computer is not behaving very friendlily. I think that I am going to give up for now. This past weekend Mamie and I had an intense all weekend experience in Salt Lake with our Church's general conference. Our rears in a chair listening to people speak for well over 10 hours. School is more sitting and listening. I took a statistics test tonight, and think that I did well. Then I had a statistics online quiz due and a marketing assignment due. I haven’t accomplished much in the past several hours. I think that I will call it a night.

We are working to update the last few weeks so scroll down for a few new photos and sentiments. One of my own compulsions thus revealed: I must maintain chronological order in all things.Pictured here are two well covers, the top from the well outside the old Benac home in Hrelijn, and the bottom from a castle in Karlovac.

Season of Babies

It's been raining babies for the last few weeks straight now, with new forecasts all over the map to boot. Congratulations to our favorite new mothers and fathers and their long anticipated tiny arrivals (some tinier than others...): Katherine and Matt with new baby Sabina, Kelsey and Bill with their baby William, my very favorite Beth and Justin with the most adorable baby Maelynn (shown above), and Mary and Kelly with their third baby boy, as yet, unnamed. Angie and Dan will follow in the next few days with their newest addition as well. Tis' the season of babies, I suppose- just lately more like monsoon season.
What a beautiful experience to create a new family, to bring children into the world who will be raised to strengthen all that is good, and who will teach us as parents what it means to bear love unfeigned. Of her first day as a mother, Beth wrote:

My Day Old Child

My day old child lay in my arms
With my lips against her ear,
I whispered strongly “How I wish,
I wish that you could hear,
I’ve a hundred wonderful things to say
(a tiny cough and a nod)
Hurry, hurry, hurry and grow
So I can tell you about God”

My day old baby’s mouth was still
And my words only tickled her ear,
But a kind of light passed through her eyes
And I saw this thought appear,
“How I wish I had a voice and words,
I’ve a hundred things to say,
Before I forget, I’d tell you of God,
I left Him yesterday”

We extended our relaxation into the weekend by hopping a bus to the seaside city of Rijeka. It was near this town that John's grandfather was born, in a tiny village unknown to most Croatians themselves. The weather was sunny and warm, unlike the blistering heat of Zagreb over the last few weeks. We were greeted at the bus station by the man John says is his "great-great-grandmother's great-grandson or something like that.” Needless to say, at the outset I was a little uneasy at the prospect of spending an entire weekend with people we had never met and who, by the title, sounded old and perhaps far-removed in more ways than one. Quite to the contrary (and to my delighted surprise) - Babe, Darko, Neda, and their adorable daughter Ana Marija were a vibrant and interesting bunch! We had such a blast getting to know them and learning more about some of the unlikely history of the Benac family (Trivia question: Do you know which distant relative happened to kill her neighbor with a pitchfork? You would never guess it by the saintly photo posted on her tombstone.) In addition to the old cemetery chock-full of Benac's and Blazina's, we peeked through the windows of the now abandoned birthplace of the original Bill Benac, toured the ruins of an old castle whose stones have been carried away over the years by villagers in miserly efforts to build their own homes. We took a swim in the Adriatic at dusk, and enjoyed leisurely conversation into the night with distant relatives who quickly became close friends. This little trip has taken the top spot as our favorite part of this adventure thus far.

HPIM2141
Originally uploaded by mamieandjohn.

We spent the better part of this week exploring the Slovenian countryside with our good friend, Melita. She took us home to her family's house in the small village of Celija. We went hiking in the mountains, toured some Roman ruins, visited an old neighborhood castle, and visited with the family sheep. They live on a beautiful hillside complete with fruit vineyards and an incredible veggie garden. It was fantastic and relaxing, a much needed break.

A few days ago John came to me with a confession. "Honey, I think I might have a problem." Slowly he pulled a shriveled piece of translucent plastic from his front pocket. "Everywhere I go, I just can't help peeling the scratch guards off of things. I think it might be a compulsion." He proceeded to detail each and every time over the course of many years that he has given in to the impulse to peel and steal. He vented for a few minutes about the uselessness of the small clear plastic shield, and how it disgraces the clean aesthetic of many-a-product. I comforted him and then requested that he try not to do it at other people's homes, reminding that some people actually leave them purposely. With a certain level of anxiety he said, "I'll try." Over the next few days he came home with scratch guards from all of the A/C remotes in the church building, and reported that "these scratch guards don't belong to anyone, plus everything at the church is community property anyway." He pulled out a chess set that he had "borrowed" from the church as well. "You can't just take things from the church," I said. He laughed, and then recounted a childhood experience with his wise older brother Bill from long ago. In the kitchen of a church building one Sunday, Billy pulled out a teaspoon and filled it with lemon juice from the refrigerator for a little mid-meeting snack. Johnny exclaimed, “Hey, that's not ours!" But in reply, Billy coolly said, "It's OK Johnny. We pay our tithing. This belongs to us."

Things are really getting underway here in our work. After a month of traveling to conduct interviews and gather information, we have finally moved into action mode and are working vigorously to achieve our goals. It is interesting to see how those goals have changed shape over the course of our time here. As our understanding of the real social and economic issues (as experienced by Croatians) broadens, we have been able to continually redefine our objectives in line with the true needs and strengths of the people and industry in this area. With our goals narrowed and clarified, we have been able to make faster progress over the last two weeks. John is making important contacts with producers in both countries. His talents for leadership and "bidness talk" are really shining through.
After making some content changes to fit my audience, I will begin teaching career workshops this week in Zagreb. I have invited some local professionals to guest speak at the forums, and we also hope to feature representatives from local employment bureaus who will oblige us with loads of information on how to register and successfully find work. The keyword here is hope. One of the thick residual elements of this changing economic system is inefficiency in state operated offices. In my last appointment this afternoon with an administrator from the State Employment Center, the best she could give in terms of a definitive answer was, "My hands are somewhat tied, but send an email on to my supervisor and he can advise you." Oh, the layers of bureaucracy. Anyway, the career workshops promise an interesting new dynamic and insight to our project. Above is the flyer advertisement.

Family Links

Our family has such great blogs. Its amazing reading about the great adventures that they have. Plus, it makes us look better when our family members do cool things. Melisa and her husband Dallas have a beautiful growing family that is always doing something interesting in the suburbia of Austin, or wherever their travels take them. Mary and her fiancé Ram are making fascinating discoveries in science and New York City anthropology almost every day. Sara and Adam are just plain funny and have oddly insightful observations on life in California. Catherine and Matt have the most adorable children on the planet and the pictures to prove it. Kelsey and Bill are more mature that the rest of us and keep us informed on the first child of the next generation to bear the "Benac" moniker. Benac.com is a staple that Grandma Benac maintains about our roots in Big-D. You will find the links permanently installed on the right of this page. For some old fashioned fun, go take a look at their shenanigans.

Yesterday we shortsightedly chose to celebrate American Independence by visiting the most available all-American instution in the world. Yes, that's right, we chose for the first time in the history of our relationship to eat at McDonalds. First let me just say, we knew better. We really did. But where else could we enjoy a burger and fries, complete with an American apple pie? It seemed only fitting to do so. Still, around here the answer to that question is "only at the golden arches." Sure- the burger was small and the bun stale, ketchup cost $.35 per packet and the pie was over fried. But it was an American tradition. It wasn't until we arrived back home about an hour later that both of us began to feel sick and slow and heavy. We vowed to never do it again, no matter how enticing the familiarity of the place may ever seem in the moment. We will be true to our own American tradition and forever after ignore Ronald's "wee beady eyes, saying," So, you're going to [eat my burgers]." We avoided it before, we shall do it again.

We are finally up and running with a speedy 56k internet connection! It is amazing how fast it seems after struggling for weeks with connection speeds around 2.4 kbs. It is not so unbearable anymore to wait for a few minutes while something uploads.
Last week Dr. Harrell of the BYU Manufacturing Department came for a short visit to evaluate our progress and give us some pointers. It ended quite well, but it was sure a rough trip for him. Poor man. First he missed his connecting flight from Paris, took another flight into Slovenia and raced to the train station to watch his train to Zagreb pulling away. He caught the next train and made it into Zagreb in just enough time to board another overnight train for Belgrade. Early the next morning we arrived on very little sleep and immediately left for Nis, a Serbian city about two hours away. If that wasn’t enough, the three of us were crammed into the back seat of an old Volkswagen Gol without AC in sweltering heat. Unfortunately, Dr. Harrell’s luck didn’t change much over the course of his trip. But yesterday we treated ourselves to a relaxing day at the most incredible national park any of us has ever seen. Hopefully his good experience there somehow outweighed the days of near successes and sleepless nights. He was such a good sport!

Zagreb speaks to me. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I am in love with this city. It was only today when a local reminded me of the brutally cold winters that I began to rethink our future immigration plans. Or is it emigration? I get those two mixed up…Anyway, I love it. I feel at home. John and I are making good headway with our project. We have been gathering information from all over the map. The Lord has consistently put people into our path who have been able to directly and indirectly influence our direction and focus in positive ways. I am continually grateful for the opportunity we have been given to work together in this capacity. We are learning so much about each other, and trying not to kill each other meanwhile. We are having a blast spending all of our time together every day, learning to work as a team. And when we are not having a blast, we are still happy that although living a missionary lifestyle temporarily, we are not bound to mission rules and are free to separate as necessary. It’s win, win.

The next few days were spent in Venice alone. I add alone only because I am traditionally a happy solo traveler. However, Venice is not really the kind of place you want to experience without that significant other…nevertheless, I had a great time wandering in and out of museums of all kinds, and visiting the small surrounding islands of Murano and Burano. I have to say that the prices of anything and everything were not impressive, and so as a desperate "budget traveler" I was unable to enjoy the otherwise lavish accessibility of everything tourist (unfortunately including both food and water). I loaded up with hard dinner rolls for breakfast and went for the rest of the day cursing each restaurant for their cover charge and overpriced entrees. Still, the scenery and beauty of the place well made up for my stabbing hunger pains, if only for small moments between growls.

Here I’ll start from the beginning, in order to give due credit to each of the unique places I have been able to visit of late. In the beginning there was Milan, a city bustling and alive with fashion. I took the better part of one day walking about; I toured the central Duome and rested there, a silent observer of 11 am mass. I measured the ornate walls and cut glass with my eyes up to their domed ceilings, and imagined men, both those good and those greedy, striving (if only in word) to become more pious throughout the ages. Old cathedrals are indeed beautiful and command reverence while, to me, boasting simultaneously of a deep mystery they themselves will never fully discover. They evoke awe without warmth, a notion of a God austere and highly ceremonial. I walked back out into the light of day to an old woman beggar aside an alley. At greeting her I remembered those things plain and simple, the mysteries of a God of love unfurled before me.

Belgrade: Straight Out of Lord of the Rings

We have been visiting in Belgrade for the past several days, hosted by our wonderful friends the Fifes. Belgrade is an ancient city. We visited a fort that was built over a thousand years ago. It had motes, Layers and layers of walls and chasms and different forts. It was incredible. Plus everything here is written in a greekish looking alphabet named Cyrillic, further adding to the mythical feel of the place. We didn’t even see the whole fort, because our feet were hurting from walking so much and it was already getting dark. The fort looked over the meeting of the Sava and the Danube rivers. Belgrade itself is full of sturdy looking tall people, with the actual city full of tall imposing buildings, with an occasional bombed building standing silently as a testament of the recent war. Belgrade is the capitol of the Former Yugoslavia and as such contains many relics of the former communist empire. An empire that only a few days ago suffered the final separation of Montenegro, the only state that had remained united with the capitol state of Serbia. Over the next few days we are meeting with the commercial advisor at the American Embassy and managers at Serbian factories to establish relationships and learn about the capabilities, present state, and future possibilities of manufacturing in Serbia and other part of Yugoslavia. Our time here has been incredibly interesting, and we plan to return in the coming months to reap the crop of seeds that we are sowing here.

Beijing

Sorry to skip Shanghai, But my computer zonked out with most of my photos on it. I am backing up my photos now on someone else’s computer so I can keep taking pictures at an insane rate. We are finishing our fourth day in Beijing after several days in Shanghai. Tonight is our last night here. I have loved working the markets and have learned a thing or two about economics. The Forbidden City, The summer Palace, Tiananmen Square, The great wall, and many factories, it has been a blast. I absolutely love the Chinese people and country. The people are universally friendly and interesting. I have been very surprised that as I go to each of these tourist locations, they are packed with Chinese tourists. They like to get around. Well, Hopefully I will be able to post again sooner than I was able to post this time. Farewell until next time. Pictures here.

Yesterday marked another end of an era, however short lived. I said goodbye to the MTC, and more importantly to my good friends, the Lightfoots. Cecile and Carlton Lightfoot will enter the Taiwan Taichung Mission in early July. Best wishes to them as they continue their Mandarin preparation with a new teacher, and especially as they enter the field as representatives of Jesus Christ. They will certainly honor His work with their noble service, and will bring real happiness into the lives of many people by their efforts and faith.

Tokyo

This morning we took of from San Francisco with the destination of Tokyo. What a beautiful city. It is really incredible. The whole highway system is one big mix master spaghetti bowl that all runs seamlessly. At one point on the way from the airport to the hotel, I said to the person next to me: "Either we are driving in circles or this is one huge city." I think that I could just sit on any street cornet for a couple of hours and be completely ed. At one point I even felt quite overwhelmed. It wouldn’t have been so bad if all the Japanese weren’t acting so darn natural and unfazed by it all. If only they could have stopped and marveled with me at their huge city I wouldn’t have felt so singularly overcome. After an eye-opening acquaintance with the city, we stuffed ourselves at a crazy barbeque. Now Jason and I will try to sleep as we come to terms with Jet lag and the International Date Line in our hotel room. Look here for even more photos of this amazing city.

San Francisco at it's Best

What aday, what a day. IDEO, Fisherman's warf, Stanford, Golden Gate Park, Uncle Phil. Life is exciting these days. We started out in Palo Alto where we visited the product development firm IDEO (www.ideo.com). They gave us a comprehensive tour of thier facilities as well as another presentation in their conference room about the role of brainstorming, different approaches of product development, and looking at things from a human perspectivve. The Uncle Phil and I had a hearty lunch at the Creamery. After a quick aquaintance with the Campus at Stanford, we traveled to San Francisco and spent the evening wanderoing around fisherman's warf pier 39, and Gharadeli's square. Although this sounds like only a vacation, the following weeks promise to be much more academic, although no less enjoyable. Check out our other pictures of San Francisco.

The semester finally ended last week, only to open before us a whole fresh array of things to rush and stress over. We are in process of moving to the long-awaited cottage at 400 N, full of nostalgia from my adolescent years visiting Melisa and Dallas during the summers. There, we used to make homemade fruit roll-ups and pies galore, not to mention the unforgettable "pie-in-baby-Braxton's-face" event aroud the dinner table. We hope, perhaps, to create our own pie face memories in this house as well... time will tell, I suppose. For now, plans for our Croatian adventure are keeping us quite busy.
We decided a few weeks ago that our summer would be best spent in efforts to generate employment opportunity and skills-training in some small parts of Eastern Europe. We will spend the bulk of our time working in Zagreb, Croatia, and also a stint in Serbia and Slovenia. We are working/praying/planning as we prepare to devote ourselves to service in these areas. Who knew we would get to serve our first couple's mission so soon?!
In other news, nothing. Right now it is pretty much Croatia, Croatia, Croatia. Feel free to check out our up and coming website at raisingcroatia.org

Mushy Stuff

I just wanted to make a posting and say how much I love my wife. She is such an inspiration to me. Mamie is the kind of woman that we see in movies that has all kinds of determination, conviction, and yet still manages to have a wonderful personality. We are approaching one year of our love’s beginning, and it has been the best year of my life. Mamie, I love you and want you to know that I truly see you as my better half.

"As another rainy day floods the filthy streets of Calcutta, a ragged and gaunt-faced man leans against the side of a crumbling brick wall in a darkened alley. The man howls at all who pass by, begging for a few coins, a piece of bread, or even a drink of clean water. As the rain continues to fall, a diminutive woman wearing a distinctive blue-bordered sari approaches the man and slowly reaches out a gentle hand. The emaciated man stares at the outstretched hand in disbelief. In that darkened gutter, with rain dripping from her tiny, callused fingers, she patiently waits for him to respond. With the utmost suspicion, he lifts his disease-blotched hand and touches hers. He gazes at her with devotion, and says simply that he cannot remember when he last felt the warmth of a human hand."

Mother Teresa is a saint of the first order. She said,

"The poor give us much more than we give them. They're such strong people, living day to day with no food. And they never curse, never complain. We don't have to give them pity or sympathy. We have so much to learn from them."

"It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving."

What to say, what to say. I am a miserable blogger. It's not that nothing is happening lately, it's just that every time I sit down to make something of it my mind goes completly blank. All I can think of are semantic bits of information that seem to be my overwhelming lot these days. I enjoy the knowledge immensely- still it doesn't always make for the most interesting blog matter. And John does nothing to help. He says that because once, long ago, I improved the spelling and punctuation of a few words and/or sentences he blogged, he is now completely absolved of the task. "But it used to be fun!", I pry. "Well, not anymore," quoth he. I guess this is what I deserve for my long efforts in English grammar classes- no thanks at all. Still, I admit it is annoying to have someone edit your personal commentary. I mean, how can it really be yours if it constantly wreaks of sterile spellig and grammar. It takes all the soul out.
That's my beef with the whole myspace ordeal, or online dating, chat rooms, even blogs to a certain extent . They let you put your best foot forward at every step, when in reality everybody stinks the place up sometimes. Honestly, think about how many conversations you have been party to where you think to yourself, "Hmmm, I really should have thought before that came out of my mouth." These are the things that make us; the small idiosyncracies we call our very own. (note: For a taste of an especially soulful blog, see Hollywood Flakes)

On Saturday night we attended the 16th Annual Hunger Banquet at BYU, an interactive exhibit/dinner on global food distribution. We sat on the floor along with about 80% of the other attendees; we represented the proportional portion of the worlds population (say that 5 times fast) who live in utter poverty. Six of us shared a plate of rice, beans and a few tortilla chips, while at three tables interspersed throughout the room, 1st world citizens ate a 6 course meal of Italian delights and desserts with with funny foreign names. How interesting the night, and yet, merely an activity. I mused at this bunch of students, gathered with friends or come with dates- all to catch a sort of glimpse at how the world looks from a blanket on the floor... laughing and enjoying ourselves; and yet, the point was made distinctly more poignant as we left and drove home to our nicely furnished homes, our comfortable beds, and pantries full of junk food.We nestled in to our cozy beds and wished each other sweet dreams, and awoke the next morning to a fresh array of fine opportunities.
May we use them well.

Last week John and I visited the Sri Sri Radha Hare Krishna temple in Spanish Fork. For Tamsin's viewing pleasure John and I made sure to take photos with the llamas. We learned some really fascinating things about this sect of the Hindu faith, and yet again were impressed at the many parallels that can be found across religious lines. It reminded me that at one time our first parents were taught eternal and unchanging laws. They, in turn, taught those principles to their children, who- for the most part, also passed the true doctrine along. Alas, eventually the transfer of accurate truth became much like a child's game of "Telephone",in which an original statement is whispered from person to person until finally the last person blurts out a much distorted interpretation of the original like, "Cows can floss like us." And so, over time and change many truths did not remain, some masked heavily and others tweaked this way or that, until finally what maintained were elements of truth streaked throughout each world rendition of the Laws of Heaven. It followed then, so naturally, when President Hinckley encourged the world, "You bring with you all the good that you have, and let us add to it. That is the principle on which we work." (Liahona, June 1997)
I love to examine cross-cultural religious stories and doctrines, because these stories often bind us together as a human family; if we have nothing in common, at least we bear this common heritage. And as one's life-search for truth remains constant and earnest, Diety will open doors continually before him- enlightening his mind until he is full with a perfect kind of understanding. The shards will all come in together then, and as a human family we will finally see that in the beginning, there truly was one Word given.

I just realized it's almost March. Where have we been, you ask? (Or maybe you stopped checking altogether long ago...)Well, the short version includes 18 credit hours each,weekly volunteer work at the hospital, 20 hour per week jobs, one car with which to juggle to and from said jobs, church stuff, and- oh yes, our new marriage. I know- blah blah blah, everyone is busy. But what I think is that we may have slightly overestimated our new powers coming out of the phone booth of matrimony. And in the end, something had to give. So, we apathetically bid momentary farewell to our virtual daily accounting. It was only after Melisa prodded me on that I stole time for a quick entry tonight at work.
In other news, last week over dinner John and I decided that rather than feed the monster of Hollywood entertainment, we would instead indulge our minds in the random and often uplifting knowledge that documentaries yield. One of my favorites was titled, "72 Days Around the World." It detailed the life adventure of a young aspiring female reporter in the Late 1800's, who came to be widely known as Nellie Bly. This woman was truly amazing; she was one of the pioneers undercover reporting, bringing light to social injustice and the plight of the poor and oppressed. She had a way of drawing attention to her stories with detailed and enthralling descriptions of her experiences. At one point, she even feigned mental illness to be admitted into a mad house so that she could write a story from the perspective of a patient (see her book Ten Days in a Mad House). Her stories sometimes led to change in such programs and institutions. She held vigorously to a dream of making her mark in a man's world, and when it came down to the line, she indeed had become an icon at the forefront of many subsequent societal paradigm shifts. Over and over I thought to myself with a smile, "Now, she is my kind of lady."
I want to do more with my life than simply live it in small circles, speaking endlessly of right and wrong while all about me fellows
do suffer- and that, too often, wholly unsolicited. My mark in the world need not be remembered by all or any, as long as it be made with conviction and passion for those things in life I love.

Through Sickness and Health

The wedding came and went in a blur. We got to Austin on the 15th of December, and spent the better part of the holiday working feverishly to finish the wedding preparations. Mamie's family virtually gave up Christmas this year for the wedding, and also braved the flu and similar sicknesses in the week prior to the sealing. It is a miracle that everything came together so well in the end. We owe many thanks to family for their great sacrifice on our behalf: Melisa made the wedding cakes and sewed the table runners, she put together the flower arrangements and came up with ideas that made the Chinese-born wedding gown into a work of art. Mom put together a mighty feast for the reception, including Mamie's special request for stuffed mushroom caps and spinach salad. She added the perfecting touches to a day and night that was already amazing! And all of the rest of the family expended much effort and time, also coming up with ideas and creations that culminated in an unforgettable and absolutely sentimental celebration.
I remember sitting next to John in the celestial room of the temple as we waited for President Knepp to call us in. We sat quietly, taking in the simple grandeur of the place, half-wondering and still reveling in the simple, profound feelings of the time. We heard, as if afar off, our family file into the sealing room a few feet away. And we, steadily, looked into one another's eyes. We were alone in the place we always want to be, in the kind of environment we wish to perpetuate in our own family and in our own home. We both felt such a deep peace, an assurance that our choice had been accepted, and a sense of certainty that the future of this union was full of bright opportunity and happiness.
I became keenly aware that the two of us alone were creating a new family bond, and that we would literally leave our families as we were sealed together as a new extension. But as feelings of mild wonder entered into my mind, I remembered that this bond would be one sanctioned by the Eternal Source for joy, unity, service, and love. We would never again be merely the two of us alone, for our temple covenant would thereafter invite God to ever stand at our head. He would lead us as he had our parents and siblings before us; we need not feel alone. It was such a beautiful new/old understanding, finally internalized as we met the experience for ourselves.

we live!

We have finally emerged from our cave of dark solitude with atrophied muscles, squinting at the sun. A new school semester is soon upon us, as well as a house full of boxes that need to be unpacked and then organized into a cohesive homefront. It will certainly take a bit of time. We enjoyed our honeymoon immensely- at a secluded cabin in Garden City, Utah- on the banks of Bear Lake. We had a few close calls due to unanticipated amounts of snow in the remote town, but providence did shine upon us in many walks and ways, and we finally found ourselves nestled safe and sound in a beautiful mountainside cabin. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Cathy and Mike (Aaron Allred's sister and family) for the last-minute use of their cabin for our honeymoon. Also, many thanks to the Allred's for their kindness and help in making the arrangements for us! We love you.

Zimba-who?

Mamie's baby brother, Richard, finally recieved his long awaited call to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Where is he going, you ask?
Oh, nothing too exotic or great, just the common little south African country formerly known as Rhodesia, today called Zimbabwe! And to make matters even more complex, he will teach in the formidable English langauge. Needless to say, we are all thrilled for him as he begins this sacred adventure, and have all pledged (as we sometimes do) to be there in Africa to pick him up at the end of two years to tour the place ourselves. I guess we'll have to wait and see how many of us can put our money where our mouths are when that time comes.
After he opened the call, we all anxiously scrambled to the internet to find out all we could about the small land-locked country. He will report to the South African MTC on February 23, 2006. We are so proud of him, and look forward to the many great tales of miracle and adventure that will undoubtedly mark this path.

"Out, out brief candle..."

Last night Mamie was royally pampered in honor of her 2!th birthday. She enjoyed a splendid dinner, courtesy of John and Bethany, followed with delicious spice cake and ice cream to boot. Alas, the one and only thing forgotten- the camera. Still, she made a mighty birthday wish, and together we enjoyed this small moment of life's celebration- joyful that, in fact, life is so much more than "a walking shadow."

"Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." -William Shakespeare (Macbeth)

Lost at Home

We have recently begun a new multi-weekly activity together. Every other night we go over to John's sister Bethany's house to get our dose of adventure and intrigue. That's right, we have been sucked into the mystical force that exists on the island of "Lost." We got a good laugh this morning when we simultaneously realized that last night we both dreamt that we, too, were stranded with the glamorous cast of the show. While Bethany and Mamie side with Sayed and the survivors building a raft to get off the island, John, an Eagle Scout himself, sides more with Mr. John Locke, whose good natured humor and wise advice have earned his loyalty. So what if he sometimes has psychotic tendencies-- we all have our moments, don't we? So, if our postings become less frequent, you can guess what we are doing. (This ad brought to you by ABC.)

Dollar waiting on a Dime

Our wedding link is now...in progress. I won't yet say up and running. For now, check back every so often to see if things are more presentable and organized. we appreciate your patience, and are SO excited to see you all soon in the Lone Star State! yee haw.

Engagement Bliss

We are thoroughly enjoying this time preceding our marriage! We are daily learning important lessons that teach us both how to communicate more effectively, and how to serve each other more lovingly. We are grateful for our wonderful bishop and our amazing families in all that they do by their examples to counsel and guide us!

The Name Game

The week is passing quickly; it seems each passes more swiftly than the one before it. Soon we will don our Thanksgiving attire (pants with elastic waists and perhaps some seasonal colonial-wear, if we are really feeling festive). We look forward, excitedly, to the cross-country trek that will consumate John's first real contact with the large and lovely Jamison family. He has asked that Mamie compile a picture folder of some kind that will allow him to dazzle the Jamison's with his unexepected name/face recognition savvy. Perhaps we will post the finished product to give our friends who are less-acquainted with Mamie's side of the tree, the opportunity to meet the charming family.

Celebrate the Love!

This weekend we enjoyed a grand adventure in Idaho, where Benac's from all over the country gathered to celebrate the eternal union of Bill and Kelsey. Friday night we partied country-sytle- beginning with a delicious homemade Newman BBQ, followed by a bonafide Barn Dance in Jerome. Saturday morning we traversed to Boise, where the two were sealed in the temple for time and all eternity! What an amazing gift our Father in Heaven has given his children, even the gift of eternal families. Congratulations to Kelsey and Bill as they embark on this new life adventure!

Moving In and Moving Up

This week held some landmark events in the growth of our budding relationship. On Thursday, Mamie moved into the cozy basement apartment that will be our first home, and John landed a job as an engineering assistant at a company just five miles south of the house. He will start on Monday, and we are so very excited for this new opportunity in learning!

In Small Things is Love Made Manifest

This week we have been refocusing our efforts on school, gearing up for Billy's wedding next weekend in Idaho, and slowly making preparations for our own. At home in Texas, the Jamison women are already working tirelessly in preparation for the festivities. Their efforts are most gracious and appreciated, indeed. Mamie has been working on a video montage for one of her sweet niece's, Emilia Bee (shown above), who will turn eight in November. Of course, it should be noted that the real leg work was done by John, who (of his own volition) manually scanned many hundreds of photographs into the computer for her use. Now that is love!

The Supernal Photograph

Last Tuesday, we had our engagement photos taken by our good friend Amber Clawson. We had been awaiting adverse weather, as our grand-imagined ideal for the photos involved rain. As soon as the rain came we called her, and ran to meet her for the shoot. By the time we actually got all set up to take the photos, the rain had almost completely stopped, and it was just bitter cold. The photos, however, turned out exactly as we hoped they would. We will post one of them every now and then, so stay tuned. Thanks Amber!

The Joy of General Conference

After Billy, Dad, and John spent the day at conference, they made the beautiful mountain drive to the famous Asay cabin up Big Cottonwood Canyon. There Mamie, Bethany, and Heidi (Russ' girlfriend)had prepared a delectable dinner, and we spent the night relaxing and indulging our taste buds before round two of conference on Sunday.

Desert Silvery Blues beneath the Pale Moon Light

It was a great weekend! The Cougars almost beat TCU; we were leading until the bitter end. We barely escaped the dreariness that settled over Provo that afternoon because we left the game early to visit the Flake's in Springville. We enjoyed a starlit horeseback ride, biscuits and gravy cooked over the campfire, with fried chicken and corn-on-the-cobb. Mmm. When our bellies were filled to satisfaction, we circled the fire and shared poetry and... Polish drinking songs?! Not a dull moment with this family! Life is good when loved ones surround.

Night on the Town

After Stuffing Ourselves

We got the weekend off to an early start last night when Mamma Benac flew into town along with Adam and Sarah (who are on a sort of "permanent vacation.") We had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen and stuffed ourselves until we were blue (or at least John did). The fun really begins tonight when Dad gets into town. Stay posted for the adventure. On the agenda: NAC banquet, BYU Football, BBQ at Adam's family's house, etc.

Photos!

Don't forget to go and check out our photo album!

First Posting

Welcome friends and family. Feel free to look around and sign the guestbook as our little site grows into yet another gargantuan family website. Mamie and I are happy to share this time of our lives with you.