Baz's first attempt to do a blog

I usually leave this type of stuff to Britt to do but I thought I'd give it a pop. I just said to Britt the other day that there are no pics of me and her so I went through all the pics we have and I found two of my favorite pics from a few Christmases ago. This is a Christmas shop we like to visit every year.

I hate to say this, but kids say the darndest things

Out of nowhere this morning...

Addy: "You know what I'm thankful for most?"

Mom: "What?"

Addy: "Prayer."

Mom: (after 'ahhing' to myself) "Why?"

Addy: "Because when you pray, you speak to Heavenly Father."

Then she preceded to sing "A Child's Prayer" to Lauren and me. What a sweet moment. (Lyrics: Heavenly Father, are you really there? And do you hear and answer ev’ry child’s prayer? Some say that heaven is far away, But I feel it close around me as I pray. Heavenly Father, I remember now Something that Jesus told disciples long ago: “Suffer the children to come to me.” Father, in prayer I’m coming now to thee. Pray, he is there; Speak, he is list’ning. You are his child; His love now surrounds you. He hears your prayer; He loves the children. Of such is the kingdom, the kingdom of heav’n.)

Apparently after that, she came into her dad with some demands ("You need to get me some breakfast now," "Mummy said you need to get me dressed right now," etc.).

Dad: "You're being impatient."

Addy: "Do it now, you street rat!"

Oh well, it was a sweet moment for me while it lasted...

Everton come to Salt Lake

Last summer, an English Premier League team, Everton (from Liverpool), came to play Real Salt Lake. Barry went up to watch the game with some English friends and actually got to meet some of the players!? He's so proud of these pictures, so we had to post. Here he is with David Moyes, manager.

Leon Osman

Joleon Lescott and Tony Hibbert

during a free kick or something

our darlings

First day in the 80's

That'd be 80 degrees. Well, that's what the forecast said for today; I don't actually know if it reached it, but it sure felt GREAT!! So, of course, we hit the trail - Provo River Trail. It's great living so close to it. Tons of people had the same idea. I think this was our count:

• 2 snakes (I guess snakes mate, right?? Either that, or this was a 2-headed one...I didn't point it out to Addy...)
• 4 ducks
• 6 dogs
• 1 lost sunhat, only to be retrieved on our way back thanks to the nice old man who hung it on a tree!!
• a gazillion bike riders

Addy all decked out with sunglasses and sunhat

near the start of the hour+ walk

Lauren about halfway through...aha! the plan worked!

This isn't one of the dogs included in our count, but we stopped at a friend's house on the way home and Lauren looked so cute giving the dog, Aris, a hug. She must have felt bad after biting her ear, paw, and back...yuck!

We ended the day with a BBQ and games with some friends. I can smell summer already! Great day!

Ants

I don't know how many of you know Barry well, but one thing you may not know about him is that he loves ants. One of the best presents I got for him was an ant farm. He used to lay down on the kitchen floor (in our first apartment), put a piece of bread down, and watch the curious little creatures break it down and carry it off to the mother nest (or whatever it's called). He just finds it fascinating how they all work together and can carry like 5 times their body weight (or something like that)!!?! At least with the ant farm, they're contained. Well, hopefully our house isn't the only one that attracts the little buggers. It's like they camp out under Lauren's high chair - knowing they'll hit the mother load every few hours.

So, last night they were seriously feasting. I was sick of cleaning them up yesterday, so I left the job for Barry. Since they had been at it for a long time, I think 10 families had joined in on the fun and they had moved a pea-sized crumb really close to their home under the baseboard. I sent Barry over to dispose of them and here's what we get: (after kneeling down for a closer look) "I can't get rid of them now, after all their hard work. Look at 'em. It just wouldn't be right." And so we left them - to feast on their morsel.