Karen, Chris, and Ally

Stuck Like Superglue for Eternity:
Eric and Courtney with Tyson, Ella, Cambrie, and Chase

Our Little Ally

Swimming and Spinning and Snowing

To explain this past week, let me borrow from a church Primary song that's been revised a bit:

Oh, what do you do in the wintertime, when all the world is white?
Do you watch weird parades, or stay in for days,
or point at the snow in the sky?
Is that what you do? So do I!

Oh what do you do in the wintertime, when all the world is white?
Do you swim in the pool, 'though the outside is cool,
or spin on the counter up high?
Is that what you do? So do I!




















Although it was 18 degrees out, Ally was invited to go swimming with her little friend Ashlyn on Friday. We are grateful for indoor pools and free passes to the local racquetball club. Ally was very excited to wear her swimsuit (she loves everything Mickey/Minnie/Donald/Pluto now) and to dress her babies for the outing, too. She jumped into the pool from the side, kicked her legs while "swimming", and didn't complain too much when she got splashed in the face. Ally loved being in the water with Ashlyn; we'll make a little mermaid out of my baby yet!


I finally gave in and bought my very first shovel on Saturday. On Sunday, I used it to clear 4 inches of snow off our driveway. The snows in Provo were always cleared by the apartment complex, so I don't think I'd used a shovel since high school! Although it looks like they only believe in plowing the very major roads around here --even the bypass was untouched-- we managed to slip and slide ourselves to church and back. Once we were home safe and sound again, we did some present wrapping, stocking stuffing, and basic Christmas re-decorating. Ally also helped keep things merry and bright by favoring us with some championship spinning and dancing. I've noticed that little girls can never keep still when wearing such frilly dresses.

Moving Christmas Lights, Part 2

Before I begin, I'd like to mention the current temperature: 7 degrees. That's in Fahrenheit, not Celsius. The high is supposed to be 16. At least we're warming up. Yesterday it was 5 degrees for most the day. Where did we move to, Alaska? I know living in North Carolina wussified us a little when it comes to the weather, but even the local people seem to think this cold is a bit extreme.

Saturday night we chose to brave the cold and lightly-falling snow to visit with Santa, watch some fireworks, and see another Christmas parade.

So, here are Ally and I visiting with Santa. He must have lost his contacts and had to revert to wearing his 1980's prescription-style glasses. Ally didn't care much for Santa, but she was excited about the candy cane. Like good parents, we're teaching her early on that it's okay to take candy from strange men even if they make you a bit uneasy.


Sorry, but no pictures of Richland's 50th-anniversary-of-being-reincorporated fireworks. Our camera does not do well at night, as you will see in the upcoming video. But, the colorful blasts into the winter sky were nice. As soon as they started, Ally whimpered and then cuddled up on my shoulder. She still doesn't like loud noises, which I find ironic since she's a world-champion screamer.

Although we were half frozen, we stuck around for the lighted boat parade that came up the Columbia River. After about 45 minutes of snuggling under the Flyers blanket, the lights finally arrived. I think our favorite was the car carrying a freshly-cut Christmas tree back home. It was so funny to see it "driving" on the river. This video does not do the parade justice, but use your imagination. You could always come visit us next year and see it in person.



Chris and I have never decorated the outside of our own house, but we like to drive around at Christmastime and admire what others have done. This is a small piece of our favorite so far: Mary and Joseph balancing little baby Jesus on an armchair pedestal. (The arrangement glows at night.) What you don't see are all the deflated snowmen, reindeer, and Santa lying dead on the lawn around them. I drove by this same trailer yesterday, and the makeshift nativity was gone. Maybe they were translated?

Moving Christmas Lights

When we flew out here for my job interview we went out to dinner with some of my future co-workers. They were telling us about things that were unique to the local area. One of them was the Lighted Farm Implement Parade around Christmas in the small town of Sunnyside. We knew as soon as we heard about it that if I got the job and we moved out here it would be on our must see list. So last Saturday we bundled up and headed out on a 45 minute car ride to see the parade. And it didn't disappoint. It was probably the best lighted farm implement parade I've ever seen.
But don't take my word for it......





An ice sculpture of a tractor greeted us as we got in to town.












Karen and Ally waiting for the parade, keeping warm with jackets, a blanket and hot chocolate.








Here's the official entry from the town of Sunnyside:


A tractor deer pulling Santa:


What Christmas parade is complete without some sort of front end loader?


And my personal favorite, the Coke truck:


Tonight is the lighted boat parade in Richland. They really like to put Christmas lights on means of transportation around here.

Making a Fashion Statement

My Mom had requested a picture of Ally in her "tutu", so here it is. It has already become one of my favorites, and I'm sitting here giggling to myself as I type. I know it's not the most flattering photo. I know it's not anything like what my mother had in mind. I know my child looks like a dirtball with her unwashed faced, her rat's nest hair, her shoes on the wrong feet, her baggy leotard-over-the-sweatpants fashion faux pas . . . But Ally chose the outfit, dressed herself, and was quite happy all day.

What would you do upon seeing a child like this in public? Smile? Question the mother's sanity and/or parenting skills and then quickly place an anonymous call to social services?

I had some errands to run today and Ally didn't want to change. Nor did she want her hair combed. Nor did she want to leave her new favorite buddy behind. So, we went "as is"-- plastic pet and all. Shopping at Walgreen's has never been more fun. I can still hear the noise from the 3 of us running up and down the aisles-- regular Mommy steps, tiny tapping Ally steps, and the loudly-echoing squeakiness of caterpillar wheels on linoleum.

In posting this picture, I realize I'm potentially embarrassing my future teenager-of-a-daughter, but we'll cross that bridge in therapy 15 years from now if we have to. As of yet, Ally still has no concept of embarrassment, and I'm loving every minute of her childhood innocence and the freedom it brings to the both of us. And, judging by the smiles and positive feedback we encountered on today's excursion, my little modeling girl really knows how to liven a crowd and work the runway.

Ally on the Lam

Ally was doing something cute, so I broke out the camera. She stopped doing the "something cute" as soon as she noticed the camera, but the tape kept rolling. So, here's a dizzying taste of what usually happens when I try to capture a post-able video. Have you ever seen the show COPS? Just listen to the suspect pant . . .


You can run, but you can't hide. Especially when your feet go pitter-patter on the floors-- not to mention the heavy breathing. Her future life of crime does not sound promising.

Leaf Grapes

Before Ally became a proficient un-sweeper, she practiced the art of un-raking in our front yard.



I took these videos last weekend when we raked up the remainder of our leaves. More accurately, we were raking up the few leaves that remained in our yard after the 2 days of big wind gusts. We still see remnants of our abundantly-giving trees all over the neighborhood. (Sorry, neighbors!) Even with the wind's disbursement skills in our favor, we ended up with over 20 bags of leaves. And, unfortunately, Ally didn't want to experience the joy of jumping in any of them. I think she may be a prissy neat-freak.



And check out Ally's big yellow bear claws!


After the leafy adventure, Ally and I went out back to check on our garden. Surprisingly, we had a ton (almost literally) of grapes still on the vines. If the few frost spells we've had won't kill them, then I shouldn't worry about my non-green, neglectful thumb accidentally killing them either. Anyone have a good grape recipe or canning idea for next year? Ally and I had fun eating them off the vine (for the last time this year?) and harvesting a bowlful for inside consumption. Do you think she loves grapes?

A Sweeping Tour

Want to see our new floors? We hired a midget cleaning lady to give you the grand tour. It's her first day on the job, so please excuse the fact that she has left her uniform at home. At least she remembered the broom.

Your tour starts in the 3rd bedroom, then moves into Ally's room. Then our guide will make a pit stop in the bathroom before heading past 2 closets, down the hallway, and into the living room.


This second half is much shorter, and your tour guide/ cleanig lady will favor you with a song. You'll see the master bedroom, the lower half of the walk-in closet and bonus sink, and the bathroom again before looping around through the hallway. If you'd like to get a sense of Ally's newest favorite activity, just put the video on repeat.


And now for some before-and-afters:

Portland and the Pukes

After a few weeks of not having much to blog about, it seems as though we have a lot of catching up to do. Last things first:

As I type this, Nick is (hopefully) putting the finishing touches on our flooring upstairs. If we'd known from the start that it would take over 2 months from purchase to final installation (and that labor costs would more than double), I'm pretty sure we would've just opted for carpet. But, all is almost said and done now, and the Pergo is a beautiful improvement from the worn 1970s shag that had no shag left in it. Although Nick's been great, I'll be glad to see him turn in his key and leave today. I'm ready to move into my whole house instead of being a basement-dwelling, storage-locker inhabitant.

We went to Portland last weekend for Chris' birthday, at least that's the excuse we'll use. You'll have to check Picasa for all the pictures, but here are some highlights from the trip:



A view of the river and some of the skyline. We took the MAX train downtown, to the zoo, and everywhere in between.





Mount Hood, with IKEA in the foreground. We bought Ally a little table and some chairs. We bought Chris some spatulas and tongs.





Portland's mini-Chinatown. We decided to save the gardens for a warm, spring day in the future.




Old Town Saturday Market, also open on Sundays. We didn't buy anything, but we saw some cool crafts and some yummy-smelling ethnic foods. And some hippies. (They weren't yummy-smelling.) And an old man dressed as Jimmy Hendrix. And a dog as big as a horse.

We visited the zoo and saw, among other animals, the EAGLES!

On the way home we stopped at Multnomah Falls. It's the second largest continuously flowing waterfall in the United States. True to most Native American legends, its existence is linked to the literal self-sacrafice of a beautiful Indian maiden. Apparently some of the new movie Twilight was filmed at the falls. We didn't see any ghost virgins or vampires, but the natural view was still worth the short hike up the hill.


Did I mention Ally was sick the whole weekend? Looking back at the pictures, I guess I had missed a few clues that she wasn't feeling so well. Ally doesn't usually love to be strapped into the stroller-- especially when there's so much to see. She usually eats more than just crackers and water all day. I guess the one clue I didn't miss came up when she puked all over me. But, Ally is such a trooper and seemed to enjoy the trip anyway, just with less energy than usual. I can't believe my sister-in-law Erin had to wait 3 years for the joy of child puk-isodes. I am thankful for washable clothing and stainsticks. Ally is thankful for cuddling. We are all thankful that the "Yucky" is gone.

Chris' Big Day

Does everyone know what today is? Here's a little hint:



Look how far you've come in thirty-three years. Look how far you have left to go. Thank you for including Ally and me in the journey. I wish we had found each other sooner so we could've gotten this party started long ago. We love you and we appreciate you. You are a patient man. Everything you do for us and put up with on our behalf does not go unnoticed. I realize I am often slow to acknowledge your greatness, and I apologize for that. The rewards may sometimes be slow in coming, but they will come. Thank you for all the adventures and for keeping us laughing along the way.

Looking at the above pictures, I had a thought. Maybe it's a premonition. You change Ally's stinky diapers now, but life will eventually come full circle. PLEASE try to remember the following fact (if the Alzheimer's hasn't kicked in) when the roles are reversed: A naked 83-year-old man running away from a diaper is not as endearing as our 19-month-old preciousness doing the same.

Happy Birthday, Chris. I'm sure this will be a memorable one. I hope you can find humor in all of today's interactions and that people will give you the extra-special treatment. Afterall, it is your birthday.

And Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program

For the record, Ally enjoyed watching the "ball" on TV with Daddy and rooting the Phillies on to victory. I almost missed the very last pitch because Ally was sitting on the toilet pretending to go potty, but we raced into the living room in the final seconds and saw the stockpile of players jumping on the pitcher's mound. Chris told Ally it will be a day to always remember; I say it would've been even more memorable if Ally had actually pooped.

A few weeks ago Ally started counting 1-2-3, usually in conjunction with jumping off her step stool. (She spent a whole morning doing it, as seen below.) She will also count the trees, cars, houses, airplanes, trucks, and people in her Clifford counting book. Ally surprised Chris by saying "two doggies" when she saw a second one come on TV, so I think she's catching on to how numbers work. She's growing up so fast!
















I raked our lawn last week so I could take a picture of Ally in a pile of leaves, but she didn't like the idea. I only got the above photo of her desperate pleas: "Help me" and "Up, up!" Sadder still, after all that effort and no cute pile-'o-leaves picture to show for it, the grass was completely covered again by morning! Next year I know to wait until all the leaves have fallen before taking on such a venture.


We never did find the turtle costume, so Ally went as a ladybug. Here come to find out, Norma's other granddaughter also spent Halloween disguised as a ladybug. Being cute and pesky must be in the Hoffman genes.

Ally strolled her way through Trick-or-Treating at the Uptown shopping plaza, and then we headed across the street to do some Trunk-or-Treating in the church parking lot. Ally quickly learned how to say "Treat please" and hold out her pumpkin purse with one hand while feeding her face some chocolate with the other. After she had collected enough candy, she sat on the trunk of our car and helped Daddy pass chocolate out to all the strange little creatures that were walking by.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

The last championship for a Philly team was 25 years ago. That was the longest drought for any city with teams in all four major sports. And now it's finally over!!!!! I'll just let some pictures tell you how great this night is.




And of course, Ally's favorite part of watching the games with us, "The Nat" as she calls him.


And now back to our regularly scheduled blogging of Karen posting pictures of cute stuff Ally does.