"How's the b..b....BABY...at the zoo? You know, the baby panda?"

So, the title of this post is not to give the impression that we are pregnant with a baby panda (though I think if we were we might get millions of dollars from various scientific foundations) but a baby human. (It actually was a quote from Brian Regan). Here is a rundown of whats going on in our Spjutiful world:

Karen...

- is pregnant (duh! right)
- went with Adam to hear the heartbeat (not beats thank goodness) on Wednesday and all sounds good
- is due September 21ish
- is making a sweet tailored shirt for Adam for her sewing class
- is selling delicious caramel apples for her business class ($3 each, and soo worth it)
- is graduating April 23
- has next baby appointment April 7
- will find out gender of the baby in May
- loves horchata
-'s dad will be sealed April 10

Adam...

- is not pregnant
- heard his baby's heartbeat
- just found out that being an OB/Gyn doc would be like working at Hancock fabrics (too much estrogen for him)
- works in psych department at the hospital (although Olive Garden isn't too far from the same job)
- has 4 more weeks of skiing left (he's been 11 times this season)
- is still waiting to hear back from UCI and UCSD (don't ask till end of May)
- is stoked for camping, hiking and backpacking this Spring
- sells lots of caramel apples.
- loves Karen more than horchata

Baby Spjute...

- is not pregnant either
- is growing

"Can you scoot in a little...ok, more...more still..ok, more...MORE ADAM!"

So let me tell you why I love Wymount Student Family housing so much: enormous kitchens! I do understand that humans are taller than they used to be in the 1940s, but when your parents' closet in their house is twice the size of probably the second most important room in the home (the bathroom--of course--reigning on the top of the list for utility purposes) then it is time to reevaluate the layout of the apartment. Nevertheless, there are many advantages to having a small kitchen. It is very quick to clean for one thing and you usually don't let the dishes stack up (they didn't invent dishwashers when these Ute temples were remodeled into apartments in the 1850s). So, I would just like to thank the great-great-great-great-great grandchild of the designer of our home on the corner of 900 East and University Parkway for giving my wife and I the blessing of never having to be more then ten inches from each other when we are both in our kitchen.

Caps, Gowns, and Cookies

So, after years and years of late night Spanish papers and five hour O-Chem exams, a large chapter of my life has come to a close. It has been said that the symbolism of graduation represents the end of adolescence and the beginning of adulthood. This makes sense, especially in a Western culture like ours where there is no bar mitzvah for young men or Quinceañera for young women. But if our actions speak louder than words, then maybe--just maybe-- we really don't believe there should be a rite of passage. In other words, the words of the late Peter Pan in Hook said it best when he said "I don't ever want to become a man. Yuck! I always want to be a little boy and to have fun." Where does he get these crazy ideas? you might ask. Let me tell you my story.

So, today, I went with my lab partner (let's just call him Nick Candelaria for now) to pick up my cap and gown for graduation. I walked inside the building and was greeted by a very pleasant woman who told me I needed to wait by a table to be helped (of course she couldn't help me out, her job was to direct traffic, and by traffic I mean to two other people in the room with me). I approached the table and a man told me to wait. What I later found out was that he told me to wait because he was deciding if he was going to help me out or not. He eventually did. I told him my name and he handed me a packet with my cap and gown. He gave me some info about alumni stuff. Out of all of the information he told me about graduation, the only thing I remember him saying was, "..and don't forget to get some refreshments before you leave." Refreshments??? Well, okay Mr. Sir, I will NOT forget. As I walked out of the room, I saw two giant platters with a cornucopia of cookies, waiting to be eaten. So, giving in to my primitive instincts, I placed one of each of the six types of cookies on my napkin and left the building with a smile on my face.

As I was walking back to the lab I began to think of the symbolism of graduation. One thing kept coming to my mind: the platter of cookies; symbolism of innocence, of long summers with friends, of late night snacks and stomach aches, and of Santa Claus; all representations of childhood. Why would there be cookies and not crackers or fruit at this cap and gown pick-up? Were the cookies symbolic of what the university was telling me? What implications should I draw from this sign from the heavens, if one could call it such a manifestation? How do I become an adult while remaining a child? All of these questions plagued my mind. As I entered the elevator that took me back to the lab, I did what any confused child would do: I ate all six cookies. I concluded that the cookies served one of two purposes: 1) they were there to be comfort food for when the graduate became so confused at there being cookies there in the first place the only way to calm them down would be to eat mentioned cookies. In thing way, it was a manifestation of itself. Or, 2) they were just cheaper than fruit (the more likely explanation). In any case I learned a valuable lesson: although the coconut cookies may look tempting, just take another Snickerdoodle and walk away.

Christmas is a time...

If how much weight you gain during a vacation is indicative of how good the trip was, the Christmas in California was one of the best. We had an amazing time. Although it was really hard for us to hold back the tears of sorrow of not having to shovel snow out of our parking spot in 10° F weather for the next 2 weeks, we were able to make the rough trek to the land of sunshine and fog. Yes the trip was long, yes the snow was thick, yes the beef jerky was old and stale, but we were willing to make those sacrifices to see everyone. So, instead of summing up what we did, I'm just going to let the pictures tell the story and just sort of reflect on our 14 days of memories.

Open house and PJ’s:

First, we both thought the open house for Fred (Dad) and Marlene was phenomenal. The only thing that I regret was not stretching my stomach out a little more the weeks before so I could eat more meatballs and shrimp. Later, we went over to Phil and Stacey's (I forgot why) but Keaton showed us his Teddy’s pajamas: chonies (so classic!).

The next few days were full of Christmases (it’s probably more like Hanukah than Christmas) all over town full of visits with close friends and family. The following are just some quick highlights of the trip.

Lunch with G&G Brockmann:

We had an awesome lunch with grilled cheese and onion sandwiches (very delicious by the way) and a tray of brownies. We visited afterwards, heard Jack’s army stories (many which were new to Grandma) and then Jack and I took his virtual airplane for a spin. Had it been one of his real ones, I would have broken the whole collection of them on the landing, or lack thereof.

Boys will be boys...

Christmas #1: Grandma Violet’s house.

In addition to the traditional German Sausage and Ginger Ale, I was one of the very few that night to get some of Trayce’s ABC chips (already been chewed—which actually were not that bad). Afterwards, we had a nice visit with Violet talking and singing Christmas carols.

...and girls will be girls.

Christmas #2: Kent’s house.

So, it opened up with the traditional Swedish dinner (good thing I’m not French. I don’t think the German and French foods would get along so well in my stomach) with Swedish potatoes, coldorma (sp?), Swedish meatballs, and pickled herring (aint nothing like a pickled fish to put hair on ye chest). Dale did an amazing job with everything, like always. We exchanged Jesus Gifts (gave: bows for Ashley (thanks Stace); got: man-pron (like an apron but manly)). We had Christmas #2 the next morning and got our pride and joy addition to the family: deep fryer #1. That morning we had Swedish breakfast and helped clean up the house.

Christmas #3: Linda’s house.

Coming back from a wedding reception, we went to my mom’s house and had a prime rib dinner with yummy potatoes. We opened presents that night and got deep fryer #2, which we later exchanged. My little bro got Guitar Hero World Tour. Needless to say we played that night for hours. Tons of fun!

Hamilton's Birthday Bash: Disneyland

So, being the son of Redondo Beach residents really does have its pluses. Like, say, having your birthday party with Donald and Mickey Mouse! We went to CA Adventure (got soaked on the rapid ride) and then Disneyland (Hamilton loved It’s a Small World). Next day we had awesome gourmet pizza by Alex and brought in the New Year with a bang.

I think when I came home I could only fit into my stretchy pants comfortably. Luckily, we live on the 3^rd floor, so I’ve started to put the stretchy pants away. To everyone, thanks so much for such a great time.

-Atom

Happy Anniversary

I'd like to start out by saying that Dad and Marlene's wedding was beautiful! Today marked their 2nd weekiversary! Dad, do you need any medicine for Christmas?? I don't think I can get anything stronger than vicadin, but maybe some chocolate will help ease the pain of the fall off that horse! Seriously, though...Beautiful! I am so happy when I see how happy you make each other!
Stacey met Michelle the night before the reception and turns out they did not tell each other what they were wearing the next day...Hmmm...crazy!
On another note...It seems that Adam and I have been studying for finals all day and have been in the Christmas spirit for the past few weeks as well. Yesterday, we got a card from Grandma and I couldn't figure out why she was sending us a card for Christmas even though we'll see her next week. I didn't figure out until I read the inside of the card that she was wishing us a happy anniversary! How sweet! Our 2nd Anniversary falls this Tuesday, December 16th! We both have finals that day and we are getting ready for the 12 hour trek to CA this weekend, so it had somehow slipped my mind! I have been counting the days we've been married and we've celebrated every monthiversary for 23 months...seriously, it was strange that I would forget this one! Anyway...Happy Anniversary!

Take My Hand

Take my hand and follow me, There are things ahead for you to see. Little wonders are all around, And tender mercies to be found. We’ll take our time, no need to run, Breathe deep the air and feel the sun. The grass is soft beneath our feet, Sounds are soothing, the air is sweet. Sometimes we’ll stop and just be still, Our hearts will tell us God is real! Small graces along our path appear, They let us know that Heaven’s near. So take my hand anew each day, The walk is lovely and I know the way. - Greg K Olsen
Greg Olsen was at the BYU bookstore on Tuesday, so Adam and I picked this one for him to sign. We had never seen it before and we both really love the simplicity. It was our first purchase together of a painting that makes our little cinder-block-wall apartment feel more like a home! I love coming home to this every day. It's like I have an "oh yea" thought provoking moment. Do you see the little squirel the boy is looking at? We didn't see it at first, but now every time I look at the picture it reminds me to look for the little joys in life...in whatever I am doing. All week we have been working 8.5 hour days again, so by today I was extremely exhausted because I have been getting about 5 hours of sleep. I tried to find joy...even if it was as simple as realizing that I was going to have a better day than someone else who had a bad attitude, or singing along to my favorite song on the radio! I sit close to a window and have a beautiful view of the mountains. I get there when the stars are still out, so I love to glance out and see the sun rise on those snow capped mountains. One day I was especially frustrated because my thread broke a couple times and I couldn't find anything good on the radio..sounds silly in hindsight, but it was a big deal. I turned my head and caught a glimpse of the most gorgeous colors and such a breathtaking view! A thought came to my mind, "Dear Karen, I still love you. Love God." I kinda giggled that I actually had that thought...and that the thought sounded more like a little note...but I was happy the rest of the day! As the seasons change, I notice how incredible this world really is!

Halloween Party

Adam and I hosted a little party last night in the basement of our apartment building! We had people come and go, so we didn't get shots of everyone, but here's what we do have! Awesome costumes everyone!
Ragan was Princess Toadstool/Mario...



Adam and I were babies!...on the backs of old ladies...


Jen and Tim were Mariners fans...

80's flashback for Carli and Patrick ...

And who could have a party without salt and pepper?? Thanks Kathryn and Stephen for that!

After we ate gigantic Costco pizza, drank soda and hot cider, let the guys play Wii while the girls talked...we got a projector and watched a funny movie from the 80's called Better off Dead. Thanks everyone for helping us put it together! It was awesome!