Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Happy Birthday, Clark

I guess I'm starting a tradition of posting a photo montage for birthday celebrations. I tried to take it easy on the awkward teenager photos, but I just had to include that one of a 16 year-old you with Brody as a puppy. 
I hope our sons turn out as cute and then as handsome as you are. I lova lova lova you. No really, I love you. Happy birthday, my most wonderfully amazing totally awesome husband. 

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Happy Birthday, Marie

Here are some cute/embarrassing photos of you throughout the years, including a great prom photo of you as a senior and me as a sophomore. What was I thinking with that dress? It is, sadly, not the worst fashion crime committed on this slideshow. I love you and hope you had a wonderful day!

Friday, December 26, 2008

Proffitt Portraits

I promised my mother-in-law I would try and take pictures of all her grandkids who were present at Christmas day dinner (really it was just an excuse for me to use my new camera on some cute kids). Kids are way easier than adults anyways. Maybe one day I'll get over my embarrassment and take photos of all the adults as well. It was no small feat. Keep in mind that there are five families missing. Jacob, Wendy, Spencer, Russ and Cassie- I'm coming for your kids next! 

My favorites- Trigg and Andria, followed closely by Kinsey, Addie and Mitch. That's a lot of favorites. Its easy when you've got such good material. Your favorites?

The Evans








The Garns






The Dunyons






The Macnabs






The Proffitts


Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Warm Holiday Wishes

Just in time for it to be too late to send a card- I've updated my website to include a Holiday section. Thanks to everyone who asked me to make a card. It was a pleasure. Have a Happy Christmas! 

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Christmas Came Early

Clark let me open my Christmas present early- a Nikon D-90. I'm in love. I've got a lot to learn, but so far I'm quite pleased with my new camera. I took a ton of photos in Prescott this weekend and Marie and Teichert were the perfect subjects. Clark says I have to pack it back up so I have something I open on Christmas morning... we'll see about that. 




Thursday, December 18, 2008

A Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful for the following things...

- My sister, Marie. She's the only one I've got but even if I had another one, I think I would like her best. I'm thankful that she lives in Arizona and is willing to let us crash at her place this weekend.  Arizona's Christmas City, here we come. 

- These new M&Ms. I got the Raspberry Almond flavor to put in Clark's stocking and I can't stop picking at them. So yummy. Thank you M&Ms.

- My visiting teacher. She's an older lady who has six adopted/fostered kids. I don't think she could be more different than me, but when she comes over we always talk for over an hour. I'm thankful she doesn't try to share a message with me and doesn't come with a companion. 

- Skype and Google Video Chat. Thanks to these programs, I can spend half an hour nearly every morning talking with my mom, dad and brother in Cairo. Booker has gotten used to seeing them up on the screen and goes about his business in the background. I'm thankful that seeing them is no longer a novelty to him.
- DVR. I'm thankful I don't have to stay up late to watch Top Chef because I can record it and watch it while the boys are sleeping this afternoon. Was anyone else surprised to discover that host Tom Collichio is gay? 

- I'm thankful that Booker plays for nearly four hours alone in his room each day. Clark thinks I'm cruel for keeping him in there for so long, but trust me- he likes it and more importantly, I like it. I need it. We both need it. 

- The Heritage "Run Team." My brother Danny ran away again earlier this week and I'm so thankful that he was found in good health after a relatively short two days. 

- I'm thankful for empty laundry baskets (which last about five minutes in my house) and for clean sheets on my bed. I'm also thankful for dryer sheets. I use at least 3 for each load. 

- I'm thankful for the patent drawing work that Clark occasionally brings home for me. Being a mom is a pretty thankless job. Maybe if Booker and Teichert said, "Good job, Margaret" and handed me a paycheck every once in awhile, they'd be on my list today. 

- Apple slices with string cheese. This is a yummy snack. Try it sometime. 

What are you thankful for?

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Clock for Keeping Time at a Rate Other than Human Time

In the short time that Clark has been a patent attorney, he's come across some pretty funny/weird/absurd patents. For Christmas, we decided to give everyone at his office a T-shirt depicting one of our favorite inventions- "a clock for keeping time at a rate other than human time." The artist behind this little gem decided that a bulldog checking his wrist watch would best illustrate the point. I wish I had a silk-screen printer of my own so I could make t-shirts all over the place. We love it and hope that everyone at Hayes Soloway finds it as funny as we do. 







Make custom t-shirts at CustomInk.com

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Lesson Learned

Don't let anyone fool you into thinking that making your own blog background is easy. I don't know how my friend Jen makes it look so easy. Phew, glad that's done. 

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Doppleganger

Sometimes I wonder why I even had a second child- these boys are exactly the same. Can you tell them apart?






Thursday, December 11, 2008

Lawyers: Less Lame Than You Thought




Margaret has been giving me crap for not blogging for a while. THIS gives me a good excuse. That is the law blog (or "Blawg" - see... we're clever) set up by a group of employment lawyers to go over the Office and list potential causes of action against Dunder Mifflin and what they would likely be worth. The blawg is run by lawyers at Ford and Harrison, an employment law firm.

I think this is genius. Lawyers and law firms are always looking for a way to differentiate themselves among the crowd of big shot lawyers. Every lawyer I know who is at all computer literate subscribes to at least one blawg in their area of expertise to keep them up to date on new developments in the area. Most big firms have some sort of online presence, and several blawgs have been cited in law review articles and even in case decisions. The "That's what she said" blawg seems like the perfect way to suck in anyone who is even peripherally interested in employment law, or if they just like the office and think the actual lawsuits that could come out of it would be interesting. If those people then have a possible employment law issue, they'll go straight to the "law" site that they are familiar with. THAT is how you do marketing on the internet.

Hayes Soloway has recently been updating the ol' website and it's been a minor nightmare for a variety of reasons (Our current, awful website is here. The new one should be up soon. We hope.) It would be nice if we could spiff it up a bit. So, what do you think readers? How can an IP firm's web site make a mark on the web?

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

CHRIS- GET A BLOG

Your life is way cooler than mine. You can write your first post about failed pyramid attempts or how you managed to grow a foot in a month.

Monday, December 8, 2008

How the iTunes Store saved my life

I have a confession to make. I haven't been entirely truthful with you because I don't want to reveal what a terrible mom I am. Are you ready for this...

My baby is a stinker. A big fat stinker. More specifically, a big fat stinky sleeper. He's three months old and for three months now I haven't slept longer than 3 hours at a time. On a good night, he'll wake up twice. On a bad night, anywhere between three and five times. I don't think its too unreasonable to expect a 3 month old to sleep at least 6 hours at a time. I've met those babies- the ones who sleep through the night at two weeks. I've met their moms and I'm tired of imagining slow and painful deaths for them. Something had to be done. 

And that something cost me $4 in music purchases from the iTunes store. Its 8:30 and Teichert is fast asleep in his crib listening to his new "White Noise" CD. Four tracks set to repeat. We start off with "Hair Dryer" followed by "Rain" and then "Washing Machine." We wrap things up with a nice rendition of "Vacuum Cleaner." These four tracks have saved my life and possibly Ike's too since its much safer than the alternative that Booker faced as an infant- an actual hairdryer set on high and perched on his crib railing. Last night, Ike slept from 9 until 7:30, waking only once to eat. It was heavenly. Today, I was in a great mood. He was in a great mood. Life was wonderful.

If you're a parent to a big fat stinky sleeper like I am, check out the iTunes store. Whatever your fancy, you're likely to find it. From restaurant ambiance to aquarium noises, its there. I've made some good mix CDs in my time, but this one definitely takes the cake. 

Friday, December 5, 2008

Bah Humbug- Christmas Tag


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial- I've never had a real tree.

3. When do you put up the tree? Right after Thanksgiving

4. When do you take the tree down? Sometime before the new year starts

5. Do you like eggnog? Love it. My dad makes a mean egg nog.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? This one's hard. I got a stereo one year that I was really excited about. That same year, we all got fresh fruit in our stockings and I was pretty stoked about my pineapple. 

7. Hardest person to buy for? My dad. He never wants anything. 

8. Easiest person to buy for? Booker.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? My mother-in-law just gave me one from Berlin. Its tiny and cute. Maybe one day I'll have dozens of nativity's from around the world like my grandma. 

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. Although its such a chore doing my own. I prefer doing someone else's. 

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? When I was in 7th grade my mom gave me a maternity dress. No joke. I was fat but not THAT fat.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Sometime in November. I HATE Christmas shopping. I'd rather pay full price than face the hoards of people out on Black Friday.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I can remember

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Those yummy chocolate oranges. 

16. Colored or Clear Lights? Clear

17. Favorite Christmas song? The First Noel

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Either one

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Probably not- is there a Dixon?

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? A insignificant one on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas morning. I always got mad when my brothers tried to open one of their "big" gifts on Christmas Eve. 

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Crowded stores and long lines at the post office.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Red and silver

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? HAM. It was always hard to come by growing up in the Middle East. 

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A camera... 

26. White or Warm Christmas? Warm Christmases are nice.

27. Favorite thing about Christmas? Being with family and Christmas dinner

28. Favorite Christmas Tradition? The twelve days of Christmas. My mom would sometimes choose a family to anonymously give gifts to for 12 days. It was so exciting to sneak around doorsteps with her and deposit little presents or plates of cookies.

29. Favorite Christmas Location? Home.

30. Who do you tag? Friends don't tag other friends. Do it if you're having a lame Friday night in like me! 

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Christmas Spirit

The first Christmas that Clark and I spent as a married couple was kind of a depressing one. Clark's dad had recently died and we were poor students with little money for decorations or gifts. I think one of Clark's few gifts that year was a pair of new shoes so he didn't have to wear ones with holes to his job interviews. Instead of decorating a tree, we decorated a plant that we brought home from Tom's funeral. Pretty sad, huh? Can you hear the tiny violin playing... 

Anyways, this year marks our first Christmas with a tree. It was extremely difficult to drag myself to Costco to actually buy a tree/decorations because I know that my mother has at least five full size trees along with copious holiday decorations sitting somewhere in their house in Provo. Grrrr. Naturally, her insane love of Christmas means I must HATE all things Christmas- especially trees and decorations. And Booker feels the same way- trust me. 

But despite all that, I have allowed myself to get into the Christmas spirit. It was really fun decorating the tree mostly because Booker had such a blast handing us each ornament and asking, "This one?" He felt so helpful. I'm glad we finally decided to cave and "get into" Christmas. It really is so much more fun when you have kids and can picture all the presents under the tree. Thanks to Skype, I'm hoping that my parents can join us on Christmas morning when we open gifts. Booker is getting his first Mr. Potato Head. I can't wait! 

Looking at our pretty tree just about erases my hanging-up-Christmas-lights and cleaning-up-smeared-poop-from-Booker's-nap bad mood. Sigh. Keep looking at that tree, Margaret. Its a long way until Christmas morning.