I try to reserve the overwhelmingly eye-rolling posts to this blog, so I don't bog down the family blog. You're here by choice, I figure, so let me indulge. I've got a lot of videos to post (why do I always leave it to one post?), mostly Sadie's new tricks and stuff. It's fun that she's now starting to communicate. Ryan is finally done with his first semester at Creighton, and it's incredible to have him around! We leave for Arizona tomorrow for Christmas, and it's starting to feel like the holidays suddenly. Huge congrats to Laura and Ben, who got engaged just the other day--pictures are on the family blog. Merry Christmas everyone!
Cute huge flower! One that I made with Erica when we had a bow night during Thanksgiving. Sadie has so many of these over-exposed pictures, because she's always trying to get the camera.
Sadie's been on a tough schedule lately, and bedtime has been a bit of a battle. The other night I let her cry it out, and she did. When I poked my head into her room to see how she was doing, I found her asleep sitting up in her crib. Pff, and I thought those bumpers were too big!
Huge snow storm the other week in Omaha. Ryan buried the shovel in the snow to give people a sense of how much we got. It was hard to gauge exactly how much it was, because as soon as it would hit the ground, the wind would scuttle it everywhere! The snow looked really cool, like undisturbed sand underwater in the ocean. You know how it gets those neat little ripples?
Cheesy smile
Snuggles with Dad during finals week. See, he was here.
More fun with Dad. Thanks mom for the great jammies!
Sorry, I know it's been a while. No wait, I do have an excuse. Ryan's computer has all the pictures on it (I don't trust my '05 Dell. It was out of date before I bought it!). So here are some of those pictures. I'll post some videos when I get them uploaded.
Justice Antonin Scalia came to Creighton to give a few lectures. Ryan didn't want to pass up the chance to go to a dinner with him, so we went. He gave a really good speech, and he's a pretty funny guy too. It was interesting to start and end dinner with prayers from professional pastors. It was a really fun, grown-up dinner with cocktails at the beginning and stuff. The whole time there, I just kept thinking, "this is what Mom and Dad usually do!" It was the first time we've left Sadie with non-family babysitters, and they said she was amazing and went to bed right after we left her. It's good to know we are so essential to her!
We had a quiet halloween. We weren't going to make a big deal out of it, but thinking back maybe we should have. Here's Ryan with Sadie, both in their last minute costumes.
Here we are in Arizona for Thanksgiving. It was so nice to be in warm weather, and so nice to see Ryan for such large chunks of time! I wish now that we had a few more pictures to show, but we really just relaxed the whole time. He's going headlong into finals tomorrow, so good luck to him!
I did a mini photo shoot with Sadie in her cute hat and sweater from mom. I couldn't resist... and I've got to fill my time with something. I always get compliments on these clothes; thanks again mom!
Happy girl!
Sad girl! Sadie was playing with the baby tylenol, and no responsible parent is going to trust that baby seal. She seemed to be enjoying herself until I came along. She was about this mad for 2 minutes.
Sadie is still getting used to all the restrictive winter clothes.
All bundled up. The cold here is unlike anything I've ever felt before. It's just so chilling, you really have to make sure that nothing is exposed. It makes me appreciate the pioneers a little more.
Sadie is becoming quite the little climber. For a while she didn't know the stairs existed. Oh, those good old days where she would just sit there.
Here's a video we just took yesterday. I'm not sure if Sadie appreciates the part that's supposed to be fun about peekaboo, but she's enjoying herself all the same!
I've been shopping for a baby crib (finally) for Sadie. We figured that we were going move twice in the first 4 months of her life, and there wasn't much point in getting a ton of furniture. Well, she's been happy in her pack 'n play, but we think it is time to get something a little more substantial. While perusing on-line sites to get a general feel of what our options are, I stumbled upon this gem of a picture. At first glance, I thought, "Hm, nice looking crib." [Looking a little closer.] "Why is the baby coming out of the crib like that? Is the parent in the crib holding the child up?"
Imaginary board room decision:
Photographer: Here is, I think, an excellent way to show off this fine crib. The baby is happy, the colors are rich, lighting, simply perfect.
Executive: I agree with you completely. In no way does this picture look odd. In fact, lets post it on our home page, to show people the quality and craftsmanship people can expect from us. We have a keen eye and sharp attention to detail.
I think the rest speaks for itself. Also, if anyone has been particularly happy with their crib, please share details.
Hi everyone, we're back. We've finally put down some roots in Omaha, NE. I can't believe how much I rely on the internet, which feels good to be surfing again. The title refers to an Eddie Izzard stand up bit that is only made funnier by being dubbed into lego people. Enjoy:
This video has been playing over and over in m head since we got here. I've been asking Ryan if he wants cake or death for dinner. Having just come off a 4 month cooking hiatus (really not as fun as it sounds), there's something nice about having your own kitchen again. Ryan can attest, I have been very experimental with dinners lately, having just made my own tortillas a few days ago. They were, satisfactory. I liked them a fair amount, but it was hard to get them thin like the pros do. If you've been to cafe rio or something, you see they have those killer tortilla presses, where I was using two cutting boards wrapped in saran wrap. I guess you'll have to ask Ryan if they were really good or not, but I was thrilled with my efforts nonetheless. I went with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law to that Julie ad Julia movie (minor disappointment), but since then my curiosity in cooking has been piqued.
What to say about Omaha: I really quite like it. It is quite a pretty place, especially where we live. It's very green and lush, where I had yellow, parched fields in mind. We live about a minute walk from the botanical gardens, about a mile from the zoo and the stadium where the NCAA World Series of Baseball is played, and about 2 miles from the Missouri river. We're right on the border of Nebraska here, and we actually go to Council Bluffs, Iowa, for church. I just keep thinking of the song in the Music Man, "you are in Io-way..."
Ryan and I keep saying that we don't really feel like we've got a good grip on the people of Omaha, because everyone we know is from out of state (mostly Utah). We live in a complex full of med/dental/law students who are married and have on average about 2.8 children. I had thought that most people would be around our age with one, maybe two kids, tops. But we seem to be on the younger end of things, and people are surprised when we say that we only have one. As far as the weather goes, lately its been gorgeous! I know temperature fluctuates, but I hadn't counted on humidity changing so much. We've barely even noticed it really, with the exception of one day.
I'm especially liking where we have moved. There are a ton of moms to hang out with and talk to at anytime of the day. Already there is much talk of recipe sharing and days of bread making. I loved it when my mom or dad would make fresh bread, and I feel like I've got the time to really learn how. Once I've got a good mixer, watch out.
That's all I can think of for now. I'm posting on the family blog about our trip up to Canada if you wish to wander over there. The link is at the bottom. Or to the right, I forget. Sandstrom, out.
I love Singing in the Rain. Here are some videos for you all to peruse at your leisure. They're pretty similar, and if I were better at video editing, then I could save you all some time. I posted more pictures and stuff below.
This is a copy post from the family blog, for all who read both.
Here's a shot of our pudgy girl looking upset, which I assure you she is not. Here she is at 3 months. I love her little scowl!
We just got back from 2 relaxing weeks in Carlsbad, CA. It was a nice break from the extreme hot here in Mesa, and I think it's topping out today at 113, since I know how much mom is obsessed over the weather where her children are. I ran a little experiment with ice cubes, and the one in the pool melted fastest, followed by the cube on the slate in sunshine, and then the one in the shade. I've yet to compare melting times between the fake grass and the pavement, but I have the rest of the summer ahead of me.
Back to California. The Sandstroms take an annual trip to Carlsbad to escape the serious Arizona heat. It was a lot of fun to finally have everyone on vacation, and not just Ryan and me (I? neither really sounded right). We went to the usual restaurants, like Jay's and Vera Cruz, and a fair amount of Cessy's, the local dive. We also spent one day at Sea World, which Sadie did surprisingly well. She really babbled when we would go into the darker exhibits, like the penguins and amphibian exhibit. On the 4th of July the beach was packed! We had a "non-traditional" family sit right in front of us (lesbians with kids). Our brother-in-law, Alan, tactfully got them to leave by asking if Mae was feeling better from the swine flu. In all actuality, they were sitting uncomfortably close.
Ryan's book: A People's History of the Supreme Court My book: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Unfortunately, our trip was cut short. One day when I walked into the condo and our closet looked like it was pouring rain indoors right into my suitcase. We got the maintenance guy in, and he thought the shower drain from above plugged with built up sand. I was just upset that water was pouring into my bag, much less where that water came from. Thankfully, it was clean shower water falling into my bag. Later they found out that about 12 feet of the sewer main had collapsed because of the sand build up. They had to rip out all the carpet right outside the condo, and were using a jack hammer just as we were leaving. We only left one day early, so we didn't feel cheated out of vacation time. Sadie was absolutely the best at the beach, and slept for most of the time by the water.
Dolphin show at Sea World. Sadie is thrilled. While in California she found her voice, which has been lots of fun. Sadie also found her legs, and almost prefers to stand on you when you hold her up. She isn't quite "walking" like Jane yet!
Lookin' so fresh in her thug cap.
The pout! No one can resist the lower lip once it starts....
Post bath time. She really is a happy girl.
I took this video just yesterday. Evidence that she smiles and chats.
This video is waaaaaay overdue, but I just figured out how to do this now. Prepare for the flood of videos, as soon as we can figure out how to get them off our camera. It really shouldn't be that hard, but I sometimes I despise macs.
I love the slow newborn movements. Sadie is so erratic when she kicks and wiggles now, its hard to believe she was once like this. Our laughing is in response to Sadie's burps, which are quiet, but you can hear them.
The title of the post sums up the amount of english you hear from Japanese tourists in Banff. I love that place, but I don't love being accosted by tourists to take their photos. Our british friend, Nathan, would say "may I have an image?" That I don't mind so much.
The pics posted explain themselves better than I could. It's a mish mash of newborn shots, grad (just Ryan's, my grad pics are not on this computer), my little trip to Calgary for Mary Anne's wedding, and Erica's girls meeting their new cousin. If I can figure it out, I'll post some videos too.
My parents felt silly posing for this picture with Heather and Paul after they had just come from the family dinner and are all dressed up. I thing its a good shot of everyone, so I'm including it!
I love Sadie's dejected look in this one. Right now, it's one of her few faces.
Don't worry, Claire has it all under control. If Sadie starts to fall, she's got her.
Sadie had just about had it by the end of the night. She was absolutely bawling, as you can see. And there you go Mum, you aren't the country bumpkins.
Sound asleep at Ryan's convocation. She managed to sleep through all the important stuff, so that was considerate.
Yucky blonde hair. That was a regrettable mistake; so much so that we actually did some mock grad shots down here in Arizona.
I love this purple shawl my Grandma Low made. She is the greatest crocheter (sp?) ever! It is such a treat to get blankets from her. Ryan and I also got a quilt from her for our wedding. She makes one for every grandchild when they get married. Naturally, ours is purple, my favorite color.
I love this picture. I don't know why.
This one was at the hospital. Ryan is such a sweet and mindful dad. He's taken to the position like a seasoned veteran.
Aww, her first photo shoot. These were taken with Paul's really big camera. It's so high tech, you can see that her little face had goobers on it. Sorry baby!
Sorry everyone for not posting in forever, but it has been a busy few months for us! Lately, we've managed to have a baby, finish school, both graduate from BYU, have our baby blessed, move our things to Omaha, Nebraska, fly to Calgary for a family wedding, and move to Arizona for the summer! Whew. Sorry for the lack of Sadie pictures! I used to bug new parents for pictures too, like "what is taking so long? What could possibly be taking up all your time?" I will post some pictures as soon as humanly possible. I feel like photo evidence of her is spread out over several cameras, and I need to have a collecting email sent out. So if you have pictures of her, send them to me! You know who you are.
Things are wonderful here down in Arizona. It has been so nice to be close to Ryan's family, and sweating it out in the summer (spring? I don't think so...) heat. We're adjusting. We, as in, Sadie and I. I like to think that she got my hearty Canadian blood that can withstand freezing temperatures. I'll put up some pictures soon!
This last week has been absolutely jam packed! It probably started on Sunday, with busy church responsibilities (more for Ryan than for me), and a seriously good Sunday afternoon nap. I know, really busy right? Well, Ryan had to ask a couple to speak in church relatively short notice (which he hates doing), and decided to chip in the fact that his loving wife would be willing to bake cookies for them! No problem, as I already had batches of cookie dough in the fridge (a little something I've picked up from my Aunt Wendie).
After classes and a doctors appointment on Monday, we went home where I had far too much physics homework than is comfortable for even your most anxious student. Probably being my most despised subject, physics hasn't been all that bad to tell the truth. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. So I'm doing my homework, Ryan is baking cookies, and I get a call from one Heather Low (my cousin and former-roomie). She is going to Hungary Budapest to serve a mission, and was calling to let us know that she was going to be set apart the next day and wanted us to be there. I was so excited that she called, and so glad that we'd be able to see her and hug her once more before she left!
She was set apart on Tuesday night, and went into the MTC on Wednesday. She is so ready to go tackle the language and teach the people over there. It was amazing to see this excitement in Heather; it was unlike anything I've seen before. It was such a sweet experience to go see her, and Aunt Laurie, Uncle Gordon and Amy for a quick moment. I know that she'll be just an amazing missionary.
Wednesday was packed with studying for physics, as I had a test to take before my in-laws arrive this weekend. I did not want to deal with it at all while they're here. My mother-in-law, (also Heather), and sisters-in law (Erica and her baby Claire, Alexis, and Ashlyn) are all arriving today for a baby shower this weekend. I'm so excited they're all coming for this! It will be a serious party. Not to mention the fact that the BYU-U of U basketball game is uncomfortably close to the baby shower, I might have to have it playing softly in the background or something. Please, I know where my priorities are.
This coming Sunday we have the opportunity to attend two baby blessings. Two! One is for Ryan's cousin Collyn, and the other is for my co-worker Genevieve. Well, for their cute baby boys. It will only make our Sunday that much more fun filled. It seems like everything lately has just been about babies! Can't wait for our little one to come. Dr. Dewey said she's going to be on the big side, and guesses she's about 6 or 7 lbs already. We'll see how acurate he can be!
ps - I would just like to point out how acurate that basketball picture is of Utah's #5 Luka Drka. He's the cheapskate who tripped up Blake Griffin--his one and only claim to fame. Check out the video on youtube; it's quite telling of U of U basketball, I think.
Cute huge flower! One that I made with Erica when we had a bow night during Thanksgiving. Sadie has so many of these over-exposed pictures, because she's always trying to get the camera.
Sadie's been on a tough schedule lately, and bedtime has been a bit of a battle. The other night I let her cry it out, and she did. When I poked my head into her room to see how she was doing, I found her asleep sitting up in her crib. Pff, and I thought those bumpers were too big!
Huge snow storm the other week in Omaha. Ryan buried the shovel in the snow to give people a sense of how much we got. It was hard to gauge exactly how much it was, because as soon as it would hit the ground, the wind would scuttle it everywhere! The snow looked really cool, like undisturbed sand underwater in the ocean. You know how it gets those neat little ripples?
Cheesy smile
Snuggles with Dad during finals week. See, he was here.
More fun with Dad. Thanks mom for the great jammies!
Sorry, maybe one too many playtime shots?
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