Out with the New, in with the Old

After living with our white monstrosity of a high chair for over 4 years now, it has been banished to the deck, where the gleaming plastic will out live us all (and hopefully will get a nice rinsing by the rain every once in a while).

In it's place is a charming spindle high-chair, modeled by adorable baby Wether, that I refinished black to match our barstools. Needless to say, I found the high chair at a garage sale and drove a hard bargain (final price $10).

Magnet Boards

Two magnet boards, $5. Holden learning his letters, priceless.

Desk Chair

I've had my eye on this PotteryBarn desk chair "a [1929] schoolhouse antique inspired our swiveling hardwood chair." Cost = $399 before shipping and taxes:

Fortunately, I found the real deal (a Heywood-Wakefield) at a garage sale for $10. After the addition of some wheels, some reinforcement with the help of a neighbor, and a coat of stain, voila!

King of the Dirt Hill

Although we obviously haven't done our landscaping yet, I can't say our boys don't love to play in the dirt! Here's Holden playing on top of the dirt pile:

Marcus went to a costume birthday party today. I had about 5 minutes to come up with something...how does a super-hero fire fighter sound?

Deck

As with most of our projects, our deck is a work in progress. Still, how wonderful it is to walk out our kitchen door onto solid ground instead of a gaping hole! As I type this, Kjell is working on the upper deck so that the space underneath stays waterproof.

Daddy Time

Kjell took Marcus on our ward Father-Son Campout at Big Springs last weekend. They played sports, ate, and hiked. The next night Kjell took Marcus and Holden to the Monster Truck Show, courtesy of Mike Smith who has a penchant for winning free tickets by calling into radio stations. Thanks Mike! Kjell took the last 2 pics on Saturday morning while I was out garage-saleing.

Master of Business Administration

It's official - Kjell is a Master of Business Administration! Wether and I were his audience at the University Commencement on Thursday (keynote speaker Elder Ballard) and the Marriott School of Management Commencement on Friday. How proud we were to watch Kjell in the processional and to reflect on all of his hardwork and achievements in school and the business world thus far. We are both especially grateful for Brigham Young University - a fine institution of learning by any standard. Of course, with 4 degrees hanging on our wall between the 2 of us and a view of campus from our backyard, we may be a little partial.

Check out the rainbow over the valley after graduation Thursday evening. The white building at the base of the rainbow is Provo Temple. Campus is on the right.

Report on Kjell’s kayak trip…

Drivage, bumpage
Drivage, drivage
Rip-a-hole-in-Taurus-exhaustage
Launchage, leakage
Tippage, sinkage
Rainage, muddage,
And a-bit-of-swearage;
Rope-age, nail-age, almost workage
Break-age, sinkage,
Giving-up-age.
Floatage, relaxage
Dragged-by-raftage,
Campage, steakage,
Sandstorm-and-windage,
Wake-age, swearage,
Mt. Dew-age!
Tie-age, nailage,
Working-boatage,
But lazy-age, floatage,
More sit-on-raft-age,
Lunchage, hikeage,
Rowage, Mike-and-Ike-age
Campage, buggage,
Dinnerage, wet-sleeping-bag-age
Sleep-age, wake-age,
Floatage, rowage,
Paddle-age, sit-on-raft-age,
Hike-age, campage
Eat-like-pigs-age,
Hot-dogs-and-chili-age
So sleep-far-apart-age
Wakeage, paddle-age,
Slowage, swearage,
Water-fight-age, paddle-age,
Loadage, leavage,
Car-hit-by-bishop-age,
Drivage, unloadage,
Huggage, kissage
Sleepage,…funnage!

"Mormon Messages"

I've added a "Mormon Message" to my last 4 blog posts. If you get a chance, please watch them for inspiration and a lift to your day.

Create

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhLlnq5yY7k

While Kjell was away last week, I decided I could go into "survival mode" (do nothing but the basics) or "craft mode" (do none of the basics but get lots of crafts done while your kids run wild, dishes overflow, laundry piles up...well, you get the idea). I chose the latter. Pam joined me for a few late nights.

Meanwhile, Kjell was the one who was truly in "survival mode" as he braved kayaking with the scouts on the Green River for 4 days (pictures to come!). Did I mention the scouts made the kayaks themselves?

Here are a few of the projects I finished:

A Few Good Boys

Here are some rare and candid pictures of the boys all together. Notice the carrot-stained jammies worn by Wether, Marcus' self-chosen outfit, and the ever-present toy in Holden's hand (blocks on this occasion).

Wether is 6 months old as of the 7th of August. He's tall (88th percentile) and lighter than average (33rd percentile...don't let those cheeks fool you!). He loves to grab anything in his reach, "talk" constantly, gnaw on teething toast (he already has 2 teeth), and have attention at all times. He's a little boy with a big personality!

More then anything I pray for these little boys to grow into good men. Here is a message from the late President Hinckley:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naqX9iYE0V0

A Mission Call

Kjell's brother Bjorn drove down from BYU-Idaho a few weeks ago to open his mission call. In 2008 there were 348 missions throughout the world and over 52,000 full-time missionaries. Here is some more information about the process of receiving your mission call:

After application to the church and the requisite approval, prospective missionaries receive a “call to serve”—an official notification of their location assignment—through the mail from the President of the Church. The mission call will also inform the prospective missionary what language he will be expected to use during his mission. Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are responsible for assigning missionaries to a particular mission.

A missionary serves for 24 months. Kjell and his brothers who served missions began saving for their mission from the time they were 12 years old. You do not get to choose where you are called to serve...

...drumroll please...

...Colorado, Colorado Springs!

Hurray for Bjorn, he is very excited.

He'll be doing a lot of testifying of the Book of Mormon on his mission:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9cVyTbX1kM

Photo (L-R): Joshua McCord (served Canada Halifax mission), Olivia McCord, Bjorn McCord, Kjell McCord (served West Indies mission - French speaking), Wether McCord (future missionary), Mike Smith (served Charleston, South Carolina mission). Picture taken by Meredith Law, Bjorn's girlfriend (served Columbia, South Carolina mission).

Colorado, Colorado Springs Mission

Many returned Missionaries (RMs) travel back to their missions after being released. Kjell has been wanting to visit his mission for quite a while now. Lucky for me he served in the southeast Caribbean so, come January, we'll be off to St. Maarten! Kjell has been brushing up on his French by translating at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo.