Separate blogs

I have two separate blogs.  I have two agendas, two completely different reasons for blogging.  And, perhaps, two different sets of readers.  The blog that you are reading now is dedicated to our family.  This is where you are going to see pictures of us as we grow.  This is where fun stories of our antics will be found.  This is the blog to read if you want to watch Rachel (and future children) grow up.  The Goodwin blog is about people and events.  This is the blog that I will turn into a book at the end of every year.

My second blog, My Marbles and Whatnot, is where you will find everything that doesn't belong here on the Goodwin family blog.  My Marbles and Whatnot is where you will read about my studies, my insecurities, my pondering, and whatever else goes on in my brain.  This is the blog for ideas, questions, etc.  Check it out if you are interested.

My hat

Do you like my hat?
My grandmother made it.
She's nice like that.

I'm a hepcat in my pretty pink hat.
If I could sing,
I'd sing a scat.
But, when I try, I just fall flat.

Drat.



The above poem is in honor of my mom, Rachel's grandmother. She is a fantastic poet. She is also talented, smart, giving and crafty. She can sew better than anyone I know. She crocheted this little hat for Rachel in about an hour. My mom has a fantastic sense of style. And, she sings like an angel. She is a wonderful grandmother. Her grandchildren love her beyond belief. She plays with them, sings to them and has an unlimited supply of hugs.

Mom sent Rachel a Thanksgiving card in the mail. Rachel's first official mail. She doesn't really know what that means. But, she was thrilled to be allowed to play with her card.

Thanks Grandmother!

Night at the Museum

Babysitters were scarce last Friday night so Doug and I decided to take Rachel to the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point. The museum has an exhibit called Magnetism, Motors and the Mind. I thought that it would really speak to Doug's interests. The exhibit was unfortunately dismal. However, we were completely surprised by the museum itself. It is probably the best dinosaur museum I have ever experienced. The supersaurus was super. The woolly mammoth was mammoth. And Archelon, the King of the Sea Turtles, was king sized (16 feet, fin tip to fin tip). And, did you know their was such a thing as a Utahsaurus?


For Doug, the highlight of the museum was the erosion table. "The Erosion Table is like a large sand box fitted with water spigots that model rivers. By digging different channels participants can change rates of deposition to bury model dinosaurs and trees or to erode them out of miniature mountainsides." - Museum Website

Rachel took everything in as best she could. Six months old is a little young for paleontology. Maybe this early exposure will help her become as smart as her cousins. Matt proclaimed he was going to be a paleontologist before he began kindergarten. And we all remember the Tomb of Pencilkhamen.

Please excuse the quality of the pictures. My camera battery died so they are taken with my cellphone.

Bethany is Engaged!

Bethany and TJ are getting married! We are so excited for these two awesome people. TJ took Bethany to the Roof Restaurant, overlooking the Salt Lake Temple for dinner. Then, on the steps of the temple, he surprised Bethany by asking her to marry him. Her answer?
A resounding YES!

They are looking at a March wedding.

Congratulations you two!

Don't forget to get a good look at the beautiful ring TJ bought for Bethany.

12 on November 12

Stacy Julian of Big Picture Scrapbooking suggests taking 12 pictures on the 12th of each month. The idea is that it will give you a snapshot of a day in your life. And, over the years, you can look back and see how those days have changed. I put a couple of extra pictures in because they helped tell the story.

So, without further ado, I give you...

12 On November 12th


Rachel plays on the floor.


I do laundry in my pajamas.


My laundry sprite cheers me on.


Doug does his work for Discover Card.


I work on the computer, blogging, facebooking, and


editing family photos.


Rachel gets her diaper changed.


She eats oatmeal and peaches.


She watches Baby Einstein "Baby's First Moves" after her nap.


I reclaim the kitchen.


Doug prepares for sheetrock.


Dad Goodwin comes to help.


They unload the sheetrock.


The home improvement sprite is always near.


Rachel shows off her "I'm a Little Teapot" pose.

Lunch with Corrine

Sometimes I forget how amazing and uplifting an hour can be. I get so caught up in my own life.

Today I had lunch with a friend. It was nice to hear about her life. It was fun to gab about everything and nothing. It was great to talk about the diets we should be adhering to as we ate our enchiladas.

Corrine (shown here at our wedding and above with Rachel) has been witness to my joys and sorrows. She, and her husband Damon, chaperoned my first date with Doug.

I love Corrine. She is a kind and gentle soul. She has one of the biggest hearts in Utah and uses it daily. We may not talk often, but each conversation feels like the last one just ended.

Feeding Rachel

At the ripe old age of 6.5 months Rachel has decided that she is a big girl. Actually, this has been going on for 6 or more weeks. Rachel believes that she should not drink from a bottle because nobody else in the house does. When she was younger we could feed her 6-8 ounces 5 times a day without batting an eye. Now, we are lucky if we can get her to drink 5 ounces. Usually she drinks 3 and quits. We "sneak" 2 more ounces in her oatmeal twice a day. But, this girl who used to consume 28 ounces is now getting 20, sometimes 16.

We do not need to worry as long as she continues to grow normally. It is more of a nuisance for her parents than anything. Last night I fed her 2 ounces by bottle, 1 ounce by sippy cup and 2 more ounces by spoon. It's a good thing we love this girl.

Halloween 2009

As all of you know, it is the small moments in a day that make it great. Halloween was no exception.

It was taking Rachel to visit Grandma and Grandpa Goodwin.


It was dressing up as a princess to pass out candy to my favorite young neighborhood friends.

It was watching Doug feed Rachel.


It was the triumph of getting Zoe to stay in one spot without barking when people were at the door.


It was turning off the lights when the candy was gone, knowing that uncostumed teenagers were severely disappointed.


It was not having to clean up because we did not decorate like years past.


It was cuddling up with Doug to watch an episode of "The Big Bang Theory."


It was going to bed with an extra hour to sleep before church the next day.


It was everything combined that made this a fun and fabulous Halloween.