The Sears Family

2012-02-15T18:32:00.002-07:00

Chase went to Harvard for a developmental study. They introduced him to different toys and then the experimenter told him she had some work to do. She went to a table in the back of the room to sort papers. While sorting papers she would knock a can to the ground and say "I don't need that." They were monitoring Chase's response to the cans dropping. Chase would stop and look at times and at other times was riveted to the toy that he was playing with. I really think that sometimes children don't hear what we say when they are playing! It was an interesting study and Chase received an elephant. Christian had his 2-month-old checkup last week. He was 22 3/4 in length, and 11.2 pounds. He is in the 50th percentile for height and 38th for weight. I love this age. He is cooing and happy most of the time. He is sleeping through the night and awake during the day. I'm still his favorite person on the planet, which I'm not sure my two-year-old would say. He is such a joy! I would love for him to stay two months old for another couple of months.

Chase is 2!

2012-01-08T21:38:00.006-07:00

Pizza-stache Chase was a huge fan of the party hats. All in attendance were a fan of the marshmallow shooters. The candles were in the way and keeping him from his dessert pizza made with a brownie crust, peppermint ice cream and sprinkles. Don't forget the chocolate cheese!

Sweet Christian

2012-01-08T21:01:00.005-07:00

Introducing Christian Lyn

2011-12-13T17:23:00.010-07:00

Autumn Time

2011-12-01T10:37:00.003-07:00

Our friends from North Carolina, the Footes, were able to come trick or treating with us. Here are Chase and Denzil in their costumes. We are crossing our fingers that the Foote's decide to do their residency at Dartmouth in NH. Chase and I love this lake which is a two minute walk from our house. It's so serene. Chase loves throwing rocks in the lake, and then watching the swans swim over to us. Here we are on Wilson Farm's "spooky hayride." Chase really enjoyed this.

2011-11-07T14:41:00.003-07:00

This is us after the "big" hurricane that happened a few months ago. There wasn't a lot in Jersey City. Hoboken, which was just north of us, was completely submerged in about 2 feet of water. They had a mandatory evacuation. The exciting thing about the hurricane for us what that it was happening on the weekend we were packing up to move. We packed and prepared to hunker down for the hurricane at the same time. It was still our most successful move.

Apple Picking

2011-10-20T11:49:00.000-06:00

Apple picking is such a fun thing to do in the fall. I love being in the country again. He we are with Mimi and Nicole in the hay wagon headed over to the apple trees. Don't you love the glasses.

Utah for Kayla's Wedding

2011-10-12T11:55:00.004-06:00

A week after moving to Massachusetts we went to Utah for Kayla's wedding. She was a beautiful bride, and it was a lovely day. There will be more pictures to come. Here is a sneak peak. Silver Lake was beautiful as always. It's a hard road to get there. We are happy that Devin was "finally" able to join us later in the evening. Chase's favorite animal at the zoo was definitely the giraffe. The elephants were pretty cool too. This is what Chase spent the majority of his time doing. He loved the basketball hoop. Look at that determination. Here he is again with Royce.

Danielle in New York

2011-08-06T17:50:00.003-06:00

Love the cityscape--okay, the people are pretty cool too. :) Sorry Chase, but I've seen better pictures of you. The Cake Bosses bakery in Hoboken Steve and Danielle in Central Park We ate some delicious Kung Pao Chicken in China Town. I loved China Town--I felt as though I were in China. We also tried Bubble Tea, which is a soda with tapioca balls in it. Next door to China Town is Little Italy. They have your authentic Italian Food, but you don't feel quite like you are in Italy. It was still fun to go.

Statue of Liberty

2011-07-23T17:25:00.000-06:00

Liberty Park has a special place in my heart. It was refreshing to get away from the city life, which can be hard to do when you don't have a car. I loved running on the boardwalk in Liberty Park and hearing Chase say "Statue of Liberty" minus a few consonants. Ellis Island was the gateway into America for millions of immigrants. I found it very humbling to have been born into a country with so many freedoms and privileges. Here are those handsome dudes.

Times Square

2011-07-19T11:56:00.003-06:00

Steve and Chase went on a daddy/son date last Friday to Toys R' Us in Times Square. Steve said that Chase had fun, although it's kind of hard to tell in these pictures. :)

NYC with Jeff Sears Family

2011-07-14T13:05:00.004-06:00

We met Steve's Uncle Jeff and Aunt Pawn, who live in China, at Central Park and spent the day with them in New York. We had loads of fun. Someone from Jeff's company took us around and paid for everything, which was really awesome. They even bought the premium passes to the American Museum of Natural History so we were able to see all of the exhibits--at a very rapid speed. You could spend all day in there! This Central Park Playground had a network of these concrete things with about 2 inches of water in them. Carousel at Central Park Central Park again Chase and Dad at the American Museum of Natural History Chase as paleontologist at the museum We had to take a picture with Dum Dum, the Eastern Island Head, from the Night at the Museum. Unfortunately, we had no gum gum to give him. Here we are with Jeff, Pawn, Emily, and Sydney at a steakhouse in Times Square.

Phantom on Broadway

2011-06-25T21:00:00.006-06:00

Headed to the Phantom of the Opera The talent pool New York has to choose from is incredible. The production was amazing. I just starting reading the book too which I'm looking forward to.

Exciting Announcement

2011-06-24T12:33:00.003-06:00

For those of you who don't know we are having another baby. The due date is December 9th. We are going to find out the sex of the baby on the 23rd of July. We love new babies--and December birthdays.

Memorial Day Weekend 2011

2011-06-03T17:30:00.006-06:00

Cemetery on Freedom Trail in Boston Old Church on the Freedom Trail: The pews were in boxes with a door that shut (how wonderful would that be). Old North Church: This is the oldest church in Boston. This is where Paul Revere gave Robert Newman the signal to climb the steeple and hold up two lanterns as a signal that the British were coming by sea and not by land. Rhode Island Zoo on Memorial Day

Brooklyn Aquarium

2011-05-14T11:40:00.003-06:00

It was such a joy watching Chase's face light up when he saw all of the "f's" and the "s's" and the "sh". This boardwalk was next to the aquarium. We walked past Astroland, an amusement park with all of the old classic rides. I loved the carnivalesque ambiance. So cute and clever

Utah 2011

2011-04-29T19:35:00.009-06:00

You've gotta love that smile! Kayla graduated from LDS Business College. Go Kayla! Dayne received his Eagle Award. Hooray! I actually really enjoyed hitting a bucket of balls at the driving range. This is us playing in the sandbox in St. George. This same jungle gym was here when I was a little girl. We had a favorite things party with my cousins and aunts. My cousins are some of my best friends. I have done so much with them over the years! Kayla, Rachel, and I in our matching aprons my mom made for Easter. Women's Conference Kayla and Steve are engaged! I was there. He rapped to her at the Gateway in Salt Lake City. They met at the Gateway while he was rapping so it seemed like a great place to propose. Kayla and I after she got engaged. She was so happy and surprised. I went with Steve to help her pick out the ring. It is beautiful. I'm so happy for them, and I'm so happy to have Steve join the family! Funny little fact: All three of the male additions to our family are named Steve.

Many Visitors

2011-03-29T17:43:00.007-06:00

Our good old pals from North Carolina came to stay with us for a few days this month. We had so much fun with them. Chase and Will enjoyed playing together as well. They took us to The Crooked Tree to eat. It was delicious. Monica also took our pictures while she was here. She is a great photographer if any of my Winston Salem friends read this. Steve, Kayla's boyfriend, also came to visit us. He was flown out here because of a spreadsheet he had made for an iPhone App.

We have met people from all over the world. We've had people here from Sierra Lion, Saint Kitt, and Hungary. Tomorrow we have someone from India coming. This is one of the great things about living here.

Role of Mothers

2011-03-21T13:17:00.006-06:00

The knowledge we have about the role of mothers in the home is an indispensable gift from our Heavenly Father.

After my mom and dad read this talk, my mom decided she needed to quit her job and stay home to raise us. How grateful I am to her for that! If you haven't read this talk, you can click on the title to read it. I recommend it!

I loved this poem from the talk:

"You may have tangible wealth untold; Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold. Richer than I you can never be-- I had a mother who read to me."

-Strickland Gillilan, "The Reading Mother"

Bronx Zoo

2011-03-12T12:52:00.002-07:00

We had a great time with Steve's family visiting the Bronx Zoo, the 9/11 memorial site, the Manhattan Temple, and FAO Schwarz. Steve was let down when he wasn't able to name a hissing cockroach after our friend Jenny Foote who served a mission there. I hope Jenny is reading this. Yes, he really would have done it. We love when family comes to visit!

Chase Happenings

2011-02-17T17:51:00.009-07:00

Chase's Great Great Grandmother Sears made these overalls and matching jacket for Steve's grandpa. Look how nicely they fit. She must have been quite the seamstress. It's fun to think that Chase is wearing the same outfit that his Great Grandpa Sears wore. Chase is the oldest boy, of an oldest boy, of an oldest boy, of an oldest boy. I hope his oldest is a boy... I think he looks like a stud in this picture. Chase's first bubble bath. Chase's Valentine Cards he made for his little friends. On the way home from delivering the Valentine Cards, we saw the Statue of Liberty. You walk 10 minutes from our apartment and who do you see, Lady Liberty! Truth be told, mom made the cards. Chase ate the Jello. Chase playing in blue goop. Chase went from shambling down the hall a few months ago to cruising at high speeds. Pushing his stroller is still is favorite activity. We call this the "ExeChaseer."

The Toddler's Busy Book

2011-02-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

The Toddler's Busy Book by Trish Kuffner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There are such clever, low-cost, activities in this book. What a great book. I highly recommend it!

View all my reviews

New Job Location, New Apartment, New York, Wait...New Jersey

2011-02-04T17:24:00.006-07:00

Steve now works on Water Street in NYC. Working in NYC is a dream come true for Steve.

We moved to New Jersey on the 18th of December. We were here a few days before we left to go and visit Steve's family for Christmas.

We have had many new adventures. We have had many guests, mostly uninvited, you know the roach rodent type. We are very grateful that they have an exterminator come every Wednesday. Have you ever opened a cupboard door above your head to have a roach fall right in front of your face?! Eww! I'm not talking about a monster roach--a live monster roach. I'm even more grateful that men were meant to handle these situations. The hallway is heated, so Chase and I spent some quality time reading books in the hallway for the next...45 minutes.

We also had an uninvited human guest, but you don't want to hear about that.

We did have a hometeacher come. He asked if he could stop by to do his hometeaching and bring ribs. Of course! He came over for a couple of hours and we learned about his family living in Saint Kitt. He came from a land of paradise. New Haircut New Apartment. Queen Latifah used to live at Dixon Mills. Rumor has it that she lived in a unit almost identical to ours. If we took all of out furniture out we could play basketball in the room. New Adventures. We went to FAO Schwarz in Manhattan. They had the huge piano from Big. They said that right after the movie came out the piano was selling for $15,000 and now it is selling for $250,000. Steve wishes he could buy this Star Wars Lego Set. New...for someone else, Barbie Foosball Table. Can you see the price? It's only $24,999, because $24,999 is so much better than $25,000. It's still a cool idea.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-22T19:49:00.006-07:00

Chase loved hammering the balls into the holes. He is pretty good with the hammer. He's been caught hammering other things around the house. (You've got to keep two eyes on that kid, I tell you what.) Steve and I at the spectacular Boston Pops concert. Danielle, Devin, and I. Don't you love Danielle's outfit. I'm lucky to have access to two wonderful wardrobe consultants, Kayla and Danielle. I should use their services more often. :) They sang the song "I'll Be Home for Christmas." It was very heart-wrenching to see a video showing some of our troops celebrating Christmas without family. We ate at an Italian restaurant in Boston's North End called Pomodoro. It was probably the best food I have ever eaten in my life--ever! Apparently I'm not the only one who liked it, Boston Magazine called it "the best Italian restaurant." I loved the intimate ambiance. There were only eight tables. They wined and dined us, giving us little extras such as mussels, and tiramisu. I loved the tiramisu. Just writing the word makes me want to eat some. We made gingerbread houses. This picture is out of order and sideways. Just flip your laptop on it's side. This is me looking at, and later tasting, a cannoli for the first time. I don't know why most of these pictures are of me. I feel like the blog hog. Making gingerbread houses was a lot of fun. Spending time with family was even more fun! Beautiful Nicole. We appreciate Nicole for graciously watching Chase while we attended the Boston Pops concert.

Chase's 1st Birthday Celebration!

2011-01-22T10:57:00.006-07:00

I love that smiley face! He was given a sensory ball and caterpillar from Mimi and Big G. He is enthralled with the candle. We told him that if he was too messy, then he would be on clean up duty. In all seriousness, isn't he one of the cleanest one-year-old birthday cake eaters you have ever seen.

Grandma and Grandpa Porter gave Chase a monkey pillowcase, monkey pajamas, a stuffed monkey, and monkey pj's. I won't be surprised if he develops a strong liking for monkey's. :) And, mom and dad gave Chase a ball popper, that he is terrified of. I'm not too worried; it'll grow, while popping, on him.

P.S. We love you Chase!

Christmas Time

2011-01-10T09:55:00.003-07:00

Chase with his buddy Denzil

A Wonderful Man

2010-12-12T11:39:00.007-07:00

For those of you who didn't know my grandfather, he was a big man standing at 6'6". He had custom made size 16 shoes. He had a rough exterior and may have intimidated some.

His rough exterior was accompanied by a strong sense of humor. I once brought a date home when grandpa was around. My cheeks flushed when I heard him say "He's not as ugly as you said he was." This was not an uncommon scenario as many of his children and grandchildren have similar stories. He cracked jokes with old friends and strangers he would meet.

My grandpa was not afraid to be himself or to stand alone. My uncle shared a benedictory prayer he once gave in church. All he said was, "Help us to be as good as our parents think we are." My uncle also talked about a time when he alone stood to oppose a sustaining. Many in the congregation were taken aback by this, but it left a lasting impression on my uncle.

My dad spoke of his great faith. He said that my grandpa was comfortable with the life he had led and was not afraid to die. A few days before he passed away, the nurse entered his room and exclaimed that his oxygen level was very low. He replied, "Yes, and I hope it goes a lot lower here pretty soon." I hope I can be as comfortable with the life I have lived before I die.

I fondly remember all of the time he spent with his grandchildren. We spent many hours with him fishing and camping in Wyoming, hauling freshly chopped wood, singing around the campfire, getting a good dose of American folklore, and listening to the many poems he would recite. My favorite can be seen on my blog post on Oct. 10th entitled "I Don't."

He was a man of great valor who had a deep abiding faith in and love for our Savior Jesus Christ and for his Gospel. I am so grateful that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored and is on the earth again. I can't wait to see my grandpa again one day.

The legacy he left was purposeful. He knew who he was and what he wanted to teach his children and grandchildren.

Fun in October with family

2010-12-07T12:08:00.015-07:00

We had a blast when my family came to visit. We went everywhere! I love it when family comes. I loved the street play they did at Colonial Williamsburg. My mom has wanted to go to Williamsburg for as long as I can remember. I'm glad I was able to be there when it finally happened. :) Isn't this such a great picture. We took a stroll around Salem Lake on Sunday. It is a beautiful tree lined lake. It may sound cliche, but I love fall on the east coast. I thought nothing could beat North Carolina, but Virgina was spectacular. The colors were so vibrant. Wow, I feel everyone should go to the east coast in the fall at least once in their lifetimes. The Biltmore home is on 8,000 acres! That is a lot of acreage. I love the grotesque gothic style architecture. It reminds me of Notre Dame. Do you like Chase's outfit? Funny story. Chase had a little accident at Williamsburg. It was raining and freezing. Chase needed some clothes and he needed them right then. We rushed to the nearest children's clothing boutique and almost died when we looked at the prices on the stickers. We bought this shirt and pants from the clearance rack. The combo is hideous, but I like the pieces separately. I'm sure every mother that saw him wanted to teach his mother a thing or two about how to dress a baby. Here we are at Jamestown. This is the oldest settlement in America. I loved the history! Here we are at Yorktown. This is where the British surrendered to the American Army. It felt like we were walking on very sacred ground. This is Chase and I at Williamsburg when his clothes still matched. This is what I call early indoctrination. Visiting Monticello was my favorite. I had just finished reading John Adams a couple of months before and had learned a lot about Thomas Jefferson. This solidified everything I had already learned. Beautiful trees at Old Salem Here we are at God's Acre, a Moravian cemetery. Everyone is buried in a chorus according to age.

Halloween Party

2010-11-04T19:21:00.012-06:00

Why Steve is the best

2010-10-26T22:08:00.005-06:00

I love Steve for a lot of reasons.

I spent all of Chase's naps and a lot of the day preparing for an FHE lesson night that I was hosting. I had five people sign up to come and nobody showed. I was a little let down. Everyone is pretty busy especially at this time of year, so I understand.

Steve came and did everything he could to cheer me up. He even offered to play a game with me because he knows how much I love games. I'm so grateful for Steve and for taking the time to show how much he cares.

Milk and Bookies

2010-10-26T21:49:00.004-06:00

A friend, Ashley Kelley, hosted a service project here in Winston Salem. It's a national organization called Milk and Bookies. Kids come and choose a book they would like to donate. I was able to help with the service project and had a blast doing it. I really want to try this in NY. You can even do this for a birthday party. If anyone is interested in hosting one or finding out more information, here is the link: www.milkandbookies.org. I stole these pictures from Danielle's blog, oops. This is the real Disneyworld Belle! How cool is that. Belle is my favorite Disney princess. She arranged for local celebrities to come and read stories to the kids.

Grandparents Day

2010-10-11T17:28:00.008-06:00

Grandparents day was on the 12th of September. We are almost exactly a month late in posting this; however, we feel it is never too late to thank those who have done so much for us. We love you all!

Grandma and Grandpa Porter

I have so many memories of my Grandpa and Grandpa Porter. I remember sleeping over at their house with cousins and playing hide-n-seek. That was my favorite. I always hid in the same spot, and so did grandpa, but we still had fun. I also remember going camping and fishing with them. Yes, Wyoming was the spot. I love Wyoming and everything that goes with it: the Snake River, the swimming,the fishing, the canoeing, eating the fish and you get the point. In fact, I already wrote about this a few weeks ago. I will always remember my grandma's contagious laugh and the stories as well as the memorized poems that my grandpa told around the campfire.

One of grandpa's poems

I don't

My parents say I must not smoke,

I don't

Nor listen to a naughty joke.

I don't

They make it clear that I must not think about intoxicating drink.

I don't

To dance and flirt is even wrong. I don't

Some chase women, wine, and song. I don't

I kiss no girls, not even one. I don't even know how it is done. You wouldn't think I had much fun.

I don't

Grandma and Grandpa Cottrell

I spent a lot of time with my Grandma and Grandpa Cottrell. So even though they have both been gone for a few years now, I have very poignant memories of my time with them. I remember playing jewelry store with my grandma and listening to records. I also remember all of the delicious food, especially the soups, that she would make. Some of it was for us, but most of it was for the neighbors. That's how my grandma was, always looking for someone she could serve. I love her for it. My grandpa would have us work in the garden with him and pick the fruit from the abundance of fruit trees. My grandpa also took time to help me learn how to draw. I still love to draw and I think my grandpa helped me to realize that talent of love for art. Before my grandpa died he wrote a three page little booklet for his grandkids.

Here are some suggestions from it.

Be kind. Remember that those around us suffer from loneliness, experience failure, struggle to pay bills, worry about health problems and are often weighted with trouble. I ask you--be kind. It is the greatest gift you can give and it costs you nothing.

Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage.

Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.

Love, Elyse

Memory with Grandma Pessetto

When I was about 15 I remember having a family reunion in Wyoming. We rented four wheelers and rode all over the place. Every time we came back to the cabin, Grandma was happy to hear about our adventures and to make sure we had enough food to eat. We also played games around a camp fire and had a lot of fun being together as a family.

Memory with Nana and Poppy

One of the many little-kid memories I have is of sleeping over at Nana and Poppy’s house in a tent! Nate, Devin, and I were the first to use it. After a hard day of playing in the yard and jumping on the neighbor’s trampoline, Poppy set up a red tent that looked large enough to sleep ten. I brought in my sleeping bag and was all ready to crawl in when, to my surprise, Poppy brought in a cot. I had never seen a cot inside a tent and wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. Poppy explained that you sleep on it and I, after some hesitation, repositioned and crawled into my sleeping bag.

The next morning Nana and Poppy made waffles and let us put as much syrup as we wanted on them. I purposefully made a waffle island in a sea of syrup and ate every last drop. It was a great weekend.

Love, Steve

A welcome addition

2010-10-02T08:15:00.007-06:00

I may get a bit sentimental here. If you start feeling queasy...well, I warned you. I had to post these because I just received them. This is my brother Royce and my sister-in-law Rachel. They are a great couple and so perfect for each other. They both love sports, doing puzzles, the outdoors, and reading. Don't worry, they also have enough differences for a healthy, well-rounded relationship. She looks like a princess in this picture, and Royce looks like her knight in shining armor. I feel so grateful that Rachel is a part of our family. She and I have some commonalities and she is someone I would've been very good friends with had we roomed together or served together in the mission field. Don't worry Rachel, we will have plenty of opportunities to get to know each other. I'm sorry to inform you, but you are going to be seeing a lot of me around. I looked at this picture for a couple minutes and felt overwhelmed by all of the people that I love. Looking at the people I love in this picture makes me so grateful that family is eternal: no empty seats! Look at the man in the bottom right hand corner. That is my grandpa. Don't you love the face he is pulling?! Click on the picture for a better view. My family

Wake Forest vs. Duke

2010-09-23T11:39:00.002-06:00

Wake Forrest won! I must say that is all I know about the game because I didn't any (I almost wrote much, but had to cross that out)of it. I guess that's what happens when you go to a football game with good friends. Why watch the game? Having a good time is 100% about the people you are with. Oh, and it rained most of the game. We were drenched. We made ourselves look like die-hard season ticket holders because we stuck it to almost the end of the game. Great stuff. I can't wait for the next one.

2010-09-16T12:32:00.009-06:00

Oh how I love the water. My extended family started going to Wyoming every year long before I can remember. They now go over Labor Day weekend. We would run the Snake River, sometimes take the canoes and kayaks to a nearby lake, and swim at a pool in Astoria or Jackson Hole. My family also enjoyed going to Lake Powell once a year. I think that is where I would like to retire one day. The funny thing is we still went back every year after coming home more red than a ripe tomato. Steve also loves the water. Growing up, he enjoyed going to nearby beaches with his family and life-guarding at Walden pond. He also enjoyed going canoeing and sailing. He actually took me sailing on our honeymoon. I can't wait to go again. We were not able to go to Wyoming with the rest of the clan this year, but made our own fun filled water weekend. On Saturday we went to Bolton Pool and played in their spray ground. We thought this might be fun for Chase. Unfortunately, the water in the spray ground was a bit too cold for any child or grownup to enjoy. We smiled long enough to take the picture and then made a mad dash for the bigger, much more comfortable pool. Isn't this a great picture of Steve and Chase? On Monday we went to the beach with our friends, the Footes. This is Chase in the sand, his favorite part. Don't try to tell Chase that sand doesn't taste good. He didn't stop after one handful. If you can't read our sand art, it says Labor Day '10. Steve's shoulder is a little sore from attempting to surf. He did pretty well for his second or third time. Surfing is hard, just ask anyone who knows how to do it. He's looking forward to giving it another go. We also rented a boogie board, which was fun. I personally liked swimming the best. We enjoyed spending time with the Footes, and with each other, and look forward to another water filled Labor Day weekend.

We didn't see a bear

2010-08-27T11:00:00.006-06:00

We went hiking in Pilot Mountain, which is the same Pilot Mountain referred to in the Andy Griffith show. Next time we go we'll have to get a pack for our big man Chase, who has grown out of his little man infant carrier. We are having so much fun seeing the sights unique to North Carolina.

8 months old!

2010-08-27T10:47:00.003-06:00

Chase is 8 months old! As far as I can tell he is 28" and weighs 19 lbs. It can be hard to get his exact length when he tries to eat the tape measure.

Chase laughing

2010-08-20T08:05:00.002-06:00

2010-08-12T08:14:00.017-06:00

Family Pictures...what a good looking family!

Chase's first time at the ocean. This is my families favorite beach,Wingaersheek beach, there are lots of rocks to climb and when the tide goes out three tidal pools appear with size and depths similar to a clubhouse swimming pool.

Chase loved the ocean. He would sit at the edge of the water and splash and laugh when the waves rolled up to him. He also loved motoring through the water; i.e. dad holding him running him through the water. When a wave would come he would laugh, or sputter if his face went under. Surprisingly he never cried after a wave got him in the face, instead he would blink his little eyes and use his little tongue to lick up as much salt water as possible. He is a little fish! Once he got tired of swimming, I buried him up to his waist in sand. He thought sand was the most interesting thing in the world, until he ate a handful. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be to watch both hands go for the sand. Of course, he didn't like eating sand as much as salt water and told me so with a bout of tears. Poor little guy!

Chase at the 4th of July parade. My mother took him to use as a shield so we would try to get her wet. Problem is, Chase loves the water!

I think I'm going to submit this picture to a contest of sorts. I can say, with no bias whatsoever, that he is the cutest baby I've ever seen.

The race!

Danielle and Chase.

We had a wonderful time with family in Boston and are looking forward to the next trip. I was fortunate that my boss was on vacation and I didn't have to work practically at all. Hopefully, the same thing happens every time we visit family.

Utah in June

2010-06-26T09:32:00.021-06:00

I'm back from my short blogging hiatus. We've been spending quality-time with family. We went to Utah in June for Royce and Rachel's wedding. It was a nice getaway. Grandma Porter with Chase Chase took his first canoe ride and loved it. The little life jacket brings back many boating memories with Dayne bobbing in the water in that yellow jacket. The girls at youth conference are already batting their eyes at Chase. Maegan's mom made us a yummy salad for lunch. Maegan and I were best friends most of middle school and did everything together in high school. When we went to dances the boys we went with made certain we were in the same group. Having a picnic at Ledgemere Grandpa and Chase, two peas in a jacket Another dear friend who couldn't get enough of Chase Chalece's family moved into the neighborhood when I was in second grade, and she has been one of my best friends ever since. Our families have also enjoyed many trips to Lake Powell. We thought Chase might feel silly if he was the only one with his fist in his mouth. They blocked off the room that we were in at the restaurant, and so we decided it was the perfect time for a silent dance party. We had such a blast in Utah! Thank you all. I wish I had some pictures with Devin and my mission companion Kristen. It was fun spending time with both of them.

2010 Goals

2010-05-20T10:48:00.008-06:00

I love setting goals and having something to work towards. This year I tried to set goals that would stretch me, but that were still realistic and attainable. A few of the goals I have been working on are improving my artistic abilities, serving Steve and Chase, checking my e-mail once a day, and only eating one serving of food at a sitting. With some of my goals I've done really well and taken giant steps forward. Unfortunately, with a few of my goals I've taken small steps forward and a bigger step back.

I think the hardest goal for me to show improvement in is only eating one serving of food. I'm very good at buying and eating healthy food. I don't want to be so stringent that I never indulge, because that might make me a very boring person. However, if there is something really sweet around, or something else really yummy, I go crazy and definitely eat more than one serving. I'm working on it. I have faith that progress will come. Hopefully this will serve as a resplendent reminder. I would love any suggestions you may have!

I use the habit making bookmarks and yearly goal files found at lds.about.com. I have really liked them. Here is the link if you want to take a look: lds.about.com/od/visualmusicalaids/a/habitbookmarks.htm

Chase in turban/head wrap

2010-05-20T10:42:00.002-06:00

I love this picture of Chase in his headwrap/turban (whatever you want to call it). The picture is not a recent one, but still cute.

4 month stats

2010-05-13T09:46:00.005-06:00

Height: 26 inches (86th percentile) Weight: 15.3 (58th percentile) Head: 17 1/4 Jenny and Denzil in the swimming pool. I love to swim. Some of my fondest childhood memories were created at Lake Powell. Do you think Steve will be keen on retiring there? It will be interesting to see how Chase feels about the water because today he seemed indifferent about the experience.

Chase, solids, and friends

2010-05-06T13:50:00.008-06:00

Don't let the happy face fool you-- he's not a fan of solids...yet. We went to a friend's house for a barbecue and they loved Chase. We had to take a picture. Jamie and Gracie Walton. We have loved living by our friends the Waltons; they have loved living by us too. So much in fact that they have decided to move. Actually, they found a house and we are happy for them. And here we have the Steve corner. Steve Walton would have everyone know that we named our Steve after him. (psst...don't tell anyone these pictures were taken on Easter, that was a long time ago.)

Celebrating Steve Sears

2010-05-01T14:47:00.013-06:00

The many reasons we love the name Steve Sears.

The one thing that truly defines Steve that I love is his enthusiasm. -Dad

I love his love of the Lord and desire to put Him first in his life. -Mom

I love his sense of humor, enthusiasm, and willingness to teach and learn. -Nicole

I love that Steve is silly. He knows when to be serious yet is still super immature sometimes. -Danielle

He's always been a shining example of diligence and hard-work. He's one in 6 billion(literally, and figuratively.) -Devin

I like how he is a very hard worker, but still knows how to be a kid. -Kayla

One thing that I admired about Steve is his kind ways of being friendly to everyone that he meets and the confidence that he has. -Arla

He is always happy and he is always trying to find the good in others. Oh, and I love his amazing dance moves!! -Dayne

I love how he is always looking to help others. -Royce

When Steve asked me if he could marry my little girl, I told him if he didn't take care of her and make her happy I was going to come and "kick his butt". I love the fact that, so far (LOL), he seems to be keeping his end of the bargain. -Jeff

I love Steve's desire to learn the Gospel and to acquire other knowledge. I love his desire to put his family first and to spend lots of time with us. I love Steve for so many reasons. -Elyse

Chase loves Steve because he takes time out of his busy schedule to play with him and read him stories.

We love you and hope you have a wonderful 26th year! Happy Birthday!

A Wonderful Week

2010-04-22T11:33:00.010-06:00

This is us hiking at Stone Mountain. Chase is sleeping. Speaking of Chase sleeping, he slept all night long! The Footes and Sears love to camp. We went on our first family camping trip with our friends the Footes. It was so much fun we agreed to do it again. If anyone else in the area wants to come let us know; after a background check we might let you. Maybe someone should let Mr. Jr. Trail Guide know that trail guides shouldn't sleep on the hike. First attempt at rice cereal. Second attempt-we'll try and get more in his mouth. We went to the Tax Day Tea Party Rally. The top picture is of us talking to the republican candidate, Larry Linney. Steve asked him questions and was on NPR with him.

Remembering Lucy

2010-04-19T18:00:00.002-06:00

Does anyone else love Lucy as much as I do? This is really worth your time if you do!

At the Park

2010-04-15T13:48:00.007-06:00

Thought

2010-04-14T09:27:00.002-06:00

A man sat next to me in the library the other day and told me to cherish every moment with Chase because they go by too quickly. He proceeded to tell me that he has been looking for more work but that things would be all right because he trusts that God will help him. He then told me that I should never tell God how big my problems are, but my problems how big my God is. He then gave me a pass along card to his church and told me he hoped I could make it sometime. What a nice man to take a little bit out time out of his busy day to serve me and make me happy. I think I learned a lesson that day.

Aww, Utah...I've missed you.

2010-04-01T09:25:00.018-06:00

I had so much fun in Utah with my family. Are you ready for lots of pictures? I don't scrapbook, so this is my photo album. I love my family! My cousin Jennifer and I. My aunts and uncles came to visit. It was fun seeing them. This is my Aunt Marba holding Chase. Aunt Danielle and Chase. The girls are in the house. Dana, Uncle Devin, Larry and Chase. Dayne's birthday surprise. He is 16! Rachel, my brother's fiance, and I at the park. I really enjoyed spending time with her. We have a lot in common. Welcome to the family! Chase was 3 months old yesterday. The picture just above Chase's picture is a picture of my Uncle Brent was he was Chase's age. My Aunt Ranone and mom think Chase looks just like him. I see a lot of similarities. Dayne's birthday dinner. My neighbor of almost 26 years, made us lunch. It was so good to see them. I went to Hale Center on Thursday night with my dad to see one of my favorite musicals, Fiddler on The Roof. Steve picked me up from the airport in a tux. Maybe someday he will be a professional chauffeur. I had to chuckle; he looked so cute.

Chase's Blessing

2010-03-12T09:15:00.004-07:00

Sunday was a special day for us. Chase was given a blessing by his dad. It was a beautiful blessing. I was able to write it down and then transfer it to his journal; that way he will be able to read it in the future. I'm so grateful for the priesthood, and that my husband is able to bless our lives with it.

Food Storage Fun

2010-03-05T12:07:00.011-07:00

One thing I love about blogs is that aside from sharing photos--which is my favorite part--we can share anything we want. I know a lot of my friends are working on getting their food storage together. Steve and I are also trying to get ours together and have found some very helpful resources. If you have any ideas you'd like to share with us, we'd love for you to have them. => We are still new at this.

I've been trying to get our food storage together for the last little while. My mom gave us a great book called Practical Preparedness by Tina Monson. It makes the process easier by breaking food storage down into weekly and monthly goals. She has a chapter in the book on how to build a year's supply of food for $10 a week for two people. She has a food storage inventory checklist that you can use to check off what you have, what you need, and when to rotate your food. I highly recommend this book.

We use our food storage so that we save money and so the food doesn't just sit there. We feel this is important because we are storing it in unsealed containers in a 70 degree apt (which is fine, it just won't last as long as it would if the storing temperature were cooler). This website, talks about the storage life of dry foods. I was having a hard time finding recipes that we could use our food storage food with until I stumbled upon this website. I'm excited to try some of these recipes.

Steve's dad has done extensive research on camping gear and we bought one of his recommendations for a water filter. It is a Sawyer water treatment system that is guaranteed to filter one-million gallons. We figure this is a lot easier than storing 55 gallon drums in our tiny apartment. If you would like me to forward you the e-mail that Steve's dad sent me about different filter recommendations, I would be happy to.

Another thing that has made it easier to get our food storage together is to devote the first Family Night in the month to getting it ready. For example, last month we focused on water, this month we are focusing on sanitation, and next month, we will be focusing on heat and light sources.

Ezra Taft Benson and Socialism/Communism

2010-02-24T10:11:00.004-07:00

Someone from my ward sent me this. I think it is something that is worth watching. Just click on the title.

Chase's two month stats

2010-02-24T09:57:00.002-07:00

Weight: 12 pounds 3.4 ounces (64th percentile) Height: 23 3/4" (79th percentile) Head circumference(if you care): 16 (69th percentile)

8 weeks old

2010-02-17T09:08:00.009-07:00

and happy (but not too happy about) it.

2010-02-17T06:12:00.004-07:00

To read or to sleep, that is the question

2010-02-05T20:37:00.003-07:00

I just put a link to Goodreads on our blog so you can read my book reviews and see what I've been reading. Ella Minnow Pea is a political satire that is hilarious if you are looking for a quick read. So now that we are talking about reading and books, I went to bookclub about a week ago and the book for this month is The Count of Monte Cristo. It took me a week to get it from the library because they transferred it from another library. It's over 1000 pages. I said to myself, "Self, if you want to read this by the 18th of February you might not want to sleep from now until then." After thinking about it for all of...2 minutes, I decided sleep was the better option.

I've changed so much in the last six weeks!

2010-02-05T20:10:00.005-07:00

I'm so sad when grandma (and Kayla) go home...

2010-02-05T18:08:00.009-07:00

Thanks for coming to visit! We can't wait for Nicole to come!

Thoughts on Motherhood

2010-01-17T12:42:00.016-07:00

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I have been taught and firmly believe that motherhood is a divine and sacred calling. In "A Proclamation to the Family" a modern prophet and apostles state, "By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation."

I recently listened to a very disheartening program on National Public Radio that contrasted this. It was a discourse about women in the corporate world. Opinions varied. Some women felt guilty for leaving their children with a day care provider while at work. Others felt that even though they would like to be home with their children they couldn't abandon the feelings of self-worth that come from "meaningfully" contributing to society through gainful employment. Many felt their contributions and skills in the workforce were under-appreciated. A man called in and said something to the effect that women who went to school, earned a bachelor's degree, and weren't using it in the workforce were wasting their degree. I couldn't disagree more.

I know that many women work outside the home out of necessity and are still great mothers. They don't, however, need to spend all of their time trying to be exactly like their male cohorts because they aren't.

Salt will never taste like pepper. We couldn't get salt to taste like pepper if we wanted to. They serve different purposes. Women and men will never be the same, they have inherent differences. I could work construction, but I could not lift 75 pounds. My husband can nurture and love our little boy, but he cannot feed him when he's hungry. Why? Because by divine design we are different. Are we equal? Yes. Same and equal are not synonymous. Do men contribute more to society than women? No. They serve different purposes.

As women, we use our knowledge, education and the gifts Heavenly Father has blessed us with to be good mothers and in turn better society. Through motherhood we "meaningfully" contribute to society.

In the short six weeks time that I have been a mother, I've learned the importance of motherhood. It has been much more than feeding, changing diapers, and consoling a crying baby. It has brought overwhelming feelings of joy and contentment. I'm so grateful to be a mother.

Introducing the big guy!

2009-12-29T16:58:00.005-07:00

High Point

2009-11-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of the furniture deals at High Point? We had to go and check out what all the fuss was about. They have everything from ultra high end furniture to low end furniture. We liked the huge chest outside the store.

Thanksgiving Weekend with Steve's family!

2009-11-25T08:40:00.005-07:00

We hiked up to God's Acre, which is a Moravian cemetery. The Moravian religion is a protestant religion with about 20,000 members in Winston-Salem. It was fun to go and learn a little more about them.

Rolls-Royce

2009-11-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

This is for my brother Royce. Notice the handicapped parking sticker. This is how long it took this guy to save for this car. It retails at $400,000+. Royce, looks like you might need a larger piggy bank!

My Family

2009-11-11T07:33:00.002-07:00

This is a picture of my family before Steve and I left for North Carolina. We were actually celebrating my birthday that weekend. I love this picture, which is why I had to put it on the blog. It only took me four months.

Changing the oil

2009-11-10T08:30:00.001-07:00

Come rain or come shine, the oil must be changed.

Hanging Rock

2009-10-31T08:23:00.000-06:00

We love hiking in the rain!

Beautiful Salem Lake

2009-10-24T08:14:00.000-06:00

There is a 7 mile trail that goes around the circumference of the lake. We had to stop 2 miles in and walk back due to a flat tire--gotta love those!

North Carolina Temple

2009-10-02T11:57:00.000-06:00

Day 3

2009-09-10T15:53:00.003-06:00

Thomas Edison Museum. Thomas Edison lived here while he worked for the telegraph company. Pretty cool, we saw some of his inventions including the improvements he made over the years to the phonograph.

Day 2

2009-08-19T09:31:00.001-06:00

Lewis and Clark Museum in Nebraska Gateway Arch in St. Louis Missouri Facts about Gateway Arch: The Arch is 630 ft. tall. It is made of stainless steel and weighs 43,000 tons. The Arch is an inverted Catenary curve, which is often used in bridges, domes, and arches. The arch is made to sway one inch in a 20 mile an hour wind and up to 18 inches in 150 mile an hour wind. Visiting the arch was definitely worth the stop! Funny story--Steve's parents gave Steve a GPS for Steve's graduation, great little device, and it tried getting us back onto the freeway via the river. There was only one thing missing- a road. However, the GPS was wonderful and was VERY useful in getting us to Winston Salem and getting us around Winston Salem! I'm sure everyone who knows Steve and I and our few mishaps of getting lost can attest to this.

Day 1

2009-08-18T21:00:00.001-06:00

On our way to North Carolina... Wyoming and Kentucky! Steve driving through the most scenic part of Wyoming, actually my family is in the most scenic part of Wyoming right now...sigh...getting ready to float down the river...longer...sigh...and hang out with all of the extended family..."No Steve, I'm not jealous!" (You never know who's looking over your shoulder.) Sleeping in a KOA in Kentucky. Can you say bugs?! Now take a deep breath and say--very big bugs! I had to tell myself I can do big bugs, I'm tough... Steve says "You were trepid but brave."

Steve's Graduation

2009-08-14T11:36:00.001-06:00

Steve graduated from BYU this year! He worked SO hard, I can attest to that. He learned a lot while going to school. I was impressed by his willingness to always serve others around him. He was so busy, yet always took time to help others. Steve will be successful in life because of that. He is on to new challenges and exciting adventures, and I get to go with him! :)

2009-08-13T10:07:00.006-06:00

My sister was telling me that I needed to change my facebook profile picture since I haven't done that in a year. Here are the 1st and 2nd attempts. The next 4 were just as good. I am sooo photogenic. Right Kayla?:)

President Gasser's Homecoming

2009-08-09T11:46:00.001-06:00

We were able to go to my mission president's homecoming before we left for North Carolina. Sitting there listening to him speak was just like being in Zone Conference. It was a lot of fun. It was also a lot of fun to see old companions and friends. This is Sister Adams, Sister Waldie, and I.

2009-06-24T20:06:00.006-06:00

Oh to be 19! Happy Birthday Kayla! Adjectives that describe Kayla: Vivacious, hilarious, talented, charming, fiery, smart, zealous, happy, fun, and amiable. I love having Kayla as a sister, you might not understand unless you really know Kayla--unless you have spent a lot of time with her. She is hilarious! My mom's laughter can be heard throughout the house and one wonders what joke they've missed out on. Who else has a sister who has been in a ketchup and mustard fight, with ketchup and mustard bottles as amo? Answer me that. I wonder where she even gets these ideas from. I will stop now, but, bottom line, I'm so blessed to have her as a sister!

2009-06-15T16:09:00.000-06:00

Happy 18th Birthday to Danielle!!

2009-05-21T16:17:00.007-06:00

Happy 18th Birthday Danielle!! Yes Danielle, you are now a quasi-legal adult. Wow! I hope you have a supercalafragalisticexpialabirthday. I will eat cake and other sweets in your honor tonight. OOXOXO X-hand-X -Steve I hope that you have a wonderful birthday! You are one of the prettiest girls I know, on the inside and out(not to mention the funniest). Being 18 is so much fun, I hope that you have a great year and learn all you can from BYU-Idaho. You are so incredibly smart, they will be very lucky to have you! Thanks for being you!

Happiness prevails!

2009-05-14T22:23:00.005-06:00

2009-05-14T21:56:00.000-06:00

Our Mothers

2009-05-10T22:34:00.003-06:00

Quoting a song from a musical group "Ill Divo" we thank our mothers for all the things that we are and all of the things that we are not. We love you! Top 5 reasons I have the best mom: 1. Selfless and puts others first 2. Spiritually minded-always teaching by word and example 3. Would listen any time of day or night, for as long as you needed 4. Loves to have fun and is a lot of fun to be around 5. Always serves others Top 5 reasons I have the best mother-in-law: 1. For teaching Steve to dream and to think big 2. Having a genuine interest in our lives and happiness 3. Always striving to learn more 4. Great cook 5. Thinks of others before herself

2009-02-04T22:14:00.001-07:00

Our Story

2009-02-04T17:24:00.001-07:00

Steve and Elyse meet on October 17th 2007 while planting bulbs on Temple Square. Steve is very impressed with Elyse's professional bulb planting skills and knows that he needs to get to know this girl better. Elyse is talking to friend of Steve. Steve enters conversation. Elyse says, "I served my mission in Hungary." Steve replies, "My brother is in Hungary, we need to talk. Can I get your number?" Steve and Elyse go on first date. First date was wonderful, but ended prematurely with Elyse trying not to hurl in Steve's car. Steve was so impressed he asked Elyse out for date #2. What a guy. One month later they hold hands. One month later they talk about getting married and set a date. January 27th 2008, ring is dropped in gutter...I mean, placed nicely on Elyse's ring finger. FYI, Steve was not nervous, the ring jumped out of the box...seriously! Elyse said yes, because how could she say no after that performance, and wedding bells were heard in the near, or distant future. Wonderful engagement where hours of engaging phone conversations took place. Steve and Elyse are greatly anticipating August 12th. August 12th 2008, family, and closest friends gather at Salt Lake Temple, trying to be original, to celebrate the beginning of a wonderful life together! -Told by Elyse Sears