Higginbotham Hoopla

2012-02-01T10:03:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving

2011-12-25T22:34:00.007-05:00

We went to Lexington Kentucky this year for Thanksgiving to visit my dear friend Nancy from High school and her awesome family. We had such a good time!

The drive was a bit treacherous... well only because we have little kids. It was supposed to be an 8 hour drive. We did it in 12 on the way up. We managed to improve our time on the way back to 9.5 hours. But it was completely worth it. Spending time with good friends you've known for a long time is.... I'll be honest the only adjectives I can think of are "delicious" and "sparkly". For tonight that will have to be descriptive enough.

I think Summer had a pretty good time. She got 2 teeth the day after Thanksgiving and was pretty clingy to mommy the whole time, but she weathered it well.

This is a picture of our sweetie Belen after creating her first gingerbread house. She had a blast running around with Nancy's older kids who were so nice to play with her the whole time we were there.

Holden and Nancy's husband Wade discovered they both lived in Kamas Utah as kids.

I was so inspired by Nancy's ability to put on a Thanksgiving dinner with a ton of delicious foods, keep her house clean with 5 children running around, and provide fun crafts or projects for the kids at the same time. It was a wonderful trip!

Feeding off each other

2011-12-25T22:24:00.000-05:00

Bipedal Cervidae

2011-11-27T21:52:00.003-05:00

We drove through West Virginia this weekend. Aside from the several industrial complexes that look like they're straight out of a Freddy Kreuger movie, the most interesting things I saw were the deer crossing signs. Instead of the normal look I'm used to:
They looked like this:Can anyone explain what this means?

Chicken Noodle Soup

2011-10-29T10:05:00.003-04:00

This post is mostly for me so I can remember that I just found my favorite chicken noodle soup recipe. I used homemade chicken broth (I didn't use chicken feet or gizzards in mine; not ready for that quite yet). For the soup I used this recipe except I did use noodles (not carrot and zuchini shredded) and I added carrots to the onions and celery as I sauted them like a typical soup. My favorite part of this recipe is that I chose to use the suggested coconut oil to saute the veggies in. YUM. Loved it. I'm sure this would freeze well, so it would be the perfect thing to whip up and throw in the freezer for when your entire family comes down with a cold and doesn't shake it for... well whenever. We haven't shaken our's yet. Just comes with having kids I guess. Oh, and I love making these cornbread muffins to go with it. They freeze well too, but every time I put them in the freezer they come out within a day anyway, sometimes hours. Oh well :)

2011-10-23T21:56:00.000-04:00

More Diligent and Concerned at Home

2011-10-19T22:00:00.002-04:00

So my sister-in-law Leah commented on my last post and asked if I remember the "talk about the painting of the wheat field", and I didn't really at first, but skimmed it again just now. It's called More Diligent and Concerned at Home by one of the 12 apostles of our church - David A. Bednar. It's a great talk, I love the part about being consistent:

"In my office is a beautiful painting of a wheat field. The painting is a vast collection of individual brushstrokes—none of which in isolation is very interesting or impressive. In fact, if you stand close to the canvas, all you can see is a mass of seemingly unrelated and unattractive streaks of yellow and gold and brown paint. However, as you gradually move away from the canvas, all of the individual brushstrokes combine together and produce a magnificent landscape of a wheat field. Many ordinary, individual brushstrokes work together to create a captivating and beautiful painting.

Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable. But just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results. “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (D&C 64:33). Consistency is a key principle as we lay the foundation of a great work in our individual lives and as we become more diligent and concerned in our own homes."

Family Scripture Study

2011-10-15T22:28:00.003-04:00

As members of the LDS faith we are encouraged to hold daily scripture study with our families. We have been making a more concerted effort to accomplish this recently which isn't the easiest thing to do with a 6 month old and a 2 year old. We usually say a prayer, read a few verses, remind the 2 year old to listen, and sometimes we sing a song. It's not long and I've been surprised that most of the time, even though we don't read for very long at all, I feel a pleasant spirit inside about the experience, and happy that we did it. And even though I think over time this will be valuable for both our girls I didn't think it was making much of a difference yet. However, the other day Belen was "helping" me in the kitchen and talking happily. At one point she said, "And it came to pass...there was a Jesus". I couldn't wait to tell Holden when he got home that our efforts were not in vain! She may not be visibly listening too much yet, but I think having an understanding that "there was a Jesus" is a good start :)

Ma! And other fun things...

2011-09-26T22:35:00.002-04:00

A short update...

Summer is rolling around all over the floor. She also says "Ma!" if she's upset (needs to eat or sleep) and is not given over to Mama as soon as she would like. When she's tired she also does a funny and somewhat indignant sounding grunt/grumble. She loves to smile and laugh. She especially loves watch her sister hop which elicits an awesome belly laugh. A couple weeks ago in church while the sacrament was being passed she started laughing at Belen and couldn't stop for about 4 minutes; not sure what she was laughing at, but it was very cute.

Belen saw some ducks at the park the other day. She said "Hey birds, wanna hold my hand? (no response) Hey bird, you hold me. No? OK." She is pretty much potty trained; she loves Daddy to "get her" when he comes home. This means he gets a great workout chasing her all over the house, usually with Summer in tow. Mommy acts as "base". She loves her friends and family. She just got to visit her Mooresville NC cousins for the first time and can't stop talking about going to their house.

We love our girls. We'll post pic & videos soon.

Find What You Love

2011-08-25T22:40:00.000-04:00

An inspiring address: click here.

Dad

2011-08-08T21:21:00.009-04:00

My Dad passed away Sunday morning. I'm grateful he was released from his body that wasn't working for him anymore. I'm grateful to know that I will see him again after this life and that he is joining loved ones he has missed in the last several years. I'm grateful for his example of optimism, friendliness, honesty, and service to others. I'm grateful for lots of fun memories, for his sense of humor and for the unique man that he was and is. I love his laugh and charming personality.

Some of my favorite memories are dancing together and hearing him sing. Everyone wanted to dance with Dad, and everyone he knows has probably heard him sing at one time or another. He enjoyed songs by Randy Travis, Merle Haggard, Elvis, and Nat King Cole to name of few. If he didn't know the lyrics he filled in with a lot of "deedle dye dee"s and "deedle deedle doe"s.

Some things he'd often say:
"Boy Howdy!"
"Hot diggity dog!"
"....by George"
"You gotta stand for something or you'll fall for anything"
"There's a hitch in my get along"
"Well I'll be John Brown"
"We're in pretty good shape for the shape we're in"
(when someone says something is healthy he'd say...) "Yeah and so good for ya"
"I'm as nervous as a frog on a freeway with my hopper broke"
If you asked him how work was or something... "Well, it's better than a stick in the eye"
"Just keep going you can't miss it"
"A day late and a dollar short"
"She (or he)'s a dandy!"
"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink"
"You gotta let the clutch out cuz the fan won't pull it"
"It doesn't get any better than this"
"Ok pardner"
"Adios"

In the past several years my Dad has become softer and more of a spiritual person. I'll miss talking with him about spiritual things and look forward to more talks later.

Love you Dad.

Temple Sealing

Dancing with Dad (sometime in my high school years)

Dancing with Dad at my wedding

At the Oregon Coast - Dad loved having a toothpick in his mouth (also sometime in my high school years)

Sitting on Dad's lap. I'm the youngest of my Dad's 8 children.

You're Lucky!

2011-07-30T19:39:00.002-04:00

Whenever I have both of our girls on my lap I say something like "Oh, I'm so lucky to have you two girls on my lap!" Today Holden had them both on his lap and Belen said "You're lucky!" Cute. :)And she's right; he is very lucky.

Another thing Belen is saying at the end of many of her sentences is "You mean?" It took me a while, but now I realize she's trying to copy me and say "You know what I mean?"

One of Belen's favorite things to do is run. She will start at our front door and say "Ready, set go!" and then run to the couch in the living room. She does this back and forth several times and wants mommy and daddy to join in too. Which is especially great when I haven't gotten my workout in. Out in the hall of our building she likes to have "running races". I run with her and tell her how fast she is.

Summer is full of smiles at about 4 months old. She has been super fun, easy and a good sleeper. Yay! It looks like she'll be keeping her blue eyes for good. I love her laughs and smiles and the way she lets me dance her to sleep on my chest. She also has started giving me "kisses" (sucks on my face). I love it.

We are lucky...

2011-07-24T19:33:00.001-04:00

2011-04-10T17:39:00.001-04:00

110410

2011-03-31T22:20:00.000-04:00

Summer is here!

2011-03-31T22:11:00.001-04:00

The Perfect Parent

2011-02-17T21:55:00.003-05:00

I guess the perfect parent is the one that knows perfect parenting is impossible and can keep that thought for more than a week or so. I attended a parenting class tonight and I think the most important thought shared was in regards to who we are trying to emulate as parents. Most people in my immediate social circle would say we are trying to emulate the kind of parents that God and Jesus Christ are to us. This is good and right in my opinion, the trouble is that we are not perfect and God and Jesus Christ are. The thought that struck home for me is that I should not be trying to be my child's Savior. She already has one. That is not my role. I need to encourage her relationship with Jesus Christ, her Savior, and remember that it is ok for me not to be perfect. This is a very simple, basic truth, but I have to relearn in on a regular basis. For some reason, the way it was presented to me tonight worked well for me. I will most likely continue to wring my hands and worry I'm not doing something well enough, partly because it's my nature and partly because it's what parents do, but maybe if I blog about it, I will look back on this post and remember every once in awhile to relax just a little and put my faith in God and Jesus Christ a little more :)

Nicolden's West Coast Talent Show Dance

2010-12-27T15:43:00.001-05:00

Another Year Gone By ...

2010-12-26T21:32:00.014-05:00

Dear Friends and Family,

We love you all and would love to send out pictures and a family letter like many of you have done. We think about doing it every year, and somehow lack the motivation every year. So for now, this post will have to do.

We have had a fantastic year in the Higginbotham household.

Holden is still very busy with his post doc in neuroscience at UNC. He is also enjoying mentoring graduate students part time, has a demanding church calling, plays basketball once a week most weeks, and has lots of fun tickling Belen and playing hide and seek with her. He continues to be an avid reader. He recently read "Team of Rivals" - a book on the life of Abraham Lincoln, and is now reading Shakespeare's Richard III. He is also busy with job applications...look out, we may be relocating to an area near you!

Nicole has been learning how to be a mom which has been challenging but mostly very fun and exciting. She has done a little dance teaching on the side, and had an enjoyable Harry Potter reading obsession for a few months when she caught up with the rest of the world on all the books, but mostly keeps busy with Belen, friends in the neighborhood, and the typical household stuff. Oh yeah, she has been busy being pregnant as well, almost forgot, for the past 6 months-ish. We expect baby girl number 2 around April 2 2011!

Belen has had a big year: learned to crawl, learned to walk, got some teeth, turned one year old, saw the ocean, more teeth, learned lots of words and most recently has joined the nursery at church which she loves. She is such a good girl, and so much fun to have around; she is constantly doing something cute, learning something new, or teaching her parents that they have lots to learn about... well lots of things: disciplining, feeding a toddler, patience... :) We love it. She loves monkeys, playing outside & with her friends, coloring, singing, reading books (and TV if she can get it), and pushing her little pink stroller around. She helps out around the house by chucking the silverware into the drawer one by one, pushing the start button for the dryer, and making smoothies with her Daddy in the morning.

As a family we've enjoyed trips to see family in Utah, Oregon and California, and had family from Utah visit us also. We've taken a couple of trips to the ocean as well. Holden and Nicole danced a west coast swing at the church talent show, put a puzzle together for many at home date nights, and celebrated 3 happy years of marriage. The random event of the year is that we won a flat screen TV from our auto repair shop. Nice of them, huh?

We are looking forward to the next chapter in our lives which will include lots of great adventures learning to be parents to two little girls, a new job for Holden and a move to nobody knows where :) We hope you are all well and wish you a very happy year in 2011!

Love,
The Higginbothams

Prepare to be melted

2010-12-05T08:36:00.000-05:00

Two!

2010-09-12T09:49:00.000-04:00

Woof Woof

2010-09-04T13:44:00.000-04:00

This bug protects me from roaches!

2010-08-20T15:11:00.005-04:00

"Y'know, I've noticed an infestation here. Everywhere I look, in fact. Nothing but undeveloped, unevolved, barely conscious pond scum, totally convinced of their own superiority as they scurry about their short, pointless lives."--Giant cockroach, Men in Black.

I saw this bug on the wall at work.
It gave me a heart attack. I pointed it out to a co-worker walking by. Our conversation:

Me: Check that thing out. Creepy. (I knock it off the wall with my foot.)
Co-worker: Yes, I have been having a lot of them at my house.
Me: (Thinking) I haven't seen them in my house. What's the deal?
Me: (Squashes the bug)
Co-worker: Actually, they are very useful. They are eating all the other bugs in my house.

Turns out, he's right. It's a house centipede and they are eating all the cockroaches and moths in his house. But is it worth it? It's like being friends with a werewolf to keep away the vampires.

Nicole thinking outside the box

2010-07-25T19:30:00.006-04:00

Belén's friend brought her a stuffed dog with bunny ears, kind of like this:

I had the great idea of putting antlers on it and then it would become some sort of dog jackalope. Nicole smiled, but I could tell she didn't fully appreciate the genius of the idea. After repeating myself a few more times to hopefully get a better response, I soon discovered that Nicole didn't know what a jackalope was. She said, "I thought you were talking about a jack-o-lantern made out of a cantaloupe." How clever of that woman.

Belén the Economist

2010-07-23T20:57:00.002-04:00

Belén totally performed a cost-benefit analysis tonight at dinner. She was hungry and impatient to get eating. We made some tasty potato and onion perogies and some broccoli. I first gave her a bite of perogie. She liked that. She swallowed fast and opened up for more. After a few bites I thought it was time for some broccoli. I offered her a piece and she refused it outright. So I put some perogi and broccoli together on a fork and offered it to her. She opened wide, but just before the fork got to her mouth, she looked down at it for the first time, saw the broccoli and closed her mouth. She just stared down at that bite for a good while, opening and closing her mouth just slightly; there were some hard core calculations going on in her head ("What an unexpected turn of events! How do I get past the green thing?") She did eventually take the bite, but refused a second one.

Frambuesas

2010-07-17T08:50:00.000-04:00

2010-07-17T08:41:00.001-04:00

Father's Day

2010-06-20T23:00:00.002-04:00

Belen is Turning One...

2010-06-07T20:52:00.003-04:00

This video is a bit long. It may be mostly appreciated by grandparents and the like who haven't seen Belen lately. She is turning 1 this week...growing like a weed as they say.

A Belen Video

2010-05-06T21:58:00.002-04:00

If you haven't seen Belen in a while, here is a recent video of her. The walker toy she is playing with reminds me of people I've seen whose dogs are walking them. Enjoy :)

Oh Sweet Sleeping Baby

2010-04-07T09:35:00.003-04:00

As you may know, we have had trouble with getting Belen to sleep. I have not been able to let her "cry it out" because I have been hoping other non-crying methods would work, plus the times that I have tried it she sounded like she might die, hyperventilate, and her little face had red splotchies all over. Plus when I tried it a bit later when she was more mobile she would bonk her head on the crib. I just couldn't keep it up. I feared it would lead to not trusting me and others and maybe even self esteem issues - am I crazy? I don't know. Last weekend we tried it again. Again, I couldn't do it, but we decided she could cry with us in there with her, we could help her make friends with her stuffed animals, and basically stay there until she couldn't stay awake any longer. And it's finally starting to pay off! Last night she started talking to her animals right before my eyes, yay! I stayed in there a long time with her and she just kept sitting up drunkenly and then face planting on the bed, then getting up again. So finally I walked out. And she cried. For 30 seconds!!! Now that's the kind of crying it out I can handle. I went to bed and must have gotten her in my sleep because I woke up with her by me in bed. Sometimes I do that when I'm really tired. Kinda freaky.

This morning when it was time for her first nap I hung out with her for a bit, read her a story, sang a song, cuddled and then stayed by her crib for a bit. Then I walked out and crossed my fingers. She cried, but not that crazy "I'm going out of my mind" cry. And after about 5 minutes she cried just every once in a while for about 20 minutes. But it was very light, non emergency crying. And now she's asleep. Which is amazing. Words cannot express my delight. :) I went in to cover her up with a blanket and she was in "child's pose" with her head on her stuffed mouse. Oh, sweet sleeping baby, I hope this is the beginning of the end of our sleep issues.

I am a firm believer in listening to your own mothering (and fathering) instincts, and I think we did that which I feel good about. However, I would like to give special thanks to ideas I got from "The Baby Whisperer" and several friends & family members who have offered support and advice... hopefully she keeps up the good sleeping :)

Belen's First Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-04T18:56:00.001-04:00

More Easter Cuteness

2010-04-04T18:55:00.001-04:00

Easter Cuteness

2010-04-04T18:54:00.001-04:00

A Walk Through the NC Botanical Gardens

2010-04-04T18:45:00.001-04:00

A New Day

2010-03-31T23:13:00.002-04:00

First of all, sorry it's been - yep - 3.5 months since I last blogged. But we really do hope you had a Merry Christmas :) Since I last showed a video of Belen she has learned to crawl, pull herself up to standing, clap and say something that is almost "Uh-oh". That said, I do not have a new video for you - yet. Hopefully soon. However, I do have a cute story.

This morning I woke up to find myself lying on my right side, Belen's head leaning against me. I was sandwiched tightly between her and Holden and I needed to run to the grocery store. So I climbed over Holden and left. When I got back he said "Guess how Belen woke up? She opened her eyes, giggled, clapped and then looked over at me and smiled".

It's pretty much never-ending cuteness around here.

In other news, I'm still teaching dance lessons about once a week, Holden is still working like a dog and has taken on a small editing side job. He was in a launch the venture class and his team competed at a couple of business competitions recently. They won 3rd place at one in Tennessee. Way to go guys! That's about it from us for now. We plan to blog again sometime between now and Christmas; no promises on how many times, but we'll do our best, I know Belen's fans are particularly interested in seeing and hearing how she is getting along. Much love to all... goodnight!

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-21T21:22:00.002-05:00

October Trip to Utah

2009-12-21T18:20:00.002-05:00

In October we visited Family and a couple friends in beautiful Utah. We stayed in a cabin near Park City with Holden's side of the family for a big chunk of it which was really fun. We got to meet Belen's newest cousin Hendrix, visited my friend Betsy and my niece Erica and her husband Brad, plus Holden's friend Kirk. We got to see Grandma Higginbotham down in Richfield and spend some more quality time with the Higginbotham family. Belen did a great job on the flights even though we got bumped in Cincinatti and had to stay the night. She was a trooper. On the way to our terminal for our final leg of the flight she went to sleep on my shoulder. We'll be in North Carolina for Christmas, but are looking forward to our next trip to see my side of the family in Oregon in February.

Belen Play Time Video

2009-11-02T20:06:00.004-05:00

An Apostle's Words

2009-10-22T21:53:00.002-04:00

“Oh, it is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us—even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will.

“We [might] see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever."

- Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

That's Funny

2009-10-06T10:21:00.003-04:00

Holden cracks me up all the time. I laugh my head off and then forget what it is that he said almost immediately. So I'm starting a record. The other day he said "I hate it when I can't tell if a commercial is going to be by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or Toyota." That's Funny.

I love you my hilarious handsome Holden. ;)

Belén Video

2009-10-02T23:27:00.004-04:00

More Visitors: Gammy & Grampa Higg & Grammy Lewis!

2009-10-02T22:19:00.001-04:00

Thanks so much for coming and for all your help!!!

I Came Back From the Kitchen...

2009-09-21T18:07:00.003-04:00

...and what did I see? Our baby girl all grown up(sniff)! Ok, not quite, but I had put her on her tummy and she was on her back! I was so much more excited than I anticipated I would be. We celebrated all day. She did it 3 more times. What a show off :) This is my favorite job ever. (I caught it on video, but the video seems too big...stay tuned for when I get that figured out).

Cute Things

2009-09-16T17:38:00.004-04:00

My sister asked me to update her on some of the cute things Belen is doing lately... this was my update:

Belen does lots of cute things. Some of them are hard to explain in words, I will try to get them on video. One of the things I love is her stretches. She stretches after nursing and waking up. She arches her back and pouts out her lips, it's super cute. She stretches so much she actually has gotten ME stretching. It feels great! :) I love her smiles and her laughs probably the most. I will definitely get that on video.

Just now she did something really cute. I put her down in her crib because I could tell she was ready for a nap. I gave her her pacifier and, although her mouth was full of pacifier she proceeded to mumble, protest and basically scold me through it. I thought I could get her to calm down while still in the crib at first (I'm trying to teach her to go to sleep more on her own - yeah right, ha ha!), and her scolding me made me laugh all of the sudden. It was just so cute and so I scooped her up, buried my face in her neck and kissed it, letting a little chuckle out in the process. And to my surprise she started laughing too and her lips widened into a smile behind her pacifier. Then I started rocking her and she did some more protesting which made me laugh again and it made her laugh again too. A few minutes later she was asleep. It was so cute. It made our relationship seem for a moment less mom-daughter and more spirit to spirit enjoying this life we have here on earth... learning from each other.

She's my buddy, goes with me everywhere, it's great!

PS - another "cute" thing she's doing... sleeping from bedtime until 2:30 and sometimes longer!

New Favorite Quote

2009-08-31T12:28:00.000-04:00

"The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache." — Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Visitors

2009-08-28T20:57:00.003-04:00

My parents came out the week Belen was due. We had fun going to Mapleview Farm, swimming and out to Cheesecake Factory.

My sister Shawna came to help when Belen was 4 days old. It was wonderful to have her and she was a huge help. It was a very busy few days as we got settled in at home.

Thanks for coming everyone, we love you!

Shout Out to Hugamonkey

2009-08-28T20:52:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Hugamonkey for my SAWEET ride.

7:15pm - 2:38am

2009-08-27T13:10:00.003-04:00

That is the chunk of time our cute bundle slept last night. Yahoo! The ironic thing... I couldn't sleep when I went to bed, and then it took forever to get back to sleep after nursing her at 2:38. Ah, c'est la vie!

Happy Anniversary to Us

2009-08-27T13:06:00.005-04:00

It's been 2 fabulous years together as of Tuesday. In the short time since then we've traveled to Europe together, moved across the country, and added a bundle of joy to our home. It can't get much better than this can it? :) Looking forward to eternity together...

Play Time

2009-08-10T13:44:00.002-04:00

Swinging VIdeo

2009-07-22T10:20:00.005-04:00

Belen is 6 weeks old now. We don't know how much she weighs, but she was 8 pounds, 13 ounces at her 4 week appointment. She feels like she is gaining lots of weight and she slept almost the whole day Monday, just waking up to nurse, which we think means she was having a growth spurt. We made the big decision to move her to her own room on Sunday night. I was planning on her sleeping in her co-sleeper in our room for around 3 months, but we wondered, and Sunday confirmed it, if we would all sleep better with this new arrangement. She went right to sleep, not a single cry and that was it. They grow up so fast (sniff).

I apologize for the annoying voice in the background in this video ;).

Más Belén

2009-07-16T23:39:00.005-04:00

Birth Story

2009-06-28T13:26:00.004-04:00

Sorry to keep you all in suspense - just haven't had the time, energy, etc. for blogging until now. So early Tuesday morning, June 9th, I started having regular contractions close together and so we went to the hospital after calling our midwife. We got there and I was in good spirits, making jokes and not expecting to have a baby that day since my contractions were not very hard yet. They hooked me up to machines to check everything out and concluded that since they didn't know how fast or slow I would labor they wanted to do a c section as soon as possible. Uggh! Reality started setting in, that our baby really was not going to come naturally as we had hoped. We prayed, Holden gave me a blessing, and I cried. A lot. But I signed all the consent forms and they took me down to the operating room alone. Holden was allowed to come in only after I had received the spinal thingy. Whatever they call it - where they put the needle in your back (shudder) and your whole bottom half goes numb (yikes!) I was really nervous about this part and proceeded to have a minor panic attack. I couldn't stop crying and shaking and I was nervous they were going to try to put the needle in at that time and hit the wrong spot because I was shaking so much. That thought didn't help matters. I finally was able to calm down as I focused on the baby. I knew I had to move forward because in our circumstances this was the best thing for her. I calmed down immediately with this thought, and allowed myself to lean on the doctor's shoulder while they put the needle in. They said it would burn, but I hardly felt anything. Soon they brought Holden in and he held my hand. The doctor and all of the staff were really amazing. They seemed to understand how hard it was for me and did everything they could to make it a positive experience. As she was operating the MD was saying all kinds of encouraging things like "We're about to have a birthday party!" She did a really great job. All I could do was stare at the ceiling at a round knob that said "oxygen" on it and say to myself "I can do this", "I'm ok", "Everything is going to be ok". When we heard Belen cry for the first time we both cried too. Then I heard one of the nurses say "Wow, she has long eyelashes".

In the recovery room they laid Belen on my chest and she breastfed right away. My recovery has been really great so far. I read a lot of things about c sections that made me nervous, but our experience has been as positive as possible. We were really blessed, and have a lot to be grateful for, especially, of course, all the special moments we have had so far as a family with Belen. Thanks again to everyone for your support and prayers. And I apologize for all the unreturned phone calls, I promise to get better at that as my recovery continues to progress and I get into a more predictable routine with the baby.

Much Love,
The Higginbothams

Belén

2009-06-12T19:59:00.008-04:00

Mother bears child.

2009-06-11T18:06:00.005-04:00

June 11, 2009. Chapel Hill, NC.

On Tuesday morning at 7:05 am Holden Higginbotham's lovely and brave wife Nicole had a baby. Mrs. Higginbotham had been pregnant for 9 months prior to the birth. The baby is a girl and she is reportedly beautiful and loads of cuddly fun. She has been spending the last 2 days eating and being kissed. Tomorrow she plans to leave the hospital and arrive at her home, accompanied by her mother, who is recovering wonderfully, and the father.

The child's name is Aliona Belén Higginbotham. Pronounced "ahh-lee-oh-nuh bay-lenn". The parents have been calling her Belén or Lenna or Lene or 'Lil Higg.

The parents claim to be very happy and full of love for their little girl. They also say they are too tired right now to provide pics, much to the chagrin of Belén's adoring fans. They promise soon. Belén provided no comment on the matter, but started sucking on the microphone.

Baby Update

2009-06-08T15:17:00.003-04:00

Here's the scoop. Baby is not here yet. We had a c section scheduled for June 4th because she is still breech, then we changed it to the 8th (today), and now we have pushed it back to this coming Friday, June 12th. Today I went in for a non stress test which is where they check the baby's heart rate, the amount she is moving, the amount of contractions I am having and the amount of amniotic fluid that is surrounding the baby. All is well. I have another appointment on Thursday for the same thing.

We have just taken it day by day and we feel really good about this decision. We have also looked into every possibility of turning her or finding someone skilled in delivering breech babies - so far with little success. We have read and heard lots of information about the pros and cons of c section with a breech baby and whether or not it is best to have a scheduled or unscheduled c section (there are conflicting opinions on this one, but in our circumstances feel better trying for an unscheduled one).

We feel good about giving the baby more time so she can get things rolling when she's ready, even if it ends in a c section. And even though it is rare for a breech baby to have the room to turn at this point we feel like giving her a few more days to work with her on it is the right thing to do. We have also heard that sometimes a baby will be able to turn vertex (or head down) during labor. The doctors have said we cannot go any longer than Friday since there are no available appointments on Monday, and they don't recommend going more than 2 weeks past the due date.

This has been a faith building experience for sure. We have asked for a miracle, but are also asking that the Lord's will be done. He has led us step by step down the path we are taking and whatever the outcome is, I know we have had His guidance and I have felt His Spirit reassuring me that everything will be ok. I have my moments, but most of the time I have been able to feel calm and peaceful about the approach we're taking, and the outcome whatever it may be.

Thank you to everyone for your support and prayers, we will be updating again soon....we're excited to meet our little girl!

Temple Boogie

2009-06-04T08:15:00.003-04:00

We wanted to go the temple one more time before our baby was born, but found out it was closed for cleaning until June 2. Since she was due on June 1 I thought maybe we wouldn't be able to make it one last time. We were thankful to be able to attend a temple session last night and our baby girl moved like crazy the whole time, especially about the first hour or hour and a half of it. (For those who aren't familiar with temple sessions, it lasts for about 2 hours and we go to perform ordinances for people who have passed away that didn't have a chance to perform the ordinances for themselves. It's a reverent and spiritual experience.) Her movements were big, insistent and continuous. I was sitting down for much of the time and she does like to move more when I'm sitting, but she definitely seemed to be trying to make a statement. I think she likes the temple.

Much Better Midwife Appointment

2009-04-27T19:56:00.005-04:00

Thanks everyone for your support on my last midwife post! Just thought I would let you know we had another appointment last Friday and it was much better. It was a different midwife, and she told us it is much too early to worry about the baby being breech, to trust my body and trust the baby because she is smart. Even though we were saying these things to ourselves, it was nice to hear it from her. So we're still trying to get the baby to turn, but we are feeling more relaxed about the whole thing which is good. We really appreciate the prayers of our wonderful families and friends... keep 'em coming! :)

YIKES!

2009-04-22T10:11:00.008-04:00

We are starting a garden so I borrowed a rake from some friends and it is sitting in our house waiting for us to level the ground with it. Well, this morning as I was sitting at the computer I was startled by a large buzzing bee which suddenly emerged from the rake! I ran as quickly as an 8-month pregnant lady can into our bedroom and shut the door. Maybe normally I would feel quick, nimble & brave enough to handle the bee on my own (optimistic?) but in my current rather slow moving state I decided to call Holden. He didn't seem very alarmed that his pregnant damsel was in distress and being held hostage in her room by a bee. He told me it was probably near a window and that I should open the window and then trap her between the screen and the window. (By the way, I DO try to free insects when I can instead of kill them unless they scare me too much. I will admit to pushing a spider into the bathroom sink and turning the water on just 2 days ago. I'm not proud of it, but it was hopping around. I don't stand for much hopping from spiders.) So I took Holden's advice and was able to trap it pretty quickly. After some searching on the internet I found out it is a female Eastern Carpenter Bee.

I do feel a little bad for her, she isn't buzzing around anymore. At least she is enjoying some fresh air... maybe she's eating through the screen, after all if she can drill a hole in a rake a screen is probably not much of a challenge, right?

From Wikipedia...
Carpenter bees are not solitary bees, but are not truly social either.
The weak form of sociality they exhibit, with one female doing the
majority of the work, and caring for her sisters, may be a
transitional step in the evolution of sociality. However they tend to
be gregarious, and often several will nest near each other. (I'm REALLY hoping there are no more bees in the rake...it doesn't look like there are).

The female carpenter bees tend to be busy with
floral visitation and nest provisioning, but have the ability to cause
a painful sting if captured. I guess she is staying where she is at. I won't attempt to free her unassisted.

Well, excitement over. I am now back at the computer enjoying some gentle tickling from our
baby girl on my right side. Have a great day.

Midwife Appointment

2009-04-10T14:35:00.007-04:00

Today we had an appointment with one of the midwives at UNC where we will be having our sweet baby girl. We heard her heartbeat as usual, all was well there; I have gained 30 pounds in my pregnancy which is more than I had hoped, but not terrible.

There was one upsetting thing though. When the midwife felt the baby she said she is "breech" or in other words, not facing head down. I'm almost 33 weeks along in my pregnancy so there is a great possibility that she will be able to turn in the amount of time left, but if she doesn't, they will schedule a C-section. Holden came out breech when he was born, but I guess they don't allow that anymore, they think it's too risky. I have been preparing for a natural childbirth and the possibility of having to do a C-section was quite jolting. And for some reason it made me worry about our baby which I haven't done much of up until this point; I feel confident that she's very happy and healthy in there. I have made an effort to avoid a fearful way of thinking which can be common in regards to pregnancy and in my opinion unnecessary and counterproductive. Really, she should be just fine in the case that we have to have a C-section, it's just not my most desired outcome, and not what I was preparing for.

In any case, that's the story for today. As time goes on there will be less room for her to turn around in there, but according to Wikipedia "Twenty five percent of fetuses are in the breech position at 32 weeks gestation; this drops to three percent at term.The increasing size of the fetus near term traps the fetus into the head down position normally." Yay for Wikipedia! So we are still hopeful for a natural childbirth. I am doing some exercises to see if I can get her to turn, putting peppermint essential oil on my stomach, Holden is trying to persuade her with coaxing words and jokes... but we're also trusting Heavenly Father to help her arrive safely however she comes. Baby tricks and prayers welcome!

Dancers in Liverpool Subway Station

2009-03-20T18:47:00.008-04:00

Have you seen this video already? It took place at the Liverpool Street Subway Station in London January '09 where a large group of people broke out into dancing and tried to get those around them to dance as well if possible. It's amazing the impact dancing has on people. It has a great ability to unite and uplift.

Click here to see the video.

Click here to find out how it came about and some reactions of bystanders, and here for some more reactions and people talking with fun accents.

April 29th is the International Day of Dance every year since 1982. It is supposed to be celebrated in a public place where the joy of dance can be shared free of charge with the public.

This year the emphasis is on bringing the 'excluded' into dance; that dance performances are not necessarily exhibitions of extreme physicality, accurate precision, or bursting emotion, they can be celebrations of interaction between performers.

Last year we happened to be in Madrid Spain on April 29th. It was the last day of our trip and we were able to meander around downtown until we found a small plaza where several dance groups were performing. I was thrilled to join in the celebration and grateful to my husband who led the effort of searching it out. Click here for the post about that. This picture is meant to inspire you to find a celebration of the international day of dance in your area... good luck!

Pregnancy pics by request...

2009-03-17T18:07:00.015-04:00

29 Weeks

24 Weeks

23 Weeks...
(sorry the second one is so small, I'm done messing with it)

Not hard to guess which ones were taken by the awesome photographer husband in my life and the ones that I pronounced 'good' after a few self-timing tries, but you get the idea, right?

Church Talent Show

2009-03-14T22:57:00.006-04:00

Holden and I participated in our ward talent show tonight, I taught some girls the one and only hula I know, Holden did a synchronized swimming presentation as well as display some of his awesome photos. Neither Holden nor I were able to capture the full video of the other's presentation, but here's what we did get... I'll post some of his photography in another post when I get access to it.

Infant Swimming Survival Classes

2009-02-10T18:46:00.002-05:00

I just watched a video put out by a company in Phoenix AZ that teaches children 6 months to 6 years old how to survive on their own if they were to fall into a swimming pool.

Click here to check it out.

Happy New Year... yes it's February, I'd get used to this if I were you !

2009-02-08T20:14:00.004-05:00

Holden and I were hired to dance at a New Year's dance at the Sienna Hotel in Chapel Hill this New Year's. We were supposed to help warm up the dance floor and ask people to dance and just be a part of the party. In return we stayed the night at the hotel and had a nice breakfast there in the morning. The highlight was probably getting Holden's face painted like a shark. I was pretty pooped, but joined in the face-painting to be festive. I hope everyone's New Year has gotten off to a great start!

Snuggling

2009-02-04T10:23:00.003-05:00

The 5-month old baby I take care of woke up from her nap the other day crying. Usually she will just calm down, start smiling and be ready to play, but she must have been tired because she snuggled up to me and went right back to sleep. It was so sweet, I love it when babies snuggle :) Her Dad happened to be around and snapped this shot. Too bad you can't see her face, she is a cutie.

Baby News!

2009-01-19T12:16:00.004-05:00

Hi Everyone, we had an ultrasound on Friday and it was so much fun to see our baby moving around and to find out we're going to have a baby girl! Now for a name... nope we don't have any possibilities we're ready to release yet, we're still very much in the brain-storming stage, which hasn't been too productive, but I'm sure it will come! :) Thanks to you for all of your love and support. We feel extremely blessed, humbled and excited for this opportunity to become parents.

Utah Trip

2008-12-21T14:26:00.009-05:00

On the second part of the trip I was re-united with my sweetie after a week apart. Then we got together with his side of the family (and my niece Erica) for an early baby shower in Orem and Christmas celebrating in the lovely southern Utah city of Richfield. We also got to see friends Betsy, Aunika and Billy which was so much fun - again I slacked on the picture taking. Good thing I have a blog now, it is a good reminder to keep the camera clicking! We hope to be able to see those we missed next time, we love you and wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

Oregon Trip

2008-12-21T14:15:00.008-05:00

I went to Oregon recently to see family - originally Holden was going to come as well, but got swamped at work and met me for the second part of our trip in Utah. I started out in Portland where I got to see my brother and his family as well as my nephew Nick and his girlfriend Haley. I had a great time with all of them although I definitely needed a bit more time! Above is my nephew Jared and nieces Amanda and Andrea as well as a quick shot of Anastasia as she was getting ready to run out the door for work and a group shot of my brother Guy, his wife Diana, the girls, and myself. Down in southern Oregon I was able to visit with my parents, my sister Jody, sister Cyndi and husband Jeff as well as my nephew Nathan and his family, however, I slacked on the picture taking - oops! Next time for sure! It was so great to see you all!

Picturesque North Carolina

2008-12-21T14:06:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pictures of the countryside here in NC. There are lots of trees and everything stays pretty green. We have enjoyed the coolness and leaves of Fall. I'm happy to report that we're enjoying about 55 degree weather today. Not bad!

Catching up: Halloween

2008-12-21T13:55:00.006-05:00

This year for Halloween we went to downtown Chapel Hill's party on Franklin Street. They close the streets down about 10:00pm or so and everyone roams around in their costumes. It's a very popular party in these parts, and though it was interesting, I think once is probably enough for us. My favorite was a viking ship which served as a costume for about 8 guys - sorry no shot of them, they bounced by too quickly.

Catching up: Holden's Graduation in July

2008-12-21T13:45:00.007-05:00

In July of this year Holden said goodbye to his friends in the Gleeson lab at UCSD. We miss them! These pics are at his going away party.

Why am I just posting these now you ask? Well, since we moved I have looked high and low roughly 23 times for the cord that connects my camera to my computer and just found it yesterday in a random bathroom drawer where my sweetheart had put it and forgotten about it. Come now, electronics... in the bathroom?! He is truly the love and spice of my life :)

What Ever Happened to the Stork?

2008-11-10T21:43:00.003-05:00

Yep, we're expecting a baby in June. Anyone know of a good stork still in the baby business? This "carry-it-yourself" for 40 weeks method leaves a little something to be desired. Yes, I've been converted to the week system. Whenever a woman used to tell me she was 25 weeks along (or whatever) I would always think to myself, "you know we've all learned to keep track of time in months for so long, why change now and make me do math?" Then when she becomes a mom her child is 20 months old. Great, again with the math. Oh well, I guess I'll join the ranks of women who enjoy making people do math in casual conversation. I'm 10 weeks along and really looking forward to that 2nd trimester I hear such good things about!

Protect Marriage: California's Proposition 8

2008-10-24T16:41:00.004-04:00

Check out this link for some well-articulated thoughts on California's Proposition 8.

What's the Deal with Milk (Part IV - Sheep milk!?)

2008-10-22T13:04:00.003-04:00

Sorry about the obsession people, but I've had great discussions with friends and family on this topic which has spurred me on to learn more!

When I was a missionary in Romania and Moldova we ate a soft cheese we called "branza". It is kind of like a cross between cottage cheese and feta, but usually it's not salty (when it was salty I think it was made from goats' milk). Most people there didn't eat cheddar, mozzarella or jack cheese, they ate this cheese which could be made from cow, goat or sheep milk - I think my favorite was made from sheep milk, although I remember some from cow's milk that was good too. They ate it with what the Italians call "polenta" - Romanians call it mamaliga - or on toast with jam, or just whatever. I think most households had this kind of cheese around, particularly in the country. It was delicious. I don't think it was ever pasteurized, or fooled with much at all. (How I miss Romanian and Moldovan food in general for this very reason!)

I have heard that goat's milk and sheep's milk are more easily digested by humans than cow's milk. And, in the U.S. at least, much more expensive than cow's milk, partly because there are fewer goat and sheep dairies here, plus cows make more milk and require less maintenance so they are more cost-effective. Check out this link and/or this one for more on sheep dairying. Any thoughts?

2008-10-21T17:20:00.003-04:00

Bared Brains

2008-10-19T15:55:00.010-04:00

Last week I began working with exencephalic mice for the first time. Exencephaly is a defect in the closure of the neural tube like spina bifida, except that it occurs at the head rather than on the back.

As I examined these unfortunate embryos I found something vaguely familiar about their appearance. Then I realized where I had seen these before.....and the goofy theme song has been stuck in my head ever since.

What's the Deal with Milk (Part III - Soy milk)

2008-10-16T18:03:00.005-04:00

What I've heard about soy milk is that the protein it provides is healthy because as a plant-based protein it doesn't come with the cholesterol and saturated fat that animal proteins do.

One site I found says: "Soy is a complete protein, and soyfoods are rich in vitamins and minerals including folate, potassium and, in some cases, fiber... Recent research suggests that soy may also lower risk of prostate, colon and breast cancers as well as osteoporosis and other bone health problems, and alleviate hot flashes associated with menopause."

Many of the health benefits of soy are said to be derived from its isoflavones which are secondary vegetable substances, and can act as estrogens in the body and have protective functions. Isoflavones remain the subject of many scientific studies.

Another site notes that soy milk is not high in calcium, but assures us that "calcium is easily obtainable from other sources such as sardines, almonds, many beans, and several varieties of green leafy vegetables (like kale and collard greens). Of course, if you are able to handle dairy products, you can get your calcium from yogurt and cheese." Sardines?! Come now, we can do better than that, right?

Well soy milk is not my first choice taste-wise, but I have been known to swear off milk in exchange for soy milk from time to time for a couple of weeks. The moment of weakness and return to milk is usually accompanied by a chocolate chip cookie.

What's the Deal with Milk (Part II)

2008-10-15T18:21:00.003-04:00

So how about raw milk? This video talks about why some believe raw milk is the key.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5FoFoFNeCk

What's the Deal with Milk?

2008-10-13T14:33:00.003-04:00

OK, so is milk (and other dairy products) good for human consumption or not? I have heard all kinds of opinions on the subject: "It's silly for humans to drink milk", "It's important for humans to drink as long as it's low-fat", and "Whole Milk products are best for human use". Maybe it varies from person to person? This is what I've come across recently on the topic - from a source that believes whole milk products are best. Anyone have an insight or opinion they would like to share?

Milk and dairy products have been valued by peoples of the world for a long time.

"Each isolated Swiss valley or village has its own special feast days of which athletic contests are the principal events. The feasting in the past has been largely on dairy products. The athletes were provided with large bowls of cream as constituting one of the most popular and healthful beverages, and special cheese was always available…their cream products took the place of our modern ice cream…it is reported that practically all skulls that are exhumed in the Rhone Valley and, indeed, practically throughout all of Switzerland, where graves have existed for more than a hundred years, are found with relatively perfect teeth; whereas the teeth of people recently buried have been riddled with caries or lost through this disease." Weston Price, DDS Nutrition and Physical Degeneration

"Good quality milk products are very hard to find in American markets these days. Even so-called organic milk products may come from cows kept in barns and given inappropriate feed, such as soybean meal. Biodynamic farmers have come to the rescue by providing milk products from pasture-fed cows, usually in the form of delicious, naturally produced whole milk yoghurt. Several brands of biodynamic yoghurt are available in health food stores, and gourmet markets.

The fermentation of milk to make yoghurt renders milk's nutrients more available to adults. Yoghurt aids digestion and prevents constipation. The lactobacilli, lactic acid, and enzymes that it provides protect against infection-causing bacteria, including salmonella, which causes food poisoning, and E. coli, bacteria often responsible for traveler's diarrhea. Some studies now show that yoghurt can protect against colon cancer." --Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions

2008-10-02T12:29:00.004-04:00

One of the things I like to do while folding laundry or cooking is listen to talks from LDS Voices. A majority of the talks are designed for an LDS audience, but some are not. The two following talks have been among my favorites:

1: "Soul-Butter and Hogwash: Mark Twain and Frontier Religion" by Jeffrey R. Holland. If you enjoy or are interested in Mark Twain this one is excellent.

2: "The Soul of Kalaupapa" by Fred Woods, Professor of Church History and Doctrine at BYU. This is about a community in Hawaii made up of people with Hansen's disease (leprosy). They were forced into isolation when they were found to have the disease from 1866 until 1969. Woods talks about how the different faiths in the community loved and supported each other; through the trial of their illness they gained a true testimony that we are all children of God and they treated each other like family.

I hope you get a chance to listen and enjoy :)

Blink once if you like George Bush

2008-09-20T09:31:00.009-04:00

This report "Political Attitudes Vary with Physiological Traits" appeared yesterday in what is probably considered one of the five most important scientific journals in the world, Science. Basically it says that people's unconscious, physiological reaction to threatening stimuli correlates with their political leanings, in that more extreme reactions were more likely to come from people with a traditionally conservative ideology.

I'm still shaking my head after reading it, wondering how this merits publication in such a prestigious journal. To me, it's a not-so-subtle attempt by scientific elites to attack conservative values, which most of them despise.

Here's what they did: The group went out and conducted a phone survey in Nebraska and found a group of people with strong political beliefs, in either direction. Then they brought them into the lab and hooked them up to instruments that measured their eyeblinks and sweat on their skin. They then exposed them to several images, among which were interspersed threatening images (a spider, a bloody face, maggots in an open wound). They found that people who held traditionally conservative ideals reacted more strongly (sweat more and blinked harder) to the threatening images.

There are three possible explanations for their observations, according to the authors:
1. A person's physical response to threatening things could cause him to adopt certain political beliefs.
2. A person's political beliefs could cause him to physically respond a certain way.
3. Both his physical response and his political beliefs arise from a certain part of the brain that is already "wired" to produce them both together.

So you may be asking, So what? So they found some correlation with a person's convictions and his biological wiring. No big deal!

Probably not. But read what the authors conclude in their paper: "Consequently, our research provides onepossible explanation for both the lack of malleability in thebeliefs of individuals with strong political convictions andfor the associated ubiquity of political conflict."

In other words, people don't hold strong to their convictions because of reason or inspiration or even common sense. We disagree so much about political issues is because our brains are wired differently. So again, science is attempting to put a biological explanation on every human experience. (Which I suppose its their prerogative). It's only a small step to implicating our religious beliefs on our brain structure. (Your testimony arises from specific synaptic connections in your amygdala). And the "beauty" of this idea is that it is heritable, explaining why kids often adopt the religion or political beliefs of their parents.

So how would I explain their findings? I'm certain that we have a powerful mind, body connection. But it's a complicated, give-and-take relationship, where our spirit and mind can modify our physiology and vice versa. For these scientists to make it a one-way communication is too simplistic.

2008-09-19T15:55:00.010-04:00

I'm not naturally talented in the area of cooking, but there are two things that give me hope:

#1 - I'm blessed to be married to an excellent cook who has been nice enough to tutor me
#2 - If I plan ahead I have a better chance for success.

I have sporadically planned meals 1-2 weeks ahead, but I've recently been inspired to plan meals more in advance and am working on the rest of October and November. So last night burritos were on the menu. I googled Cafe Rio style burritos and found several people's recipes for the various parts of constructing a delicious burrito. I didn't have all the ingredients, so I mixed and matched with what I had. The result was a triumph. Thanks goes out to Cafe Rio for the vision and to fellow CR fans for the taste-alike recipes!!

Aqua Fitness

2008-09-19T15:55:00.009-04:00

Recently I attended my first water aerobics class. It was hilarious. The instructor is, of course, on the side of the pool showing us what to do to the music which seems impossibly fast. Trying to keep up with the beat makes me laugh. I'm mostly underwater, so since nobody can really see me it's like my own inside joke the whole workout. It was great, I especially enjoyed the part where we got on a noodle and swam around. I totally recommend it. Soundtrack.

West Coast Swing Lesson

2008-09-08T15:18:00.008-04:00

So last Friday one of my favorite west coast swing champions, Jordan Frisbee was in the area so I decided to take a lesson with him. I admit, I was a little nervous since I admire his and his partner's (Tatiana Mollmann) dancing so much, but he was very nice so I had nothing to worry about. I've uploaded a few youtube videos for your enjoyment if you look to the right of this post and down.

Winter Quarters

2008-08-25T10:49:00.009-04:00

We took a tour of the Winter Quarters LDS Visitor's Center in Omaha Nebraska. Winter Quarters is where many LDS pioneers lived and prepared for the trek West. The missionary giving the tour talked about how just like oxen are yoked together and need to pull in the same direction, so do married couples in order to have success. This is a good image to remember.

We also pulled a handcart together.

And Holden is standing next to a wagon wheel where we learned how the pioneers counted each turn of the wheel so that those following them would know how long it would take between stopping posts where they would be able to replenish their supplies.

The temple at Winter Quarters is very beautiful. The flowers on the grounds seem to grow effortlessly and overflow their flower beds and there are several beautiful blue and green stained glass windows.

Mighty Mississippi

2008-08-25T10:37:00.005-04:00

Some more beautiful photography by Holden. We saw some really beautiful landscapes along our drive including these.

We enjoyed seeing all the corn fields too. There was another crop we kept seeing, but we couldn't identify. We found out later it was soybeans. We saw field after field of corn followed by soybeans. I didn't know we grew so many crops of soybeans in the U.S. Live and learn :)

Badlands National Park

2008-08-25T10:31:00.004-04:00

Next we went to Badlands. It was similar to Bryce Canyon except not as orange, and seems less well-preserved. It was neat to drive through.
Badlands National Park Website

Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore

2008-08-25T10:20:00.004-04:00

It was fun seeing these monuments. Pop Quiz: Do you know who all four men of Mt. Rushmore are? South Dakota is beautiful. The Black Hills are pretty and there is beautiful camping in this area as well as horse back riding. The problem is that it's in the middle of nowhere. We happened to be there during Sturgis Bike Week, so we saw lots and lots of tough-looking men and women on motorcycles. Most of them seemed very friendly.

Martin's Cove

2008-08-24T17:02:00.007-04:00

We happened upon the LDS visitor's center at Martin's Cove on our way towards South Dakota. It slowed us down a bit, but it was worth it. It is the place where Latter-day Saint (aka "Mormon") pioneers pulling handcarts were caught in an early winter storm. The 2nd picture is a monument to the 3 young men who helped rescue the handcart company. Many youth come here each year to have a handcart-pulling experience of their own and are also required to cross the river with their handcarts. Families and other visitors can have a similar experience. This is also the route where the pony express used to come through; the landmark is Devil's Gate shown in the first picture. We found out that the LDS Church purchased the land from the Sun Family who owns a lot of Wyoming. The land the Church owns also has a working ranch on it which employs 3 cowboys.

Higgfest Finale

2008-08-24T16:57:00.002-04:00

More from Higgfest Continued...

2008-08-24T16:50:00.002-04:00

More from Higgfest...

2008-08-24T16:44:00.003-04:00

Higgfest in the Mountains

2008-08-24T16:32:00.002-04:00

We stayed in a cabin in the mountains with Holden's family for a few days. The festivities ranged from watching "So You Think You Can Dance" and the opening ceremonies for the Olympics to hiking, fishing, and frisbee golfing. Fun was had by all.

Horned Toad Lizard

2008-08-24T16:23:00.004-04:00

Holden found this Lizard at Bryce. He seemed to want to be caught, and he didn't try to get away once he was. He even let Holden take this second picture of him up close and personal.

Cross Country Trip

2008-08-24T16:09:00.004-04:00

We took a little over 2 weeks to move across the country. We started our adventure with some camping and hiking in Bryce Canyon.

The awesome high 5 shot is at the end of one of the loops on our hike that seemed to last forever.

International Day of Dance!

2008-08-22T12:15:00.000-04:00

Our Last day in Europe was in Madrid and happened to be the International Day of Dance. On this day dancers all over the world dance in public places so we went wandering around Madrid looking for something going on and found it! It was a very nice show and a perfect way to end our trip. We also enjoyed this charming man playing the accordion on the street.

We had a great time with Michelle and Rick and are so glad they came with us. We will cherish memories of our trip together always.

Segovia, Spain

2008-08-22T12:12:00.004-04:00

We went to Segovia mainly to see the long Roman Aqueduct, which is one of the longest and best kept Roman Aqueducts in the world.

Central France

2008-08-22T12:12:00.001-04:00

We drove through Central France on our way to Toulouse to catch our flight on EasyJet to Madrid. (EasyJet cancelled our flight which I heard is a common practice for them, so consider carefully whether to take EasyJet if you have to be somewhere on time).
Here you see Chateau de Chenoneau (see Wiki) and the city of Rocamadour (see Wiki).