Merry Christmas from the Allen Family

Top (L to R): Jonathan, Bryce

2nd Row: Garrett, Mom (LaFon)

3rd Row: Craig, Lindsay, StacyAnn

Front: Owen, Jennie

Once There Was a Snowman

Owen and I made a snowman at Grandma Allen's house last week.

Daddy took a picture of Owen and I with our snowman.

Making a snowman was fun, but I think Owen just enjoyed being able to play outside in the awesome snow in his Toy Story snowboots that have lights when he walks.

Driving Home for Christmas

We leave our home and head west,

and cross mile after mile of seemingly endless highway.

There is no end in sight

as we pass countless semi-trucks and other vacationers.

After two days of driving, the landscape begins to change:

the hills get higher and sagebrush replaces winter’s barren cornfields.

We strain our eyes as we look towards the horizon

and finally see jagged mountain tops in the distance.

From the moment when the mountains appear

a subtle excitement feels the cab.

We know that a mere six hours away

we will find the warmth and love of family.

The final hours pass quickly as landmarks are pointed out

and childhood memories are shared.

Eventually we arrive at the home that centers in those memories

and as we disembark, the door is opened, and we join those memories inside.

Baking Cookies

Owen and I made cookies yesterday. Here's the story about the adventure:

First, we put on our aprons.

Second, we made sure that we had all the right tools.

Third, we added the ingredients.

Fourth, Owen watched all the ingredients mix together in the mixer.

Fifth, Owen tested the cookie dough to make sure that it tasted just right.

While Owen tested the dough, Mommy got the dough ready for the oven.

Fifteen minutes later - we had perfect cookies right out of the oven.

And last of all, Owen thinks that warm cookies are always the best to eat.

The Holidays Begin

So, I haven't really written much for a while - mostly because I haven't taken any pictures to go along with our life in a couple of months, so I guess I just need to catch up by writing.  November was a crazy and good month.  Bryce's show, Cabaret, came to a head.  This meant a couple of weeks of him spending 12 - 18 hours at work trying to get the sound and sets ready.  He was really busy and we didn't see him a lot, but we did try to visit him every other day or so at the University.  Owen loved going to see Daddy at work, and he became a favorite of the students as he ran around trying to help everyone.  Picture a two-year-old pushing a push broom that is twice as tall as he is, or trying to make an electric screw gun work.  They were precious moments that pictures wouldn't do justice even if I had taken any : ). 

Last week, we took a mini-vacation to Herrin, Illinois to visit our friends - Leslie, Captain, and Harvey Smith - for Thanksgiving.  We drove down on the 24th (Bryce's birthday) and then we all went out to dinner to celebrate.  We had delicious barbecue at the 17th Street Bar & Grill (a local, award winning restaurant).  The next day was Thanksgiving and we enjoyed spending it with our good friends that have become our family away from home.  Owen and Harvey played well together - mostly, and Owen didn't want to go anywhere unless Harvey came too.  On Friday Leslie, Harvey, and Judy (Leslie's mom), came home to St. Louis with us, since Judy had an early flight the next morning.  We had more fun with our friends and were sorry to say good-bye, since we probably won't see them again until some time in January.

After all of our Thanksgiving fun, Bryce and I have both taken turns being sick.  Bryce with an ear infection and a cold, me with just a cold.  We are both still a little bit under the weather, but have returned to a mostly functional state.  We have realized that Bryce only has two weeks of work left until Christmas Break and we are looking forward to the fun adventure that we will be having this winter.  We will be hopefully leaving December 12th and driving first to Northern Utah, then we're going to California for Christmas at Disneyland.  We will then go back to Northern Utah for a few more days, then we'll be traveling down to Southern Utah for New Year's and to stay for a couple of weeks.  Then "home again, home again, jiggity jig" in time for school to start on January 18th.  I have enjoyed Bryce's new job so far, but I think I will really come to appreciate the vacations that educators get to have.  He gets to have time to both work hard and play hard and I get to stay home and take care of my little family.  I really don't think life can get much better than this.

Book Review: Anne's House of Dreams

Anne's House of Dreams by Lucy Maud Montgomery

This is the fifth of eight books in the original Anne of Green Gables series.  I have loved these books since I was a little girl and I have recently started re-reading them.  I love the whole story from the day that Anne arrives with Mathew in Avonlea until Kenneth Ford comes home from war to find Rilla Blythe waiting for him in Glen St. Mary. When I was younger I related best to the young Anne in the first couple of books.  She had a great imagination, was always getting in to scrapes, and even dyed her hair green and nose red.  It also helped that one of my best friends growing up (Stefani Carroll for those of you who know both of us) also had red hair.  We would occasionally pretend that we were Anne and Diana. 

Now, as I am several years older, the wife of a college professor and mother of a wonderful little boy, I relate better to Anne Blythe, newlywedded to Doctor Gilbert Blythe.  I love the way that Ms. Montgomery adjusts the friendships that Anne has from those of a young girl to those of a young married woman.  Friendship is just as important as ever, and although you always cherish and remember fondly the friends you made while growing up, you make new friends that are just as important in your life now as the friends of your youth.  I love the characterizations of Captain Jim, Miss Cornelia Bryant, and lonely and tortured Leslie Moore.  As an adult, friendships can come from the most unexpected places, but if we keep our eyes and hearts open and aren't afraid to go out of our comfort zone to meet new people, we will be able to meet many people who belong to "the race that knows Joseph."

Halloween 2010

We had a wonderful and epic Halloween this year.  It was the first year that Owen understood what was going on and he loved the costumes, the trick or treating, and, of course, the candy.  He even mastered the art of "twick o tweet" and "tanks" as we went about our trunk or treating at the church and trick or treating at the zoo and around our neighborhood. 

The only ironic part about the holiday was his costume.  One of Bryce's favorite super heros is Batman, and Owen loves watching Batman cartoons with his Daddy, but when we took him to the store to choose a costume, he chose Superman over Batman.  (His second favorite costume was actually The Flash - Batman only rated 3rd favorite : )  Bryce and I chose to be pirates.

Another fun Halloween activity that we had was pumpkin carving.  Bryce carved one, I carved the other, but Owen was more interested in eating dinner than helping.  He did really like them once they were done though and was willing to pose with them on our front step.

Fish Tank Fun

I have been wanting a tropical fish tank ever since Bryce and I got married, and that dream has finally come true.  I used the money that I was given for my birthday and a gift from my Grandma Mary to buy the tank and get it set up.  It is a 30 gallon squarish tank and the decorations include a few plastic plants, a couple of live plants, a sunken pirate ship, a dragon and a lava rock cave.  Owen picked out the pirate ship and dragon and I think they look great in the tank.  I set up the tank and let it set for about a week to let everything settle and make sure that it wasn't going to leak.  Then I made my first trip to the pet store for fish.

Petsmart was having a special on glofish, so I got five of them (so they would school well together).  Unfortunately the fish we not very healthy and four of them died within the first 36 hours.  Luckily they had a 14 day waranty, so two days after my first trip to the pet store I returned and exchanged my four glofish for three zebra danios and three male guppies (I only got males because I like the way they look, but I didn't want a population explosion).  The next morning one of the guppies had died, so yesterday I returned to Petsmart again and got two more zebra danios.  Now my tank population consists of two male guppies, one glofish, and five zebra danios.  No fish have died in the last 48 hours and they are all active and happy.

The guppies and the glofish are all bright and colorful, while the zebra danios are more plain from across the room, but are fairly pretty up close.  All of the fish are active and fun to watch.  They all school together pretty well and they look like they are playing tag as they dart across the tank and in and out of the plants and ornaments. Owen likes watching them swim around and likes to help me feed them.  I find it extremely relaxing to watch them swim around and I can already feel my stress levels dropping : ).  So thanks everyone for helping my fish tank dream come true.

Birthday Joys

I had a really good birthday this year.  We started celebrating a couple days early when our friends Captain, Leslie and Harvey Smith, came to visit Friday evening and Saturday.  We had fun letting Owen and Harvey play, shopping, and playing games.  They gave me an awesome apron (left) that Leslie made for me.  It's both functional and and cute.   When I was a little girl, I liked to dress up like a maid to do housework.  I found it a fun way to use my imagination to make cleaning fun.  Now I can dress up to get my work done again.  Thanks Leslie!

Museum of Transportation

Aunt StacyAnn and Grandma Allen came to visit us a couple of weeks ago.  We had a very nice visit and Grandma got to go with us to the Museum of Transportation here in Des Peres, MO.  They had an amazing collection, which mostly consisted of trains.  We got to ride on a small scale train and a trolley car.  We also got to go inside some old train cars and engines.  Owen, who is already a connoisseur of such things, had a wonderful time.  Here are a few pictures that we took:

Bridal Cave, Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri

Deep underground lies an amazing world of rock formations, underground lakes, and mysteries: Bridal Cave near Camdenton, Missouri along the banks of the Lake of the Ozarks. Bryce, Owen and I spend the past weekend on vacation in central Missouri. 

We stayed two nights at resort and spent the time together as our little family. We enjoyed a tour of Bridal Cave, where Owen loved the "neat rocks" but had a hard time with waiting for the tour guide to explain the formations and talk about the cave. We also went swimming when it wasn't too cold outside and took turns giving and receiving massages (Owen is a very good masseuse for a 2 year old).



Marley & Me

Released - December 2008. 

First watched - September 2010. 

At this moment - one of my favorite movies.  

Synopsis:  A young married couple, just starting their careers decides to get a dog, Marley.  Marley is a nightmare.  He is spastic, eats everything, and hates thunderstorms.  Most sane people would get rid of a dog like him, but not Josh & Jennie.  He becomes part of their family.  The movie follows their careers, family and life while Marley is with them. 

Why do I love this movie?  Let me tell you a story.  An eight year old girl and her little brothers want a dog, so their parents take them to the pound where they find a very happy puppy.  She comes home with them and they love her despite the fact that she chews through everything, including the wiring on their dad's cars, she won't stay in a fenced yard, she hates cats, and is terribly afraid of gun shots and thunder.  Her name was Goldie and she was my dog.  Nearly every morning and afternoon for over 5 years I got to take her on walks.  I had to go looking for her when she ran away, clean up after her when she chewed things to bits, and love her.  I really think that during that time she was my best friend. I always felt safe when she was with me and I was never really alone.  I loved watching her chase rabbits, prarie dogs, and cats.  I know that she was often times a difficult dog to have, but I loved her and I missed her when she went away.  This movie reminded me of that special bond that can be forged between a dog and his/her owner.  They really can be more than just a pet, they can be part of your family.  Thank you Marley & Me for reminding me of my Goldie and the special friendship we had.

Mommy Time

Being a stay at home mom is awesome!  Owen and I have been having so much fun together.  Today we walked to the park, holding hands and "talking" the whole way. Owen kept jabbering and I tried to understand him and keep up with what he was trying to say.  He kept pointing out all of the cars, and he thought they were all BLUE.  I don't actually think we saw a single blue car : ).  We've been working on colors, but so far, unless we specifically tell him otherwise, everything is blue.

After the park Owen had a bath, since he got quite dirty at the park.  His favorite bath toys today were his family of six rubber duckies.  He has two normal sized ducks and four small ones.  Today he gave them names: Daddy (the blue normal sized one), Mommy (the yellow normal sized duck), Me (translation = Owen), Owey (translation = Harvey, his best friend), Kayzee (I've been working on a afghan for my new niece and he keeps asking whose blankie it is), and Baby.  He also reminded me of his Grandpa Royer as he tried to stick all of the baby ducks to his tummy using suction.

Now we're waiting for Daddy to get home so we can have dinner and Owen is watching Dinosaur Train, one of his favorite PBS shows.  It has both Dinosaurs and Trains, so it is often asked for.  Thankfully, we have a DVR with our cable, so I can record the episode in the morning and watch it whenever Owen has earned TV time.  Somedays I can't imagine being a mother without modern technology.

Going to the Zoo

Owen and I went to the St. Louis Zoo yesterday.  He liked pushing his stroller around, seeing the animals, and being with Mommy.  His favorite place this time was the reptile house.  He loved being able to climb up the risers to see all of the snakes, turtles and frogs.  Here are a couple of pictures I took with my cell phone:

A Friendly Parrot along the path.

It's a snake - Owen was excited!

Mr. Lizard eating his lunch.

Odds & Ends

First of all, my son & husband are adorable.  Bryce is playing his video game "Zelda: Twilight Princess" and he's at a part when Link turns into a wolf and howls for some reason.  So, since Owen loves dogs - or anything related to a dog - he is excited about the game and is watching it intently.  Then, to my surprise, he sticks his nose up in the air and howl like a wolf, imitating the wolf in the game.  And not only is he howling, he's actually howling the tune that the wolf is.  Such a precious moment.

Next, Owen has always been a good eater and I am starting to transition him to his booster seat so I can put the high chair away.  I was able to take a few pictures of him eating his quesadilla and chips at lunch today, so here they are:

Lastly, (is that really a word?) I have decided to establish some projects for myself to work on while Owen takes his naps.  Here are a few:  turn my blog pages into a scrap book through Blurb, put together a website for my Dad, update Bryce's website, unpack and organize my new house, and beat the "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance" video game.  Oh and does anybody have any good books that they would suggest?  Preferably fairly easy reads, since I don't have time to get completely lost in anything to complex right now.

Growing Up

This move has meant a lot of changes for our little family. One of the biggest involves me admitting that my baby is now officially a little boy. My coworker, Danay, was cleaning out her storage unit and gave us a blue, twin-sized, race car bed frame, so when we moved we chose to set it up instead of the crib. So here is a picture of my cute little boy sleeping soundly in his big-boy bed for the first time. Sweet dreams little one!

From Carbondale, Illinois to Des Peres, Missouri

The past week has been one of the longest ones in recent memory.  We just finished packing, cleaning and moving from our house in Carbondale, Illinois to our new house in Des Peres (pronounced De Pair), Missouri (a suburb of St. Louis).  Thankfully, to help make our move easier our friends, Leslie & Captain Smith watched Owen for us a couple of days and also let us sleep on their floor for a couple of nights after our furniture had moved, but we were still cleaning up our old house. 

Since this is a Sunday morning, and our new ward doesn't start until 1:00 pm, I have a few moments to reflect on the phase of our lives that we just completed.  About 3 1/2 years ago, Bryce attended a theater conference in Phoenix, AZ with the purpose of finding a graduate school that he wanted to attend starting in Fall of 2008.  While he was at that conference he decided that rather than wait an extra year, he would go back to school that fall (2007).  So after a lot of research, a trip to the midwest and heartfelt prayer, we determined that we were suppose to move to Carbondale, IL for Bryce to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

So in August 2007, we packed a moving truck full of our stuff and our car full of Bryce's family and we made the three day drive accross Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois (about 24 hours of driving and several hours of sight seeing).  Bryce's family helped us get settled, then headed home and left us to make our home in the midwest.

Our first year of graduate school was interesting.  Bryce had an assistantship that paid his tuition and which gave us a monthly stipend to live off of, but I still had to work to cover all of our living expenses.  I found a bookkeeping job at a small, one attorney, law firm (I had just left a larger firm in Logan, UT where we had 9 attorneys) that didn't pay a whole lot, but ended up being a blessing in more ways than one.  Bryce started out in his program, made friends quickly with the other graduate students, and found joy in learning the skills associated with being a Theater Technial Director. 

As soon as we had settled in to life in Carbondale, we received a great blessing.  We found out that we were pregnant.  I had quite a bit of trouble with morning sickness, and the medicine they gave me to help with the nausea made me sleepy all of the time, so I guess you could say that I slept a lot that first year in Carbondale, but it was a good year regardless.  We had been able to go home for Thanksgiving that year, but because our baby was due in June, Bryce took a job at the McLeod Summer Playhouse in Carbondale for that first summer so we could stay home to have our baby. 

My mom flew out a few days before our baby was born and after 4 days of labor followed by a C-Section, our beautiful Owen Henry Allen was born on June 10, 2008.  We spent a week in the hospital recovering and then a week at home with my mom taking care of us, then she had to go home and Bryce and I began the adventure of parenting.  Bryce's family was able to come out that summer for a visit, as were my Grandma Mary & Grandpa Tom.  We flew home to Utah for a visit in August and Bryce was able to bless Owen in his home ward and it gave us a chance to see our families and friends.  As soon as we got home, Bryce's second year of graduate school began.

Bryce's second year was quite challenging.  He taught a few classes and had both his qualifier (A Midsummer Night's Dream)and thesis (The Secret Garden) projects.  He spend most of his time working on his projects, doing homework and grading projects for the classes he was teaching.  He also worked on several sound designs and decided that his secondary focus was going to be sound design.  After a 6 week maternity leave, I continued to work, and was blessed to be able to cut my hours down and take Owen to work with me.  It didn't work every day, but it worked well enough that I was able to get the necessary work done.

After passing his Thesis in May 2009, Bryce returned to the Utah Festival Opera in Logan, UT for the Summer 2009 Season.  My Grandma & Grandpa Christensen very graciously let us live in their basement for the summer and allowed us to spend a wonderful summer with them.  I was also able to arrange a way to do my bookkeeping work over the internet, so I was able to work through the summer in Utah for the law firm in Illinois.  We were able to visit with a lot of our family and friends that summer and it helped up gear up for our final year of grad school.

This past year of school was the busiest and craziest of all.  Bryce had several projects and classes that he taught.  He wrote his Thesis document, completed an internship with PCPA in Santa Maria, California, applied and interviewed for various jobs, and still had his own homework on top of it all.  We were able to go home for Christmas this past year as well and had the unfortunate opportunity to travel home again in February for Bryce's father's funeral.  But we survived it all, and in May 2010, Bryce graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale with his Masters of Fine Arts in theater.  His mom, brother, Craig, and sister-in-law, Lindsey, were able to attend his graduation.  He also accepted a position as Associate Professor and Technical Director at Saint Louis University and starts next week.

This past summer Bryce worked again at the McLeod Summer Playhouse, this time as the Technical Director.  His brother, Garrett, came out to work with him and stayed with us. My sister, Nita, also spent the summer with us, watching Owen while I put in a few extra hours at work to get them ready for a new bookkeeper.  The first part of August my parents and sisters, Emily and Mary, came to visit and take Nita home.  Garrett flew home a few days later and then we began the epic saga of our recent move.  Now we are moved into our new home, starting to pack, and Bryce starts his new job tomorrow. 

All told, the past three years have been long and challenging ones.  But by working hard and relying on the Lord's guidance, we have been blessed to be where we today.  I just have one wish now - to get my house unpacked and find some calm amid the chaos that we've been living for the past couple of weeks.

Owen LOVES Trains

We saw a train car in Metropolis that Owen loved.  Here's a link to some pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12672&id=100001174083446&l=04c1321516

Superman!

Last weekend Bryce, Garrett, Nita, Owen & I all went to Metropolis, IL to see Superman.  Here's a link to pictures that we took with him:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12671&id=100001174083446&l=25bf3fc59c

Trip to the park

Last week Nita, Owen & I went to a really neat park here in Carbondale.

Here's a link to some pictures that we took:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12666&id=100001174083446&l=2436406050

Bryce's Graduation

Bryce Dale Allen, MFA

Bryce in his Cap, Gown, and Master's Hood

Bryce with Mark Varns, Theater Department Head 

Team Juvenile

Back: Michael Frohling, Jessica Frohling, Beth Clark,

Steve Ackerman, Christine Jacky

Front: Jessie Crouch, Bryce Allen

Who is this motley crew known as Team Juvenile?  They are the third year graduating graduate students from the Theater Department at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.  They first met in August of 2007.  They came from different backgrounds, but they became more than just friends, they became our family here in Carbondale.  They have worked hard, suffering through homework, late nights, hurricanados, fire ants, and thesis writing to earn their Masters' Degrees.  I am proud of all of them.  They did it together.  At many points along the way each of them threatened to drop out and give up their educational dreams, but they supported each other and stuck it out.  I don't know how well we will keep in touch, but I know that over the past three years they have touched my life, and the life of my husband and son and I want them to know that I appreciate what they have done for me and my family.  As we leave school behind and strike out on our own, I wish them them best of luck.  We will miss you Team Juvenile!

Mother's Day

The Angel of Hope

"Each day, hope anew"

This is the precious Mother's Day gift that I got from Owen this year.  Bryce said that he picked it out all by himself.  Whether that is the case or not, it is a precious reminder that each day is a new day.  Often times as a mother I have to remember this as I start each brand new day.  I can't base a new day upon the previous day's mistakes or sucesses.  I have to get out of bed and face the world, and the circumstances and experiences that I face each day, with hope that no matter what happens I can become a better person from them. 

Swimming Lessons

Look at this cute little boy.  He just finished his swimming lesson.

Owen and I took a Parent & Tot swimming class this winter to help Owen learn to not be afraid of the water.

Our friends Leslie and Harvey took this class with us.  Both boys have really enjoyed the class.

Owen has learned how to kick his legs and paddle his arms in the water.

His favorite part of swimming is climbing up the ladder, carefully standing on the edge of the pool, then jumping into the water.  He enjoys this so much that I have to make him kick and paddle to the other side of the pool before he can climb up a ladder again.

Say Cheese!

After our Easter egg hunt on Sunday we went in the back yard to take picures out of the sun. We had a hard time getting Owen to sit still, but finally we got him to say "please," and then "cheese" which made us laugh and made him smile very cutely for the camera. So here is our little family saying "cheese" for the camera on Easter Sunday.

The Easter Weekend Saga - Part 2

Easter morning dawned bright and clear. This time the Smiths had joined us at our house. As the boys came outside, Owen wasted no time finding his Easter basket.

Then he took some time to see what he got - jelly beans, marshmellow peeps, other candy, and two toy dinosaurs.

This time the boys knew what to do with the Easter eggs. First, find the eggs.

Second, give the eggs to Daddy to hold.

Third, play nice, but if Harvey isn't paying attention than the eggs are fair game.

Fourth, don't forget to look for eggs in the bushes.

And last, but not least, pose for a family picture - or play with your new dinosaur while Mom & Dad pose.