St. Augustine Beach

Yesterday was a fun family day. We were finally blessed with good weather on a Saturday, so we packed up the car and headed over to the beach at St. Augustine. The water was about 80 degrees. It was also cloudy on and off with a little bit of rain, but thankfully it didn't rain long enough or hard enough to warrant leaving the beach.

We had a nice time playing in the sand and water. Lily wasn't a big fan of the water, but she eventually warmed up to the idea of crawling around on the sand (as longs as she was well away from the waves).

There's something amusing about being out in the water and having big waves (big is relative) come hit you. I guess amusing is the wrong word - fun is better.

Anwyn and Jared ran a lot along the edge of the water.

Lily liked trying to eat the sand - she managed to ingest a little.

Anwyn had a blast with her buckets and shovels. One of the first things she made was her "house".


It was a wonderful day!

Posts on Our Other Blogs

In case you can't get enough of our witty and wonderful writing (I'm being sarcastic, well at least about my writing - Kristi's is great), both Kristi and I have recently updated our other blogs. The links are on the right under the pictures of our kids. There's everything from parenting and families (Kristi) to psychology (Jared) and politics (Jared). Pretty exciting stuff.

New blog for my music

From now on when I post new music I've recorded I'll post it at http://www.brainybehavior.com/music (I've been hosting the songs on my psychology site but I never had a page up with links to them). The only songs on there are the ones I posted on our blog a week or so ago. It won't get updated very often but I'll post here when I've added new music. I know all of you just can't wait to hear (more) mediocre music from me.

Tagged

Alright Laura, I'll play along since you tagged me. :)

3 Joys:
1-Jared
2-Anwyn
3-Lily

3 Fears:
1-I'm really not a very good mom
2-Something terrible will happen to one of my 3 Joys
3-I'll say something really stupid or grammatically incorrect on my blogs.

3 Goals:
1-Raise children who are nice people.
2-Cross off all the things on my project list (ha, I know the project list is never-ending). I'll settle for crossing off one thing in the month of September.
3-Take a trip to the beach sometime in 2008. (We've been thwarted 3 times--bothersome Tropical Storm Fay!!)

3 Obsessions:
1-Organizing things and making lists.
2-Watching "The Office" episodes. We started watching Season 1 back in May, and have three episodes left to finish off Season 4. Dunder Mifflin you rock!
3-Blogging (especially reading anything to do with parenting, organizing, meals, home decorating...)

3 Facts About Myself:
1-I was raised in the Corn Capital of Canada.
2-I love to make lists and cross things off. Sometimes I cheat and put something on my list that I have already finished, just so I can have the satisfaction of crossing it off.
3-My favorite bedtime snack is a bowl of cereal, almost always Honey Nut Cheerios.

Okay, that was actually quite fun. Anyone else want to play?

10 months old is a great age

Why Life is Good at 10 months old, by Lily

My hair is finally long enough for "antennae-style" ponytails.

I can crawl really fast now, pull myself up to stand, and I finally figured out how to sit back down again.

I have four teeth (2 up, 2 down), which is a good thing since I've decided that I don't want to eat anything offered to me on a spoon.

My mom just made me my very own special snuggly blanket.

I love to clap my hands and play peek-a-boo. I also give really good hugs and like to "bonk heads" (touch my forehead to yours).

Mostly I am just a really cute baby, and my family is lucky to have me!

InsideOut A Cappella

Kristi and I are both huge fans of a cappella music. Our first date was to an a cappella concert at BYU and we enjoyed going to BYU Vocal Point (they are our favorite a cappella group) concerts whenever possible. My two new favorite albums of the moment are both by the a cappella group InsideOut, a (used-to-be) Salt Lake City-based group. They formed in 1999 and last released an album in 2007. I was aware of them since 1999 but haven't ever really listened to their music, except for snippets online. I heard portions of songs from their two Primary songs albums (they do a mix of secular and religious music) and really enjoyed them. Their voices are great but I think that their arrangements of songs are pretty amazing and often clever.

Here's a link to their website

You can also visit their MySpace site to listen to 6 of their songs in full from various albums. You can order CDs from their website or download the music from iTunes (has all of their albums), Amazon (has just their Primary albums, I believe), or eMusic (just has their Primary albums).

They have two very clever arrangements of Once There Was a Snowman, using various (mainly) pop songs (e.g., I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow, We Will Rock You, With Or Without You) as different melodies.

My favorite song at the moment from the two Primary albums is their I'm Trying to be Like Jesus from Primary Colors. It's a very moving arrangement with a dash of Bach. They like to mix songs so you often get flavors of other songs in each arrangement. For example, They have a priesthood song medley with the main melody from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves used in the song. Their I Am a Child of God has the theme from The Mission used as an intro and counter-melody. The complexity and creativity of their arrangements impresses me. InsideOut is a group I heartily recommend.

Brief Family Update

I realized that I've been neglecting this blog. I think that I really only have time to write one blog at this stage in my life, so most of my effort is being spent on Nurture Mama. You'll have to visit there for more of my stuff. But in the meantime, Jared is keeping our readers well entertained here. I especially liked his armadillo post.


Here are a few recent snapshots of our family. Lily has been pulling herself to a stand for awhile now, and on Thursday she finally figured out how to sit down again. Consequently, she's been going to sleep better, since now she doesn't keep getting stuck standing up in her bed. She has also started taking a few steps as she stands (she also started pushing a chair around on our tile floor, which helps her learn to walk), so cruising is not far off. Another top front tooth broke through, so she's nicely balanced with two up top and two on the bottom. She'll be 10 months old this week!


Anwyn loves to be on the computer: playing games, surfing blogs and sending emails (wait, is she really only 3 and a half?!). She loves to watch the movies that we have posted on our blog (the "daddy lost his shoe" one is her favorite). She also loves to swim and play with her friends.

Jared successfully completed his neuroanatomy class. He won't tell you that he got an A, but he did. Way to go hubby! You're amazing!

Some New(ish) Songs

I have a couple new songs available for download (or just listen to online). The first was a bittersweet waltz I improvised on the piano while reading Romeo & Juliet (I wasn't playing the piano and reading at the same time). The second song was just me having fun in GarageBand; I can't say I really composed it because I just put loops together. It covers a range of musical styles and would be considered crossover classical. The song is meant to be a little humorous too, at least not be taken seriously.

Juliet's Waltz

Chasing Clouds

I guess I'll post a few more of my songs in case some readers haven't heard them before.

Canon in E Flat - My arrangement of a popular song. I'm rerecording this song soon to hopefully get a little better version.

Meditation - a relaxing and long improv I did a while ago.

Midnight Lullaby - This is a song I composed on the piano a while ago. I'm planning on expanding it and arranging it for a choir at some point. It will be quite different from this version though. I have some lyrics already written.

Macs, iPods, and Programs

There are a few different things I've been enjoying recently (some of these started years ago but have endured).

• Macs and OS X - not too long ago I needed a new laptop to replace my poor Dell one that died. We decided that we wanted to get a Mac (I was raised using Macs - they were decent surrogate parents - and always wanted to go back) so we got a nice little MacBook. It's already being well-used. I've been enjoying OS X; it's a great change from Vista. I started out liking Microsoft Vista and there are still some things about it that I like but the more I used it, the less I liked it. I'm not a typical computer user so I'm sure it's fine for most people but I kept running into too many annoyances to continue to enjoy it. It's on our desktop computer (we received a copy of Vista - actually we've received 3 different copies of Vista for free, which should tell you something about it) but I really want to upgrade back to XP. I would but it's such an effort (and I don't use that computer very much any more so I'm not annoyed with it) that I don't know if I'll get around to it. OS X has its faults but it's actually enjoyable to use. It's also much more functional than Vista because it's built on a UNIX kernel and I have access to a fully-functional bash shell (command line stuff that you use a lot in Linux). Many brain imaging programs also run natively in OS X (and Linux - not many are native in Windows).
• iPod Touch - Apple has been running a promotion (for students) where you can get a free iPod Touch when you buy a Mac. They also had a promo where you could get a printer for free. We purchased all three things, received a rebate for the Touch and the printer, sold the printer, sold my old non-working laptop (to subsidize the computer cost; I wouldn't have purchased the computer without working the price down with some sort of "deal"), and kept the Touch and MacBook. I love the iPod Touch! It looks nice, plays music and movies well, has internet access, allows me access to email, and now has access to thousands of applications. So far I've only "purchased" free applications but there are some pretty good free ones. The most useful one (for me) was recently released - a scriptures app. It's pretty basic but the developer will add more features over time. It's also free. I'm quite impressed with the developer, who even is not accepting donations from people (he says that anyone wanting to donate should instead donate to the Perpetual Education Fund). Here's his website. Now I don't have to carry heavy scriptures to church any more (not that I mind, it's just nice to have something so compact). There is a different scriptures application available on the iTunes Store but it costs $15 and I'm in the free stage. Here are a couple screenshots from my iPod Touch.

• Pandora - an online streaming music site where you can type in an artist or song and it will play that artist and similar artists or songs. I've discovered quite a few new groups/musicians this way. There is also a Pandora iPhone/iPod Touch app available for free.
• Just today I discovered a program called SimplifyMedia that lets you access your music remotely through iTunes or WinAmp. You can share your library with up to 30 other people and they will be able to access your library of music remotely. This means my hypothetical sibling in Madagascar could listen to my iTunes library, which is here in Florida. There is also a program for the iPhone/iPod Touch that allows you to access the music on your laptop or desktop computer remotely if you have an internet connection. If anyone (that I know) wants access to our music, let me know and I'll submit your request to our Committee for the Protection of Sundry Germs from Senseless Eradication (who happen to also review music sharing requests); they meet monthly but only in months with 31 days or bats (that's bats in general, not 31 bats because that wouldn't make a lot of sense now, would it?), whichever happens less often.
• I've also been loving Facebook for keeping up with friends and family. It's a nice way to keep in touch with some people I might not otherwise remain in contact with. It's also a great place to reconnect with old friends you haven't seen for ages. Most people using the site were born in the 80s or later although I think there is a growing contingency from the 70s.

I guess that's it for now. I'll post some more things I've enjoyed or found useful later.

Protecting Marriage

My father sent the link to this excellent article on the LDS Church newsroom site about the upcoming votes in California, Arizona, and Florida for constitutional amendments protecting marriage.

Link to the article

It is one of the best articles I've read about the subject of marriage and protecting marriage. I think it's important to take time to read and understand the article and if you are living in one of the states where a marriage amendment is up for vote, to go and vote. Here is one of my favorite paragraphs:

"When a man and a woman marry with the intention of forming a new family, their success in that endeavor depends on their willingness to renounce the single-minded pursuit of self-fulfillment and to sacrifice their time and means to the nurturing and rearing of their children. Marriage is fundamentally an unselfish act: legally protected because only a male and female together can create new life, and because the rearing of children requires a life-long commitment, which marriage is intended to provide. Societal recognition of same-sex marriage cannot be justified simply on the grounds that it provides self-fulfillment to its partners, for it is not the purpose of government to provide legal protection to every possible way in which individuals may pursue fulfillment."

Near the beginning of the article the author(s) wrote the following about the need for understanding and civility while standing firm and not condoning certain lifestyles and actions:

"The focus of the Church’s involvement is specifically same-sex marriage and its consequences. The Church does not object to rights (already established in California) regarding hospitalization and medical care, fair housing and employment rights, or probate rights, so long as these do not infringe on the integrity of the family or the constitutional rights of churches and their adherents to administer and practice their religion free from government interference.

The Church has a single, undeviating standard of sexual morality: intimate relations are proper only between a husband and a wife united in the bonds of matrimony. The Church’s opposition to same-sex marriage neither constitutes nor condones any kind of hostility towards homosexual men and women. Protecting marriage between a man and a woman does not affect Church members’ Christian obligations of love, kindness and humanity toward all people.

As Church members decide their own appropriate level of involvement in protecting marriage between a man and a woman, they should approach this issue with respect for others, understanding, honesty, and civility."

Gainesville Wildlife

Today we received a lot of rain. I missed most of it while I was sitting in my lab, which is on the ground floor of the hospital, for six hours or so today. Kristi and the girls were on campus with the girls acting as guinea pigs for med students learning how to interact with patients (particularly children). Anyway, after their appointment they came by the lab to pick me up and give me a ride home. We came home and got out of the car. Kristi said something like, "It sounds like there's a big animal over there," as she gestured toward the drainage swamp that's out our front door. I heard the noise too and walked over to investigate. The sound was coming from inside a tipped over garbage can. I looked inside and saw a Florida panther in there! Ok, just kidding, it was an armadillo. The poor thing had walked in there (maybe to get out of the rain, maybe because it was curious, maybe on a dare from another armadillo, maybe to get a drink of water) and couldn't get back out. It was trying so hard but its claws just didn't grip anything.

After making it suffer for a little bit more while I ran in and grabbed the camera so I could take some pictures and video, I tipped the garbage can and the armadillo slid out. It then sheepishly (or is it armadillo-ly?) walked away. Anwyn was excited that I was an animal rescuer just like Diego. I like to give animals (and people) the benefit of the doubt but when intelligence genes were being handed out the armadillos must have been practicing their 10 meter highway dash skills (which they are clearly still not very good at) instead of standing in line. The original armadillos must have been fans of Reaganomics and thought that it would apply to intelligence and genetically - it doesn't. Aside: armadillos jump straight up in the air when scared or startled, which doesn't bode well for the 10 pound critter when up is right into a 2000+ pound car traveling at more than 40 MPH.

Because it is quite fitting, I'm posting a poem I wrote a couple years ago (shortly after we moved to Florida) about an experience with an armadillo.

The day was new, the sun shone bright
When I saw the creature to my right.
She was scaly, she was on the ground
The critter was only looking down.
So I approached and paused to wait,
But in her movements she did not hesitate.
She looked for food, including bugs,
All the mammal wanted were tasty grubs.
I crept along, I drew near
But my walking she did not hear.
I made some noise, she finally saw
She contemplated, she wiggled her jaw.
And away she went, filled with woe,
That small inattentive armadillo.
They are cute and like the night
But alas, are not too bright.
Now I know why every day,
Dead armadillos adorn the highway.

Here is a picture and some video of the event.

Note: At one point in the video (when I lift up the garbage can) it sounds like I'm really straining or having a heart attack or something like that - I wasn't, the camera's microphone was just right up by my mouth so my breathing sounds really loud and labored. :)

Beijing Olympics - Men's 4X100 Free Relay

I just watched one of the most incredible races ever! It was the final of the men's 4X100 freestyle relay at the Beijing Olympics. The French were the favorites but the Americans were ready to fight. The Americans looked really good for much of the race but the French pulled ahead late in the 3rd leg and were quite a bit ahead for most of the 4th leg. It looked like the gold medal dreams were over for the Americans (including the possibility for Michael Phelps to win 8 gold medals). However, U.S. swimmer Jason Lezak swam the race of his life. He swam his leg of the relay faster than anyone ever has. He was able to pull off the unbelievable - the Americans came from behind and won. They also beat the world record (which was set during a prelim race) by 4 seconds. Swimming world records are being set left and right at the Olympics.

The race was intense. I was on my feet throughout biting my nails (sorry Mom). When the Americans won I was jumping up and down (and crying - yes, I get emotional). I would have been yelling but it was pretty late and I didn't want to wake anyone. Not many things get me very excited but this race was simply amazing. Words can't even begin to describe it. If any of you missed the race - you have to watch it. I'm sure it will be all over the internet but NBCOlympics.com should have it up tomorrow.

Scriptures and Kids

This week has been fairly busy with just normal, everyday activities, hence the paucity of posts (I have to insert an aside here. I think many of the coolest English words start with the letter P. Some of my favorites (the first is my favorite word): pulchritudinous (beautiful), pugnacious, pusillanimous, peripatetic, perspicacious, etc. If you ever want to learn a new cool word, just open up a dictionary to P and have fun!). We have been enjoying watching the girls continue to grow up.

Anwyn loves playing computer games, mothering her dolls, and helping her mother. She likes to keep active and run and dance a lot. She continues to impress us with her singing abilities and her memory - she'll remember all sorts of random things and she learns new songs quickly. Kristi has been working with Anwyn to help her learn her Articles of Faith; Anwyn has memorized 7 of them so far. She learns them by learning the songs.


Lily is our pretty little flower. She's recently decided that she wants to stand up more. Lily will pull herself up and stand quite regularly now. She loves watching her older sister too. Lily likes to give hugs and recently has turned into a somewhat snuggly baby. She likes to "bonk" heads (press foreheads together) with her daddy. Whenever music starts playing Lily will start bouncing up and down. She's also recently started singing along with music (singing: "laaaaaaaa"). Lily is our little joy with a ready smile and hug.


I'm changing subjects now. I recently changed how I do scripture study. I've read the Book of Mormon a number of times cover to cover. I've read most of the Bible as well but have always focused much of my scripture reading and study on the Book of Mormon (again, not neglecting the Bible, just not reading it nearly as much as the Book of Mormon - after all, my favorite book is Isaiah and my favorite section of the Bible is from Isaiah to Malachi). Anyway, I decided that I needed to change how I studied the scriptures so I could get more out of it. I decided to pick topics at random and find scriptures about them and read those. However, I also write a talk/essay at the same time, incorporating the scriptures I've found. Like many people, whenever I've prepared a talk for Sacrament Meeting or prepared a lesson for church, I always learn so much. It's in preparing to teach and in the act of teaching that you learn the most; this is because in order to disseminate the gospel to others, you have to understand it clearly and be able to explain it simply.

This led to my current style of scripture study because I figured that if I put the same effort into my daily study as I do when I'm preparing a talk, then I'll get a whole lot more out of it than I do just by reading through chapter by chapter (again, this is just what I think will be most beneficial to me for the time being; everyone is different). I also am a student and spend a lot of time focused on psychology and the brain but haven't been putting as much effort into gospel topics as I do school; this just seemed like a backwards approach to what's really important so I've started putting more effort into scripture study (and much much less effort into school - just kidding!). As time goes by, I'll also have a number of talks that are ready to give with some modest tweaking. It's been a very enjoyable method of scripture study so far. Even though I may not always read many scriptures each day, I find that I spend more time with each one.