Grandparents View of Wyatt

May 21, 2009

He have been expecting it for two weeks. Finally, Mat and Andi told us that the doctors decided that their baby would be induced on Thursday, May 21, 2009 - if he didn't come before then. Oh how we had to plan.

Mar and Brea went to Mat and Andi's house on Wednesday night. Mat and Andi went to the hospital that night, so Mar and Brea were the baby sitters. There job was to get Andrew and Mylie off to school. Andrew was no problem, a piece of cake. But Mylie went to school a little bit later. So the plan was that Breanne would drop Mar off at the hospital so she could be there when the baby was born, and then drive Mylie to pre-school and then go back to the hospital. It worked out just like that, except the baby didn't wait. he came two minutes before Mar got there. Mar was still very happy - did I say very happy - overjoyed. Wondrously thrilled. He is just perfect.

His name is Wyatt Wilson Stones. He is 7 pounds 7 ounces. He is 20 inches long. He is beautiful and healthy and considerate. He did not beat up his mother too bad on his trip out.

Mar and Brea had to make a dash for home all too soon (see the previous entry), but Mar took me down in the evening to meet the little tyke. Did I say he was beautiful. Also he is very small - tiny. You forget how little they are when the older brothers and sisters and cousins are about.

Well, we are happy - and I think that because of Wyatt, the world is definitely a better place. Well done Mat and Andi. Bravo.

Carpal-Tunnel Surgery

May 21, 2009

Mar has been having trouble. Well for quite a while her first two fingers on her right hand have been going numb. We were sure that was carpal-tunnel Syndrome. It progressively got worse until about 2 months ago it suddenly got a lot worse. She lost strength in the hand and had trouble doing simple things like picking up a pin or a piece of paper. It was time to see the doctor.

The doctor was duly concerned. He said go see a specialist. The specialist was duly concerned. He said go get some tests. The doctor who gave her the tests said that of the 16,000 of these test he had given, hers was in the top 12 for being bad - not top 12% - the top 12. So he sent her and the results back to the Specialist who said we will operate. So today he did.

Lest this sounds a little grave, let me say the surgery went off swimmingly. Breanne and I dropper her off at the surgery center and two hours later went and picked her up (we were there for about 1/2 hour during the pick up time). They put her under - she asked if she could watch and they said no - they did the surgery in about 20 minutes - and she came out. The surgery was no problem.

And there seemed to be no pain on this first day, except . . .

Consider doing something one way for over 50 years and then having someone tell you that you can not do it that way anymore. Something like - eating - or buttoning - or pulling up pants. Mar is right-handed and now, for a while at least, her right hand is immobilized, cast, splinted and generally wrapped up. Maybe there was no pain - but it was a big pain.

Mar is doing well. We are glad it is done. Hopefully it will help the numbness and the weakness. That will be something we have to wait and see about.

RS Book Club

May 19, 2009

Mar hosted the Relief Society Book Club this evening. There are 8 ladies here. Yes, they do talk about books. They also talk about all sorts of other things.

The book this month was The Killer Angels - a Civil War book. Mar read it many years ago. It was a good one for discussion.

Now they have to decide an a book for next month. They asked me - oh those silly women. Lasst time they asked me they ended up with Silas Marner. It looks like this time it will we A Passage to India by E. M. Forster. I really like it - and besides, I would liek to rent the movie and see how that compares.

Race Results

May 16, 2009

The 5K race results came onto the Internet. I am posting ours - with the fear that others will think I am too proud - well I am proud. (Actually, I am proud of all of us.)

Saturday Run

May 16, 2009

We spent the morning today in an - unusual way - we picked up Brea and Ben and then met Erica, Rich and Alice - and Mat, Andi, Andrew and Mylie for a little run in the park. Actually it was a 5 K at the Anschutz Medical Center to benefet lung cancer research. We all got to run - except for Rich and Alice cause she just didn't want to sit in her stroller that long and - well 5 K is a little much for a 2 year old. I think we are all heroes.

Ben and Erica and I were there to really see how fast we could do it. It was a good course for that - no hills - and a cool morning (almost cold).

Mat ran with Andrew. They beat their last years time by more than 8 minutes - and Mat get hero status because it is hard to "gear down".

Breanne ran with Mylie. Mylie is a true challenge. She sprints then walks then sprints then walks then sprints then walk. It almost killed Breanne until the walks started getting longer. Of course by then Mylie was done with it all so Brea carried her on her shoulders for a while. Yep, that is true hero status.

Mar and Andi walked. So how is that hero? Mar has never done something like this. She did it and did it well, and kept up with Andi. Andi is really in shape. So why did she walk? Well she is 9 months pregnant - literally. I guess we can say Wyatt is a hero too because he did his firs 5 K when he was minus 1 week old.

My time was 25:53 - 8.35 min/mile - a new low for me.

Our Back Yard

May 14, 2009

It is Spring. Things are getting green and growing. It is this time of the year that we love our little back yard.

This year we built a little greenhouse. Not much and very portable, but it allows us to start plants in the garden when it is really too early in our area to start plants. We already have tomato plants with blossoms. It is amazing how much pleasure we have gotten from this little greenhouse.

This year we didn't harvest our rhubarb. So it has really taken over and it is growing an alien life form. I challenged Andrew and Mylie (grandchildren) and told them that if they each ate a stick, I'd give them a dollar. How was I supposed to know that they would both really like it.

One thing we are worried about is the tree in the back yard. The woodpeckers have done hardy damage to it, including holes that would make Chip and Dale snug and cozy. We are afraid that this may be the last year for this tree - or even worse, that last year may have been the last year for the tree.

But maybe the thing I like best about our back yard this year is that Mar has decided that it is her yard to mow. Al I have to do is start the mower.

Reading List

May 9, 2009

Crashing Through by Robert Kurson

Just read the line under the title. That is what it is about. I thought it didn't sound too good when I started. But let me tell you I really enjoyed this one. It made me really think about how blessed I am with my sight and hearing and all of my senses. I also came away thinking about all of the things we take for granted in our life. This is a story of courage on many fronts, first about how he lived a full life while blind, and then about how he learned how to live again when he could see. Just for a taste, when he received his sight - of course he couldn't read - he didn't even know what the letters were, except by the shapes he felt on his children's blocks. It was life changing for him. It was a significant book for me.

I give it a 3.5 - which is better than pretty good on the Lar scale of things.

Nope - not on the 501 Must Read list.

Reading List 2009

5/11 - Crashing Through - Robert Kurson
5/5 - A Train to Potevka - Mike Ramsdell
4/27 - King Solomon's Mines - H. Rider Haggard
4/21 - Best Loved Humor of the LDS People
4/6 - Eaters of the Dead - Michael Crichton
4/4 - Mexico - James A Michener
3/6 - The House of Mirth - Edith Wharton
2/16 - The Wonderful Wizard of OZ - L. Frank Baum
2/11 - The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch
2/9 - Peter Pan - J.M. Barrie
2/1 - Next - Michael Crichton

Travels - Lar in Marlborough

May 4 - 9, 2009


Not real exciting. I was just there on business teaching a class. I spent 6 nights and it rained 5 of them.

On Tuesday I did get to go to the Boston Temple.
One of the things I like in Marlborough - Boston - is that there are Legal Seafood restaurants. They have real good seafood. This trip I went - twice. Yummmmmm.

Because it is very hard to get back on the evening after a class, I have taken to a strategy to make my trip home more relaxing and worry free. I book the last night at the Hilton Hotel at Logan Airport in Boston, then I just relax that night and fly home early the next morning. This Friday night, there was a prom at the hotel ballrooms. A lot of self-conscious and happy kids dressed up for a fun evening.

When I flew home on Saturday, Mat and family picked me up and drove me home as they were coming up to help Mar plant Mother's Day flowers.

Reading List

May 4, 2009

A Train to Potevka by Mike Ramsdell

Mar brought this one home from Book Club - not as their book club selection, just a book that was suggested. I read it. Let me give this impression. The first three-quarters of the book were not too bad. The last quarter was drawn out sentimentality. I hate to say it, but it turned into what I dislike about "LDS literature". Maybe all things did turn out nice, but it just got too gooey at the end. It didn't help that I had heard the story before.

Oh well, I'll give it a 2.5 becasue the first part was pretty well done.

Nope - not on the 501 Must Read list.

Reading List 2009

5/5 - A Train to Potevka - Mike Ramsdell

4/27 - King Solomon's Mines - H. Rider Haggard

4/21 - Best Loved Humor of the LDS People

4/6 - Eaters of the Dead - Michael Crichton

4/4 - Mexico - James A Michener

3/6 - The House of Mirth - Edith Wharton

2/16 - The Wonderful Wizard of OZ - L. Frank Baum

2/11 - The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch

2/9 - Peter Pan - J.M. Barrie

2/1 - Next - Michael Crichton

Reading List

April 27, 2009


King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard

This was the most popular of the Alan Quartermain adventure series. A pretty good read and a pretty fast read. It is a guys book - sweaty bodies, thirst and toil, wars and battles, cutting off heads, etc. It has been made into a couple of movie adaptations, each of which has a very apparent flaw. The movies all have a beautiful leading lady - of course. In the book, there are no ladies of significance at all. I don't feel like I ruin the story by telling you that, because Alan Q. says that within the first five pages.

My rating - oh, about a 3.5. Fun, but not great - but it is on the 501 Must Read list.


Reading List 2009
4/27 - King Solomon's Mines - H. Rider Haggard
4/21 - Best Loved Humor of the LDS People
4/6 - Eaters of the Dead - Michael Crichton
4/4 - Mexico - James A Michener
3/6 - The House of Mirth - Edith Wharton
2/16 - The Wonderful Wizard of OZ - L. Frank Baum
2/11 - The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch
2/9 - Peter Pan - J.M. Barrie
2/1 - Next - Michael Crichton

Reading List

April 21, 2009


I expect you all to say - come on - get real. This entry on the reading list is because I started reading it and just - got interested.


Best Loved Humor of the LDS People

It's a collections of jokes and stories. I must admit, some of them were not real humorous. Some of them actually made me chuckle. But what I found out was that there was a lot of faith and philosophy in the stories.


And I enjoyed it enough to actually read it all cover to cover.


Need I say that it is not on the 501 Must Read list.

Reading List 2009

4/21 - Best Loved Humor of the LDS People

4/6 - Eaters of the Dead - Michael Crichton

4/4 - Mexico - James A Michener

3/6 - The House of Mirth - Edith Wharton

2/16 - The Wonderful Wizard of OZ - L. Frank Baum

2/11 - The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch

2/9 - Peter Pan - J.M. Barrie

2/1 - Next - Michael Crichton

Travels - Mar in Maui

Pictures as promised

The last hurrah, etc.

They took a tourist train ride to see the country around Lahaina.

They saw pineapple fields - the true gold from Hawaii.

They found a sculpture garden while on one of the road trips.

And what is with all the chickens. These are special chickens. They are wild chickens. Here is the story. When the Europeans arrived in the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii), many of the natives died of the European diseases because they had no immunity. Well, almost all of the native birds also died. But nature abhors a vacuum and there was a place for birds. Chickens became the new wild birds of Hawaii. Mar says they are everywhere.

We desert people like to say we have cacti - but this is some sized yucca in Hawaii.

So now we say good-bye and good night to this marvelous adventure. (Can you believe this picture - just like a postcard.)
Goodby Hawaii. Goodbye Maui. Mar wants to come back some day.

Travels - Mar in Maui

Pictures - as promised

The Road to Hana

The last day of the trip, they drove to the far east end of the island - to Hana. This drive is through the truly tropical area of the island. It is along switchback roads high up on the cliffs overlooking the ocean.

There were waterfalls. At first they were just lovely and inspiring - tropical paradise type of waterfalls. Then it started to rain - you know, a real tropical rainstorm. The waterfalls got more waterfallyy. They started carrying more "soil" with them so they changed colors. They started to "stain" the ocean as they ran in. Then they started to waterfall across the road. It was a little bit scary once or twice on that curvy road to Hana.

They saw some little villages. The square ponds are taro fields. The roots are used to make poi and other starchy things. What ever they use taro in, turns a little bit purple.

Travels - Mar in Maui

Pictures - as promised

Road Trip to the West End

This is the road trip where they were told "don't go on that road", but they got lost and ended up on that road anyway. It was a rough road, but these are Montana girls, nothing scares them. From the West End you can look across a beautiful blue ocean and see the neighboring island of Molokai in the distance.
The West End is drier and less tropical. The shore line is more rugged.

They saw a lot of places where there were rocks piled on top of each other. They asked what it was for, expecting an answer like "it is to ward off evil demon spirits during the Hawaiian spring rituals", but no - the answer they got was "I don't know". It may remain a mystery forever.

They stopped at a little village - Old Kahakuloa Village - where they bought banana bread made from local bananas.

Travels - Mar in Maui

Pictures - as Promised

Cliff Diving and Luau

On Tuesday Evening they went to the Sheraton Hotel for dinner - and for the cliff diving ritual. First there was Hawaiian entertainment including a hula. Then just at sunset, a native man came out and lit tiki torches all along the beach out to a cliff on a volcanic rock pier jutting into the ocean. Then, when the last torch was lit, he dived off of the four story cliff into the ocean. This is a ritual to welcome in the night. Mar said it was real cool. As he walked through the crowd lighting the torches, he would stop and tell people about the ritual. He was an "older gentleman" (Mar said about 40-45). Mar really was impressed the whole thing.

The luau was on Wednesday night. They had a good dinner with a real pit roasted pig (which they paraded through the dining area on a huge wooden platter. Then they had entertainment from the different South Pacific islands. It was very cool. No, Mar did not try poi.