Monday, July 6, 2009

Family Fun & the Fourth of July

Xiaoyu and I once had friends, and sometimes we still pretend like we do...but mostly we are found hanging out with each other and our family.
The other day we were able to spend some time with Pa at the Murray Park. We had heard from our sources (Sharon) that there was an Irish band playing at the park, but by the time we got there all the tin whistles had been put down, all the four leafed clovers had been retired, and all the leprechauns had left the building. We didn't let it phase us though, and we made use of our time just walking around the park grounds, remembering the time when I hit a seagull with an Easter egg and almost injured it for life, and having fun with Pa.We also had a fun time at Grampa & Grama Baugh's house celebrating the Fourth of July. The ceremonies began with Fernando, Pa, myself, and eventually Blake cutting...or attempting to cut down some branches on Grampa's tree with his newfangled "high limb cutter." Looks easy enough...and truth be told it wasn't really that hard. However, I must say that the above picture of an aged man (even with what seem to be pretty strong old man arms) effortlessly cutting down a ten-inch thick branch like he was slicing through butter with a hot knife is a little misleading. The hardest part was throwing the "throwing weight" right over the branch that you wanted. I got it stuck once, and although Fernando was almost sentenced to a monkey climb up 40 feet to go snag it, Blake finally dislodged by throwing a basketball up at it (my idea). All in all it turned out to be 2.5 hours of pure, uninterrupted, old fashion fun with the family.This is a picture of Miranda thoroughly enjoying her vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup and a cherry on top. I've never seen somebody enjoy something so much as she enjoyed those cherries.
Okay so I take that last statement back, because Miranda really seemed to enjoy her birthday party yesterday (except for the part when Pa took away the butterfly garden piece with the long sharp metal rod sticking out from its bottom, or when she got in trouble for telling me I wasn't very smart...which, yes, hurts coming from a 4 year old). She was so excited about her presents that Grampa Baugh asked if she was serious. I'm pretty sure she was. If she's anything like her mother, who I happen to know quite well, then she was dead serious. I think my favorite thing she said was, "Mom. Dad. It doesn't matter what this present is. I love it just because you gave it to me!" Who says that?! Who says that and actually means it?! Miranda...that's who.
Lucas had a great time too, and he loved being outside and around his family. When he wasn't eating or sleeping, he was talking and smiling. He had a good, long conversation with Fernando, and enjoyed listening to Miranda serenade him with her impromptu melodies (my favorite line, "Everyday, new faces. Everyday, the sun is there." That's Lucas' life to a T). Eventually, however, he partied a little too hard, and after an embarrassing episode involving too much bosom milk, some gas, and a messy diaper, he finally passed out. At least there is consolation in the fact that he never remembers what happened when he wakes up the next day.

Genius. We gotta get one.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Well, well...so we've been slacking a little lately. Its no big deal though, because nothing has really happened since our last post...except that our son Lucas 萧义博 Patrick Belnap was born. Just a minor detail really. Its not like having a baby changes anything. Life just goes on as it usually does, with just the addition of another person to enjoy it with. :)

NOT!!! PHSCY!!! Everything has changed! Messy diapers, baby wipes, breastfeeding, mastitis, car seats, Baby Bjorn, circumcision, swaddling, baby blues, messy diapers, Secrets of the Baby Whisperer, doctors visits, messy diapers, rectal temperature readings, sleepless nights, parainfluenza, and we can't forget messy diapers! AAAAhhhhhhhhhhh........!

So there is a pretty good verbal rendition of how we felt most of the time during the first, say, three weeks or so after the little man made his grand entrance. Now, however, I think it is safe to say that we have made some simple adjustments (basically just giving up on the idea that we will ever have our own lives ever again...forever...until we retire...or die...maybe) and are enjoying our new lives as parental units.
We like to think that Lucas is pretty happy with us too. He has his own special way of showing affection to those he loves. Mostly Lucas says "I love you" through the unifying act of urinating all over yourself, himself, and anything else in close proximity (usually the couch, the diaper you were just about to change him into, the sheets on the bed and your pillow, etc). Other than the Lucas fountain of love, he is also good at smiling to those he loves. Actually, KT stated that she thinks Lucas is a child prodigy...at smiling. We agree. Being Chinese, Xiaoyu of course hopes he becomes a piano prodigy as well, but we'll take smiling for now. Some pictures or a video here should provide ample evidence to the above claim:






Other than that life is actually pretty normal. I'm still working to heal the world, and make it a better place, for you and for me and the, entire human race...and Xiaoyu is holding down the fort. We're still here in Salt Lake County, and will be here until September...upon when we will be back off to Nanjing, China to finish up my schooling. So for those of you that are here in the States, come see us! And for those of you out in China, see ya soon!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009


(Notice General Sheng's reaction to Sam's sillynessess)


Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Ni Hao Yao!

(Please note the expression on Xiaoyu's face)


(Xiaoyu, Yao, & Uncle Mutombo...Best Friends Forever)