Blogging with the Hickmans

Iowa Cousins

2011-08-23T17:04:00.000-07:00

Had to share a couple of video clips from our visit to Beth and Jason's. Tommy loved Archie, and vice versa.

Here is Tommy tickling Archie:

And here is Tommy chasing the Wii controller hand thing back and forth, which Bryan found hilarious:

Amy and John, Oquirrh Mountain Temple and Smoot Hall Reception

2010-04-07T15:08:00.000-07:00

We had beautiful weather for a beautiful wedding! Congrats you guys!

Sherstin and Trevor

2010-03-02T14:48:00.001-08:00

Congrats you two! What a wonderful wedding!

Ward Family

2009-11-19T18:38:00.001-08:00

What an awesome and cute family!!!!

Abby, MillCreek Canyon

2009-10-12T11:37:00.001-07:00

I love shooting at this location, it has waterfalls and beautiful colors. This is a great location for bridals, family sittings or engagements. Despite being a little cold it was a beautiful day!

Kathryn and Luke

2009-10-05T14:23:00.001-07:00

Great day for a beautiful wedding. Good luck you two! Thanks for letting us be a part of your day!

Dome Sweet Dome

2008-12-04T18:28:00.001-08:00

This morning, Bryan and I got to go on a tour of the Capitol Dome. The Dome has been closed to the public for years -- to see it, you have to go with a Senator or Congressman. Senator Craig graciously offered to take a group up to the Dome this morning, so Bryan and I took advantage and tagged along.

The tour requires you to climb over 300 steep steps through areas that are often very narrow with low clearance (another reason I'm thankful to be short). On the tour, we got to see the inside of the Rotunda, and at the end of the tour, we got to go outside on top of the Capitol.

This view is looking down from about halfway up to the top of the Rotunda.

This view is from the same spot, looking up. If you look closely, you can see some railing around the mural. We worked our way up and stood behind that railing....

...which is where this picture was taken. At this point, we were about 180 feet from the floor of the Rotunda.

After that picture, we stepped outside onto the top of the Capitol. There is a small walkway around the top. It was a clear day, so you could see for miles in every direction. The Mall and the Washington Monument are in the background.

This is the very top of the Capitol building -- the Statue of Freedom is right on top of this structure.

The tour was great, but exhausting. Not only did we have to hike up 300 steep steps, we also had to hike back down...

Day off...

2008-10-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

Bryan and I had the day off today, so we visited the National Arboretum. It's about 450 acres of gardens right in DC, just a couple of miles from the Capitol. A friend of mine told me about it -- we had never even noticed it. That's probably because it's in northeast DC, which is one of the more unsavory areas.

As you can see from the picture below, the leaves are starting to change here. I love autumn in DC -- the leaves are amazing!

This is another beautiful view from one of the paths winding through the arboretum.

One of the really interesting things we saw were the National Capitol Columns. These columns were originally on the East Portico of the Capitol Building. You can read more about how they came to be at the National Arboretum here.
This is my attempt at an artistic shot. I'm not a photographer by any means, but I think this one turned out ok.
Next time any of you come to visit, we'll take you to see this place. Another DC treasure.

George is very Cute

2008-10-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

I know you may be thinking that this is a very presumptuous title for a post - but I'm really sorry, fact is fact.

One fun thing about kids growing out of there clothes every season is that they get to wear cute new ones every season. If only that were the case with adults (although I would like to think that I would grow smaller instead of bigger). These are just some pics of George in some of his new clothes - I love his little cardigan, his boot-cut jeans and baseball shirt. I know, Blaine and I like clothes too much, but they are just so fun!

We love you guys and can't wait for Christmas so we can all be together again!

Summer is ending.

2008-09-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

We have had a great Summer here. Lots going on and fun people came to see us!

We love having the Rays here. It is always sad to see them go. They came at the summer's beginning. It seems a long time ago. We were sad that Jason couldn't come. We notice when someone is missing!!!!

Bryan came for about a week to take the Bar exam. He was solo. We missed seeing Chels, but it was great to spend time with Bry. Bryan seemed relived to have the test over with, and start life without studying. Good news!! Bryan passed the Bar, and will be sworn in on Oct. 23rd.

We had our little Ella arrive this July. She is very cute, and is such a good little baby!!! She is good mix of the other two kids. She was blessed this last Sunday. If kisses and hugs can make a baby grow, then Ella would be 6feet tall by now!!!! Abby and Oliver never pass the baby without giving her a kiss. When they leave the house, they say "love you Mom, love you Ella"!!!!

Lindsay was in a play this Summer. She did a great job as the female lead in "Pirated Penzance". It was great for her and nice for us. We saw Blaine and George more than ever!!!! We still see Georgie some, but alas, not Blaine. He is too busy!!!

Beth went to school this Summer. She has not had a break from school, since she went to Ecuador. She is steadfast, though, and keeps up with her homework while having fun. Jason worked lots of hours and saved up for going part time this Fall!

Dad and I joined weight watchers. Dad has lost over 20 pounds, and is looking great!!! He has already dropped a pant and shirt size. Me, not as good. My clothes just look a little bigger. I have miles to drop, before I'm thin!!!

Just a little recap. We love you all and are so proud of you and your families. We are so blessed to have children and their mates that support and love us!!!
We realize how lucky we are to have everyone in our family be friends.

Thanks for all you do for us!!!!

Mom

One year ago...

2008-08-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

Time flies when you're having fun. Here is what we were doing one year ago today:

This weekend Bryan and I went to New York City to celebrate our anniversary. We had a great time. Below is our attempt at a self-portrait in Times Square (as you can see, we didn't manage to capture much of the view).

I've wanted to see the Broadway musical Wicked for a long time. In fact, we had tickets to go when Beth and Jason were here over Thanksgiving, but as luck would have it, the stage hands happened to go on strike that week and Broadway shut down. This weekend we finally got to see it. It was totally entertaining. The music was great. Bryan even enjoyed it.

We also went and saw a play called Boeing-Boeing. We liked it even more than Wicked. Bradley Whitford, who played Josh Lyman in The West Wing, was one of the stars. The all-star cast had great chemistry and we laughed our heads off. It was well worth it.

We also spent some time at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

It was a great weekend -- we definitely celebrated in style. And as if that wasn't enough, when we got home, there was a package waiting for me. For an anniversary gift, Bryan got me a signed first edition of my favorite book -- The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye. I have it proudly displayed in our living room already. For my gift to Bryan, I had his law school diploma matted and framed.

I am so lucky to have Bryan. He's wonderful, and this has been such a great year. I'm looking forward to many more to come!

The Musical Genius!

2008-07-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

Here is yet another video of George doing what he does best - dancing! Actually, I think he is conducting the music in this particular clip. He likes the can-can demo the best still, except it has to be set on the fastest tempo our keyboard will allow. He is such a fun kid!

We really miss the Rays - it was so much fun to have Lucy, Graham and Maggie here for so long. Love you guys!

Keep on rockin' in the free world...

2008-06-29T11:54:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, we drove to Camden, New Jersey to see Pearl Jam. Camden is just a few miles away from Philadelphia. Camden is the ghetto. All around the arena there was nothing but abandoned warehouses, saloons with bars on the windows, and rundown liquor stores. But the venue was nice and we had a good time.

We went with another couple, Ryan and Maren Vogel. We refer to them collectively as The Vogue. Here we are enjoying the show.

Here's a shot of the stage from where we were sitting. We had pretty good seats, and we had a really good time. Camden is a 3-4 hour drive from DC, so we stayed overnight in Philadelphia and drove home in the morning. Bryan was completely hoarse the next day, because he was shout-singing along with every song. One of our very first dates was a concert, so I was somewhat prepared for what Bryan would do at this show, but he really took his performance to a whole new level.

Shear Madness...

2008-06-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

For the last few weeks, it has been really hot and humid in DC. This last week was particularly steamy. When the weather gets this way, my mane becomes a little difficult to tame. After blow drying, straightening with a flat iron, and applying a substantial amount of product, my hair usually looks pretty smooth. However, the heat and humidity can undo all of that in about 5 minutes.

So, after much deliberation, I decided it was time to lop off some of the locks. This is how my hair looked before...

As I sat in the chair at the salon, I could actually feel the clumps of hair hitting the chair's base -- that's how substantial they were. About six inches later, this is how I looked...

And from the front...
We'll see how this style holds up to the weather. I have high hopes. I had a little bit of separation anxiety -- that hair and I had been together for a long time. But I'm pleased with the result. And I passed the most important test: Bryan likes it too!

Proud parents and glad grad...

2008-06-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry it took me so long to post this, Nancy! Here's a picture from graduation...

Just learning

2008-06-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

I wanted to say more about the trip. This is the first time I have tried to add pictures. As you can see, it didn't work out. Sorry. We saw the Liberty Bell, Indepence Hall and Ben Franklin's grave site. We went to the "Rocky" steps and Dad and Bryan ran all the way up!!!!

On Monday Dad and I went on the Duck tour. I have wanted to go since the first DC trip. I thought that the boat took you to all the monuments and you could view them from the river,..... No such luck!!!! It was fun, but not the trip I had imagined.

I will try and add more pictures. Maybe Chelsey and Dad could add one of Bryan's big day.

It was so great to see Bry's and Chelsey's home. It is good to be able to picture them there.

We had a great time, can't wait to go back!!!!

Know any good lawyer jokes?

2008-06-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

It was a great trip to DC in the middle of May. We went to see Bryan receive his Doctor of Juris degree at George Washington University. It was a great day. I was so proud of Bry and his achievement. Not too many people have to work full time while they go to law school. Congrats again Bryan.

We had a great time sight seeing. Bryan and Chelsey took us to Philadelphia. We saw some great sights.

Walkin' in Memphis...

2008-06-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Bryan and I went to Memphis, Tennessee for a wedding. We had a great time. We stayed in a hotel on the famous Beale Street, right in the heart of Memphis. We wandered Beale Street, ate ribs at the famous Rendezvous Charcoal Ribs, and had a lot of fun. And of course, what trip to Memphis is complete without a visit to the home of the King -- Graceland!

This is the front door of the house at Graceland.

This is the front room at Graceland. Notice the stained glass peacocks on the way into the piano room...
This is the famous Jungle Room. The brick wall has a waterfall flowing over it, and the carpet is green shag. The best part about the Jungle Room is that there is also green shag carpet covering the ceiling.
Here is his grave. He's buried at Graceland alongside his parents and his grandmother. Graceland receives flowers and memorials and other tributes on a DAILY BASIS. Let me tell you, there are still some very serious Elvis fans out there. And we saw plenty of them at Graceland. You can actually buy season passes. Can you imagine being a Graceland season passholder...?
This is actually not at Graceland -- this is at the wedding dinner. After everyone had eaten, the DJ said that we had a special guest, and out comes the Elvis impersonator. He sang a few numbers, stayed for photos -- it was hilarious. We had a lot of fun, but it's good to be home!

Victory Trophies

2008-05-17T20:46:00.000-07:00

AYSO sure knew what they were doing when they gave each child an end-of-the-year trophy. These kids were on cloud nine. So much so that they asked their dad to take a picture of them. The part that I thought was awesome was that it didn't matter that almost every other kid on the block had one...they still thought it was great!

Happy Birthday Mom!!

2008-04-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

We had a nice day Yesterday. Lucy Called and Sang Happy Birthday to Grandma and Bryan and Chelsey sent Mom some flowers. It was a perfect opportunity to try the new Frontrunner train so we rode down to the Gateway in Salt Lake City, had dinner, watched a movie, and came home. We even did the silly staff at the restaurant thing. The new train is nice. I hope a lot of people ride it and they stay off my highway. The kids came over last night and brought a cake. It was all a lot of fun. (If only the Jazz had won.) Nancy's foot seems to be getting better. Maybe in a month or so she can get rid of her brace.

Happy Late Easter!

2008-04-14T20:55:00.000-07:00

I finally got a picture of George in his cute Easter outfit given to him by Bobby! He was not very happy as you can see, and had just thrown a bit of a tantrum previous to this picture. He doesn't like to get his picture taken, he only wants to look at the pictures on the digital camera screen.

Abby and Ollie Annual Easter day photo

2008-03-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

Finally Abby doesn't Squeeze Ollie to death while getting a photo!

Happy Birthday Bryan!!

2008-03-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a rough thirty years but we've made it through. I was worried about him and the teddy bear. He finally quit sleeping with it last summer. May you have a joyous and blessed year. Your Mother and I love you so much! (Check out the featured celebrity on the slide show)

Mom's Doing Better

2008-03-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

Mom had Surgery on Thursday. The Doctor was quite hopeful that this would help her. He said the surgery went very well. She is getting around now and looks forward to life after the next 3 weeks when she will be on crutches. Thank you all for your calls and flowers. We so much appreciate your support

Wanted: VISITORS!

2008-03-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

This morning the kids and I drove a family to the airport in Fresno. Lucy couldn't get over the fact that we weren't picking up Abby and Oliver and we weren't going to Grandma and Grandpa's house. The family was going to visit their grandparents and Lucy said, "THAT'S NOT FAIR! I DON'T GET TO SEE MINE!" It was quite depressing for the two of us. Who is going to come and visit us??

Wow, we really work here

2008-03-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

If you have been watching the news lately, you might have heard my boss, Kay Granger, mentioned as a potential running mate for McCain. Last night on Fox News, they talked about her. If you missed it, you can see the clip here.

Now, I don't think Kay will really be McCain's choice for VP, but stuff like this reminds me how neat it is for Bryan and me to be right in the middle of all the pomp and circumstance of Washington politics. It can be a grueling, thankless job sometimes, but once in a while, when I walk into the Capitol, I think, "Wow, I really work here."

And if that isn't enough to entice you to come and visit, I don't what is. So come, visit early, visit often.

Why you should make sure the batteries work in your smoke detector

2008-02-23T20:03:00.000-08:00

Well, we were saved by the "bell" (smoke detector) tonight. At about 8:30 the smoke detector downstairs went off, So Heidi and I ran down to find the furnace had been on fire. I opened the front cover to find the wires still smoking. I called my neighbor who is an HVAC guy and he came and assesed that we definatley need a new furnace. SO, with that said you can send your contributions to the "keep Ryan and Heidi family warm this winter" fund, or donate at your local HVAC Dealer, make sure you mention "Heidi" so that we also get the matching payment from the goverenment program that has been set up to help those in just this type of situation, (thanks Hillary!). God bless you all ahead of time for your generous donations! :) And go MAC!

Snowbasin with the Thompson

2008-02-18T16:49:00.000-08:00

Well, as you can see it was a good thing Olly wore his vintage WWII Russian Padded helmet on his soujourn down this 50' Rock hard snowpile. Yes he survived and only complained that he got snow down his back... He also won the big air contest. And last but not least my two (maybe 3 if we find out Heidi is having a girl) favorite girls in the world. It was nice to just be a kid again.

A Boy and His Blanket

2008-02-17T07:22:00.000-08:00

Graham is getting more and more attached to his blanket. When he gets out of his crib in the morning, he has to bring it with him to breakfast. If he sees it, after being away from it for an hour or more, he starts fussing and running to it like he has found an old lost friend.

Extreme Home Makeover

2008-02-07T12:18:00.001-08:00

For the last week, my parents have been here visiting. They just left this morning. Because they're so great, they helped us decorate our apartment while they were here. They really did a lot of manual labor, and everything looks great. Beth and Jason can attest to how boring and bland our apartment was before. I had to share some of the pictures. And, of course, a big THANK YOU to Matt and Nancy, who gave me some Home Depot money for my birthday. We put it to good use. Also a big thank you to Bryan, who put together a lot of new furniture.

This is the kitchen. Bryan put together the sideboard. We don't have a lot of counter space, so these additions were great.

This, of course, is the boudoir. It's amazing what curtains and a few throw pillows can do.

This is the dining room. Ignore all the stuff on the table. That mirror is gigantic -- I love it.
This is the living room. Try to imagine it before -- basically nothing on the walls (which were white), no curtains... It turned out really great.
We had this weird corner where there was in indent in the wall. My mom had a great idea -- build shelves there. This is the result.

A Winter Pick-me-up

2008-02-06T10:42:00.000-08:00

This is George's favorite video to watch these days! It is from one of the happiest movies ever - "Enchanted." He loves it for some reason and he always laughs when the prince gets run over by the bikers. I have been a little depressed so it is so fun to watch with him. I hope you all enjoy it, and that it brings a bit of happiness to this yucky winter!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRYU4cqUAUs

Did you know that Christmas is over?

2008-01-31T17:39:00.000-08:00

Well, tomorrow is February so I guess the holiday season is finally over. Time to get back to work. This month has been great. I have just hired two new agents and they look like they are going to do well. Brad Nye (Yes, my next door neighbor) is giving it a go as well as Brandon Fenwick. Looks like a boomin year for the rug business. Mom sure misses you guys. We can't wait for the triathalon in about a month. Take care.

A Shout out to Chelsey!!

2008-01-10T19:59:00.000-08:00

I forgot to blog on Chelsey's birthday, January 4th. I did remember to send her a birthday text though, so I half remembered!!!

Chelsey is such a grand addition to our family. She fits right in. (some days probably not the best compliment). Most of all she and Bryan are a great pair!!! We were so happy to have you home with us for awhile. I look forward to coming and seeing you in May!

I hope you had a good birthday, and enjoy your painting when your parents come.

Happy Birthday Maggie!!!

2008-01-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

Today was Maggie's birthday. I have been thinking of her all day, and hope that she had a good day.

Maggie is really incredible. She says she has no friends in LeMoore, yet everytime I call she is reading a book for some book club or throwing a baby shower for a friend with another friend. For a person with no friends, she sure keeps busy!!!!

Maggie is a good daughter and sister. She was always kind of a peace maker in our home. She was part of the younger kids and older kids, too. We are proud of Maggie and how she has built a good life and family. She is an example to all of us. She has strong values and beliefs that she can keep and still be a good friend to everyone!

I am glad that Maggie is part of our family. I wish that she lived closer, so we could be a part of her everyday life a little more!!!

Sure is quiet!!!

2008-01-08T08:47:00.000-08:00

We had such a great time with everyone here. Sometimes the tension is up, but for the most part I think we did great, biting our tongues and letting everyone have their own opinions!

Dad has gone back to work. He is training one, maybe two new agents. The house is back together and we are very lonesome. Even the Thompsons have been absent. Oliver comes over once in awhile to play video in the placement, but that is it!!!!

I just want to tell all of you, children and their mates, (we really don't think of the mates any differently, to us you are all our children) how much we love and admire you. In your own spheres you are all so successful and such good influences on the people you associate with. Believe me, not all parents can say that!!!!

We are so fortunate to have a family that all love each other, and want to be together.

Thank you for the good times we had. We are already lonesome for the noise and confusion!!

Back to life....back to reality

2008-01-07T08:14:00.000-08:00

I hope every one is recovering from the Ray invasion. We are having a hard time making our way back to reality. Graham has been a little feverish and Lucy still says at least once a day, "I would happy if we could just go back to Grandma and Grandpa's house!" Or at least something very similar. We had such a great time with everybody. Thanks to Mom and Dad for making our Christmas so great and helping out with our little ones so much. We love you! Only 3 more shopping days until someone special's birthday!!

Happy holidays from snowy Rexburg

2007-12-27T12:15:00.000-08:00

We definitely had a white Christmas here in Rexburg. Between the night of December 23 (when we arrived) and yesterday morning, it snowed over 7 inches. We used a very scientific method to calculate that figure -- we measured how deep the snow was on the rail of our deck (below).

We had a really nice time, and we're looking forward to seeing you all in Utah tomorrow to finish out our holiday celebration.

Looking back . . .

2007-12-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it is almost Christmas! What's even weirder, is that George was only 3 months old last Christmas, and now he is so grown up. I can't wait to have all of the grand kids together! George and Graham will be soon partners in crime! We are so excited to have the whole family together!

Thank you one and all!!

2007-12-15T04:04:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to comment to each of you on how much I appreciate your posts! I really enjoy reading them and going to each of your blogs and seeing what is going on with you. I hope we can keep this going.

Americas Next Top Model

2007-12-11T09:56:00.000-08:00

Check Lucy out.......this is her new favorite pose.

Thanksgiving with the Virginia branch of the Hickmans

2007-12-08T12:41:00.001-08:00

Bryan and I really enjoyed our first Thanksgiving together. It was great having Beth and Jason here. We ate a lot, took naps, and even managed some sight-seeing. We also played a lot of the game "Scene It." It's movie trivia, so I'm sure you can guess why it's Bryan's favorite game.

I was pretty proud of the place settings -- watch out, Martha Stewart!

We took Beth and Jason to Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate. This is the view of the Potomac out his back door.

Santa is Watching!

2007-12-03T16:34:00.000-08:00

We had a little package delivered to our house on Saturday night. Lucy and Graham got a gift from Santa and his elves! (We love Grandma and Grandpa!). The elves rang the doorbell and ran (Jason is quite the sprinter). Lucy was so excited to find the Polar Express DVD and the big bell. She was beaming from ear to ear when we read the note to her from Santa and the elves. She called and told her cousins, Abby and Oliver, about her surprise. She was so happy to find out that they had gotten a similar package. The next day she told a few of her friends at church that "Santa is watching everyone!" On the way home from church she asked Jason, "Did the 'A''s give some to Abby and the 'O's to Oliver?" She's a little confused about the elves being elves and not 'L's (as in Lucy). So funny!

Whenever we're in the car we've been listening to Soft rock 98.9, because they're playing only Christmas music from here on out. Lucy came walking into my room singing the stations little jingle, "Sofrod....98.9!" I had to try not to laugh because I wanted her to keep doing it.

This is Graham in his brand new coat. I couldn't stop laughing as I watched him walk around. So flippin' cute! It's been a freezing 59 degrees here in Lemoore (that's cold for us....I know, we're wimps). We felt like the guy needed some gear. Especially because we're heading to Utah in 16 days! Whoopeee!

Married with a kid...and proud of it!!

2007-11-30T15:56:00.000-08:00

The other day was especially annoying in my sociology class. The topic was on marriage and families and pretty much every word that came out of the professors mouth was negative and anti-marriage. It was really annoying, she always talks about how people in Utah are stupid because they get married to young, to poor, and too dumb. So much of what she was saying that day was basically a direct attack on every decision I have made in the last few years. I realize that I was very young to get married, and VERY young to start having kids, but you know what...I'M STILL HAPPY I DID IT! And just because 50% of marriages end in divorce doesn't mean that nobody should get married, or that it doesn't work out for some of us! She was bugging me, I almost raised my hand and said something, but I was too chicken.

So I just wanted to let everyone who might read this know... I got married young, I had a kid within the first year, I'm poor, and I'm really happy!

Happy Birthday, Beth!!!

2007-11-25T06:53:00.001-08:00

It is Beth's 22nd birthday today. She and Jason are coming home from DC after a visit with Bryan and Chelsey. We are having her birthday dinner this afternoon.

It is hard to believe that almost a year has gone by since we were planning her wedding last year!! Our house has been very quiet since Beth left. I always had someone to visit with, and get opinions about my hair, dress, etc when she was here.

Beth has been a great youngest child in our family. She is bright and witty and thoughtful. You would think she is pretty outgoing, but she is really very shy.

I miss Beth, but I am so happy she has found a great guy!

Beth is very busy. If anyone tries to tell you that Elementary Ed is an easy major, don't believe them. Beth has hours of homework and paper writing everyday!!

We are proud of Beth and all her good work. Have a great day today!!

Blaine's Birthday!

2007-11-16T08:36:00.000-08:00

It was a success! We managed to surprise Blaine a little with a friend party! Here we all are (Kip was taking the picture!) Matt and Nancy - Thanks for raising such a wonderful son! I sure do love the guy!

Holiday Season Starts!

2007-11-15T12:53:00.000-08:00

Today is Blaine's 24th birthday. I personally can't believe that he is that old. It doesn't seem that long ago that he was born. He has been a blessing in our family, and we love him very much. He works full time, is a full time student, and has a great family!! What accomplishments!

With Blaine's birthday, it is the start of our holiday season here. In 10 days Beth will be 22 and married almost a year! This year Thanksgiving is before Beth's B-day, and then on to Christmas!! I watched The Polar Express with Heidi's kids last night. It is worth watching again if you have seen it. If you haven't seen it, watch it this season.

We are looking forward to seeing Chelsey and Bryan again during the holidays. It is great to have the Rays and the Hickmans come home to see the rest of us. We are very happy!!!!!

Well, Happy Birthday Blaine. I love you very much!

So Easy a Caveman Can Do It!!! .. (Beat Layton!?....Never Mind!)

2007-11-11T09:06:00.000-08:00

Layton only brought their B game to Rice Eccles but that proved to be enough to send the Stone Agers back to their Timpanogas Dwellings. Layton 28, American Fork 14.

The Triathletes have finished and Survived

2007-11-11T08:19:00.000-08:00

We are very proud of our triathletes who finished the course at Treasure Island in San Francisco. As you can see they have a fan base of at least two. As for Nancy and I, we arrived 40 years too late to enjoy the flower power.

All for Layton Stand up and Lean!!!!!!

2007-11-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

The hapless Eagles came to town yesterday and got their tail feathers handed to them. Layton 49 Skyline 0. Next week we move on to the semifinals at Rice Eccles Stadium.

The Thompsons Come to Town!

2007-10-30T18:54:00.000-07:00

The Thompson gang (minus Ryan....we'll catch you next time) came to visit this weekend. They left earlier this afternoon. Lucy and I are in a state of depression. We had sooo much fun! We went to the beach, saw the giant Sequoias, played some ultimate hopscotch, and ate way too many treats! Good times! Here's a video Heidi took on our way home from the beach.

This is Halloween . . .

2007-10-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

For those of you who were at George's Birthday Party, you might recognize this funny Halloween binkie that one of our friends gave to George. He doesn't really like to suck on it - he prefers the green hospital pacifiers - but today he was just walking around with it in his mouth. Happy Halloween!

The Christensen's Dropped By

2007-10-22T08:28:00.001-07:00

Aunt Annette is staying with Grandpa this weekend. Justin and Jessica came by with Daffne and Naomi. Grandpa and Annette are now in Wyoming visiting Stu......Check out the pix of Daffne and Naomi.

The Big Apple

2007-10-18T12:37:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, Bryan and I took a trip to New York City. I have been there a few times, but Bryan had never been, and with all the craziness in our lives lately, we decided we needed a little vacation. So Bryan planned this little weekend for us. It's only about a 4-hour drive, as long as there is no traffic. We had a great time, and Bryan wants to go back often. Here are some pics of our adventures.

At the Shubert Theater, where we saw the musical Spamalot, which is based on Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail. It was really funny.

Bryan at Times Square.

On the 84th floor observation deck at the Empire State Building. It was chilly, but an amazing view.

On Liberty Island, at the Statue of Liberty.
Self-portrait on the ferry that took us to the Statue of Liberty.

Happenin' Hayride

2007-10-18T09:03:00.000-07:00

Here's some pics from a hayride the kids and I went on last week. A bunch of moms from the ward got together for it. Lucy was disappointed that a tractor was pulling us instead of a horse. Graham sat quietly on my lap for most of the ride........it was amazing! He just kept looking around at everything.

Abbie's Birthday

2007-10-18T08:30:00.000-07:00

Just had a big party last night at Abby's House. What a time we had! Get a load of her Birthday Cake. After the family party we were invaded by the local neighborhood kids. The Hanna Montana Wig was to die for.

It's hard to believe that she is 7 years old! Pretty fun time!

Our New Banner

2007-10-18T07:59:00.001-07:00

Since you have all been asking yourselves who the family is that I have featured in the Title Banner, I will give you a clue: Blaine is named after one of them.

Pretty clever

2007-10-16T17:06:00.000-07:00

Hey!

Take a listen to the new Brad Paisley song on my playlist. It is pretty clever, even though a sad commentary on chatting on line!

Keep me in Mind

2007-10-15T20:12:00.001-07:00

After 8.5 hours at work, my feet are dead. I can't seem to get over the surgery I had this Summer. My doctor says it will take awhile, as I am on my foot for so long at a time. Life here is pretty dull for Dad....I go to work, come home and baby my feet all night. Good times.

Remember me in your prayers. I am getting discouraged, and need all the blessings I can get!!!

Abby's 7th birthday is Wednesday. She is getting tall and is learning to read. Where did the time go. That is why I put the "blink" song on the list.

Take care. I love you all. Oh, and a shout out to Chels. She started her new job today. Hope everything went all right!

Those Darn Chinese!!

2007-10-09T13:39:00.000-07:00

This is a picture that was taken about 15 years ago. Blaine was the victim of a Chinese Company that mixed up the specifications between playground and salad making equipment. That day still gives me nightmares!
( You can imagine how it affected Blaine!! He won't even talk about it with anyone.)

Swinging George!

2007-10-09T09:52:00.001-07:00

Finally! Lindsay can Post! George rediscovered his swing today, and loves it! He is such a funny kid. Here are some pictures of George in the swing. He is a little too big for it, but now we don't even have to go to the park to have a blast!

Disappointment

2007-10-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

This Summer I went to a Gordon Lightfoot concert at the Layton amphitheatre. Yes, I know pretty lame that Gordo has sunk to small arenas, but I digress. I was excited, because I love Gordon Lightfoot's music. When I hear it, I am young and carefree. Well, the concert was a disappointment. He was so frail and weak that he didn't even sing the songs all the way through. He did some hard living, and it shows!!! I am now content to listen to his music, and have no desire to see my old favorites in person!

I have one of my favorites on my new play list Take a listen. It is a fun song!

Are These People Your Kin?

2007-10-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

I wuz a lookin' at da fambly fotos and fetched dis picher.

Be they any kin of your'n?

(To fully appreciate it click the picture to enlarge)

Finally part of the family

2007-09-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

I guess it's official -- I really am part of the family, now that I've been invited to contribute to the Hickman family blog (thanks, Matt). I don't have anything exciting to say, and I'm on Bryan's computer so I don't have any photos to post, but stay tuned...

2007-09-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

Maggie is always bugging me for not posting on the blog and I tell her it is because I don't have any pictures and I don't want to just post without a picture. Well this week we had to get our picture taken in this uniform to put in our personal record. So I thought I would put it on. This is not the uniform that I wear on a daily basis. Some people do but since I go to a lot of construction sites I wear the camouflage uniform that does not get dirty as easily.

My Night Out on the Town

2007-09-27T12:15:00.001-07:00

Here's some pictures from my night out on the town with my friends. I was the designated driver for the evening (a new experience for me). We went to dinner and then to a sports bar. After that we headed over to Mr. Bill's to do some serious karaoke (spelling?). I rocked the house with some "I Will Survive" and "Dancing Queen". There was a little bit of drama involved with the evening, but all in all it was a lot of fun.

Soccer Time!!

2007-09-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

Look out sportfans!!!! Some new stars have just laced up their cleats forever changing soccer as we know it!!!

Lucy's Birthday

2007-09-11T07:57:00.000-07:00

For those of you who missed it (and those of you who were there) Lucy had a Birthday last month. Check out her adoring fans!!

Startin' early....

2007-09-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

Graham's new favorite thing is his toothbrush. He'll crawl all over the house with it....dragging it all over the floor and then sticking it back in his mouth. Awesome. He freaks out big time if you take it away.

The Technicolor Dream Coat

2007-08-31T16:01:00.000-07:00

Those Canaan Days! Where have they gone? Where did they Go?

We finished the play last week. It was fun but I'm glad it's over.

Check out Jacob and his three Wives. (Eat your heart out Grandpa!)

Memories....

2007-08-29T20:03:00.000-07:00

I was organizing all of our DVD's and videos and I came across the Hickman Family Memories DVD that we made for Mom and Dad a few Christmas's ago. If you haven't watched in a while, pull it out. I had a few good laughs watching the bloopers. Good music, great memories. What genius came up with that good idea??

Missing you...

2007-08-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

Life in Lemoore is going well. We definitely miss the party going on at Mom and Dad's house 24/7. Day to day life can be pretty boring!! Lucy asks about Oliver and Abby almost every morning. She thinks she needs someone to play with at all times. She's picked up some funny sayings from Abby, like, "That's so not fair, Mom!" and "That's soo cool!"

I wish I would have taken more pictures at the church in Rexburg. We had fun playing ultimate hot potato and listening to Jason Herman's ipod over the primary microphone. Good times! I'll never forget Jason walking in with the cart from the kitchen asking us if we want water or lemonade to drink.

And now...... A Really Big Shoooo!!

2007-07-30T06:05:00.000-07:00

Last night the City of Layton was entertained by the Hickman' s and the Herman's (and some of their very special friends) at the weekly Concert in the Park at the world famous Ed Kenly Amphitheater. Some would say it was the "system" or the so called "machine" raising its ugly head after years of dormancy. The audience unwittingly perceived it as good family entertainment as only G rated Broadway tunes were featured.

Some People just know how to Party!

2007-07-26T08:07:00.001-07:00

Some people go see the parade. Some go to the Lake. Others the mountains. We Paint on the the 24th. Check out George!!

Grandma's Helpers

2007-07-21T15:43:00.001-07:00

Grandma has been moving pretty slow lately with the surgery on her foot. Look who comes over every week to help her vacuum, mop the floor and put things away. Pretty good kids don't you think!

Celebrate good times....come on!

2007-07-18T17:06:00.000-07:00

Here's some pictures from our little vacation to St. George over the 4th. We had a great time. We ate out, played mini-golf, saw the temple, went to a movie, and shopped. It was fabulous. The drive there and back was ridiculous. Graham yelled as loud as he could for 6 of the 8 hours of driving. Enjoy the pics and get excited because the Rays are comin' to town in 9 days!!

Sorry!

2007-07-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

I just figured out how to post on this stupid blog thing. This is why I have yet to post anything, I didn't know how the damn thing worked. (thats right mom, I said damn!) Anyway it took me years to figure it out, and now I have to go to work. I will post again soon, don't worry Maggie!

Christmas in July!

2007-07-14T21:41:00.000-07:00

Dad and I finally used our Christmas gift of the night's stay at the Anniversary Inn and the food gift certificate. We stayed in the "Jungle Room". At this location, this was the smallest room with quite the decor. We had many giggles and laughs about the room and the elephant in the bathtub!!!

We had a great dinner at "The Roof" and then went for a roll (Dad pushed me in the wheelchair) around Temple Square, dreaming about next year's flowers for the yard. We went to the "Joseph Smith" movie at the legacy and then the next day went to the Temple. Beth and Jason stayed with Gramps, so we had no worries there. We had such a great time getting away and we are so thankful to all of you for the thoughtful gift!!!!

I go back to work this Monday. Remember me in your prayers, I am kind of worried about how I will do.

That's about it. The yard is looking so nice, Dad gets compliments all the time!!! We are looking forward to seeing the Rays soon, and the big wedding!!!!!!!

Take care, and I love you all!

"Why do some people speak Portuguese?"

2007-06-27T14:33:00.000-07:00

Lucy is starting the stage where she asks questions I don't know how to answer. We have 3 neighbors that all speak different languages to their kids. Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. Today Lucy asked me why some people speak Portuguese. I didn't quite know how to answer. About a week ago she ask my Korean neighbor why her face is so flat. That was more than a little embarassing. Here's a few more of Lucy's one liners:

"Why are some houses white and some houses brown?" Why can't they be all colors?"

"Does everything grow, Mom?"

"Why don't we have stairs like Bobby's house?" (After I tried to explain, she said, "Well, that's annoying!"

"I can put on my own sunscream!"

"Graham's the best baby EVER!"

"I'm stepping on lots of crumbs!" (When she was walking without shoes on the sidewalk)

"Graham! You need to play over ZHERE!" (She says Z's for her TH's)

She's a funny one. She's been crackin' us up a lot lately!

Look What I Got for Father's Day.

2007-06-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

Beth gave me this picture for Father's Day. Pretty cool Huh?

More of Me!

2007-06-21T13:49:00.001-07:00

Here's some more pics of the new do. I'm not vain......I just like to see pictures of myself on the computer.............

The new look.....

2007-06-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody,

Here is the new haircut I got this afternoon. Jason isn't a fan, but I think I like it. It will take some getting used to. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it very well. Anyhoo......talk to you later!!

And Now for Your Viewing Pleasure

2007-06-15T11:06:00.000-07:00

The home gang has been hard at work removing the old junk cars from the front yard. We even decided to remove the animal cages from the back yard and plant some grass. We don't want this Penrod chick to think (or find out) we are a bunch of hayseeds (or worse).

What's up y'all?

2007-06-13T15:17:00.000-07:00

Hello one and all. It's been a while since I've posted and since I'm the only one that keeps this joke of a blog alive, I thought I'd better get busy. It's been a crazy couple weeks for the Rays. As you all know, I visited Bryan in D.C. and had a fabulous time. Chelsey cooked for us and we watched some very intense Jazz games. It was a great trip. The following week, the Wrights came to visit for a few days and then we all went to Disneyland. It was so much fun!! I would have posted some of those pictures, but we didn't take our camera, so Kalleen is mailing us a CD with copies. We swam in the pool at the hotel (Graham's first time swimming). Lucy loved talking to Cinderella. I asked her on the way home what her favorite ride was and she said it was the Tiki Room. I don't know how many remember what that is, but it's this little show they put on with birds singing and drumming and stuff. Very cute. Graham did swell, although Jason's shoulders were incredibly sore for days after lugging the 23 pounder in the baby carrier all day.

The picture of Lucy with the diploma is from her Tiny Tots graduation. Very exciting!

I hope all is well with everyone. Start preparing yourself for "The Month of the Rays" coming in August.

Pics....

2007-05-23T08:42:00.001-07:00

Lucy the Lovely and Graham the Great

2007-05-23T08:33:00.001-07:00

Here are some more pictures that my friend took of the kiddos. Graham is crawling like a maniac now. Lucy is obsessed with the Monsters Inc. dvd that we borrowed from the neighbors.

All is well in Lemoore. I'm starting to get ready for the D.C. trip! WooHoo!!

If the People Want Pics, Give Them Some Pics!

2007-05-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you all want to see just how good Chelsey and I look together. So...here you go. This was taken in Gettysburg when Mom and Dad were visiting.

She's really hot. Just sayin'.

Back to Work

2007-05-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

Dad and I had a great time in DC with Chelsey and Bryan. Chelsey is great!!! We are looking forward to her being a permanant addition to the fam.

DC was great. We went to Civil War battle sites. It sounds boring, but it was really nice. They are so peaceful now, very reverent. The country side is beautiful, it was hard to imagine war there.

Now we are back home and back to work. I am jealous of Blaine getting to go to CA for a bit. I would just like to travel and have my paycheck keep coming!!!

No pictures here, maybe Dad will post some.

Love to all.

Is anybody out there?

2007-05-09T08:07:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody. I don't know if anyone is even checking this anymore, but oh well. Blaine left this morning. It was great having him here, although I hope he wasn't too bored. I had a good time just visiting with him. Lucy got sick and was throwing up yesterday, so we didn't do much partying. She threw up again this morning and I'm not feeling so good either, so it should be a fun day.

A friend of mine took these pictures of Graham when she was babysitting him last week. I thought I'd share. Talk to you later!

Blogging with MAGGIE!

2007-04-30T20:37:00.000-07:00

New name for the blog! No one else comments or does any posting. Big time annoying! You don't have to have pictures people. It only takes a second to hit the comment button and say, "Really cute pictures!" or "Wow, Graham is so adorable!" What's the deal?

Bathtime!

2007-04-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody!

I took these pictures of Graham this morning and I had to share them with everybody. Isn't he adorable! Notice the water splashing. Lucy and I were both watching him and we were soaked by the end of bathtime.

The kids and I went to the library in Lemoore today. Lucy finally has figured out the whispering thing when we're in there. She had a hard time shutting off the whisper mode even after we were back in the car and on the way home. She whispered nearly the whole way back.

Not much else going on here. How's everybody else?

We're Bloggin, Oh Yeah!

2007-04-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to thank you all for supporting the Blog.
Mom and I went out tonight and bought a new refrigerator. I don't know why we needed to do that. The old one was only 22 years old. We bought it before Beth was born.The new one is really nice and should hold about twice as much as the old one.
Just thought you ought to know that Grandpa saw the millenium from beginning to end yesterday. (And I thought his life was boring).
We are getting excited to go to DC in a couple of weeks. That is going to be a lot of fun.
We just dropped Comcast for Direct TV. We have the equivalent of Tivo. Skipping the commercials is really nice. I'm really liking this.
Love you all and keep on bloggin! (Some of you start bloggin)

Random stuff....

2007-04-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

Hello, all. I just wanted to let the Golden Girls fans know that I saw Blanche on The View this morning. Did you know she has been married 6 times! She wrote a book called, My First 5 Husbands and the Ones That Got Away. I thought that was kinda funny.

Everything here is Lemoore is going pretty good. It's been REALLY windy the last few days. I don't like the wind. For some reason it makes me sad.

What did everyone think of American Idol? I recorded it while I was at Book Club and watched it when I got home. I was extremely upset when my tape ran out before Blake performed. Was he the last to sing? What song did he choose?

Presidencial approval!

2007-04-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

I just wanted you all to know the news. We have it from a reliable source that President Bush thinks that Bryan is one of the best men they have working in government today!!!

We were talking about our visit to DC at dinner, and Gramps informed us that President Bush is very happy with Bryan. He thinks Bry is just great!!!!!! So, now we know that we can get any personel info we want from the President.

I hope you will all appreciate good ol' Bry. Little did we know, that the President is watching!!

Thanks for the posts, Maggie!!! Let's hear from the rest of you lazy bums! (Bryan excluded, of course! Ha Ha Ha)

We made it!!

2007-04-14T13:29:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it home. We survived the 12 hour drive. Lucy watched Cinderella III six times and you would have thought by the way he was groaning that all 32 of Graham's teeth came in from the time we left Vegas and made it to Lemoore. We had a great time while we were there. I wanted to share some of the pictures. We love you all! The Hawaiian shirts were for a barbecue that Jason had for work. Lucy has had a fever the last few days, so we stayed home. Bye for now!

My head WILL explode.

2007-04-10T07:48:00.000-07:00

Hello folks,
You are all (except for Bryan) keenly aware of the toothache I have been suffering from the last few days. I had a hard time sleeping again last night, it wasn't until my second dose of Lortab that I was finally able to get some sleep. This morning my tooth doesn't hurt so bad but I am REALLY tired, not quite sure if that is because I didn't sleep well or if it is the effects of the pain killers.
Anyway, it has been fun having Maggie and her kids here. The only thing that would make it more fun is if Lindsay, George and Jason were here.
My stats class was canceled this morning (praise) so I have about an hour to kill here in the computer lab.
By the way, Grandpa never does crazy things while I'm there....is he scared of me or something?
Love to all you people,
Blaine

X-files has nothin' on us!!!!!

2007-04-09T21:01:00.000-07:00

Well, Gramps new thing.....Our house is being bugged by the scammers!!!! He is now imagining a line leading from the cable box is the back. Yes, you read right! We are now a house under surveillance. As I write, scammers are lined up around our back yard property line. But, no need to fear, Cyril, the Church security man, is on the job. (We couldn't think this stuff up, folks.)

Never a dull moment here!!! We are enjoying having 3/4 of the Rays here. We miss seeing Jason, though. I go back to work tomorrow after a 4 day break. It will be hard to be working again.

We are excited about going to DC in May. That's about all the news here. Take care all.

MOM

Happy Birthday to Bryan!

2007-03-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday, Brother Bryan! In honor of this blessed day, I decided to tell everyone about a special memory I have with Bryan. I'm pretty sure you all have heard it, but it's a funny one. I thought of it today when I was telling myself at church to remember to call Bryan.

We still lived in Mt. View at the time, so I'm guessing that Bryan was 9 or 10. That would make me 7 or 8. As Bryan will remember, he and I used to do TV shows and record them on cassette tapes. We had commercials and everything. We were in the middle of one of the shows, I think, and Bryan started in on a commercial. He started singing, "There was one time I went to the movies. I saw girl there who had big...." Mom was walking down the hall and heard the song. She yelled in, "Hey!" Bryan then explained that he was going to rhyme movies with , "Goobies". Mom pointed out that the candy found at the theaters is called 'Goobers', not 'Goobies'. Needless to say, I don't think Goobies was in the original plan.

Any more funny memories? We don't get to have our birthday meal where we pull out the memories, so we'll have to fill Chelsey in via blog. I love you, Bryan!

So Annoying!!!!!

2007-03-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

The girl that stands next to me at work is so annoying!!! She talks to herself all day, and sings. She then tells us about all the educational tv shows she watches, yet she claims to not have any tv at home!! She is an expert at everything at work, and she keeps trying to be the trainer of the new people. Luckily, I can't listen or respond to most things, as I have to concentrate on my money counting.

Oh well, at least there is someone a little kooky to interest me. Better than the old job!!!

We are thinking of having Bryan and Chelsey's party here in the back yard. What are people's thoughts on this? Of course, we have some work to do, but it may be kind of fun!

Good luck to you Blaine on the weight thing!!! I hope you can conquer it. The key is consistency, I think. As you can see, I am consistency NOT working on my weight!!!!

Not much else new. Grandpa keeps adding new day care women to his wife club. Pretty soon there will be a real harem!!!!

Creepy dream.....

2007-03-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

Blaine's dream about rodents (scary), reminded me of the dream I had last night. I was being attacked by the marine guy on American Idol (the bald one). He was trying to stab me and my friend, Kelli (she serves in Primary with me). Kelli is 7 months pregnant, so I was trying to keep him from hurting her while she called 911. It was really weird. I had to wake up Jason and have him talk to me for a while. I don't know what the rodent thing could mean. Yikes....

On a lighter note. Lucy said something funny today. I asked her what she wanted to wear and she said, "Not pants. I'm upset of pants, Mom." Jason and I both thought it was pretty funny.

This is it....

2007-03-23T12:57:00.001-07:00

I have made the decision that I don't want to be fat anymore! It is so annoying, it is something that I have complete control over and something that makes me so unhappy, why do I keep making decisions that just keep me fat? I rode my bike to work today, and I am going to ride up to the gym after I am done with work and that is going to have to be my routine. Lindsay is aware of the sacrifices she will have to make in order for me to be thinner and so I think I am ready!
Anyway, things are going okay. I keep having dreams that where rodents are biting me. I had a dream last night that rats were biting me and the night before it was squirells. It was pretty intense because I woke myself up (and Lindsay) screaming. Does anyone know what rodent biting in dreams mean?
My statistics class is really annoying, its not that it is extremely hard, it is just insanely tedious. Last time in class we began a problem as class started and by the time class was over (1.5 hours later) we had not finished the same problem!! What is the test going to be like?
I hope everyone is doing well, and I hope that more people will start blogging too... seriously DAD you started this!!