Sievers Family

AZ Snow Day

2012-01-22T21:07:00.001-08:00

The neighborhood where we are staying put on a community "snow day". It was more like shaved ice, but they made giant piles and all the kids had a blast. Stratton tried ice-blocking for his first time and loved it. I over-dressed my boys (it was 60 degrees) but i'm used to Idaho snow days. They were sweating while they drank their hot chocolate.

A Yearly Update

2011-11-09T20:36:00.000-08:00

Halloween was such a blast. Matt was the Riddler and I went as Catwoman with the boys as Batman and Robin. We for-real trick-or-treated (no more of this lame-o walk around a parking lot trunk-or-treat stuff). The boys had such a great time with their cousins, and it didn't snow-which is pretty much an Idaho Halloween miracle.

I sent Matt out for sugar one day and he brought home this puppy (and the sugar). Stratton named him "Buster" which sometimes he pronounces "Busterd".

We managed to get in a few camping trips with the fam this summer. Our favorite was a trip to Bear Lake with Matt's family. This pic was taken in Island Park where Jude got eaten by so many mosquitoes his face was all swollen and pimple-y looking by the end of the weekend.

The zoo and pickin' fruit

2011-02-03T15:07:00.000-08:00

2010-12-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

Jude is getting so big! He's such a happy baby.

One of our neighbors recently said "oh yeah! Should have warned you, your house gets seriously drifted in all winter long!" This day it was blowing so hard we couldn't even see the 3 1/2 foot drift blocking our driveway, so we ended up high-centered and stuck pretty well...Stratton loved the excitement of the whole thing. And Matt got a great workout digging us out. We had to drive around the driveway across the yard to get into the garage. So grateful for a wonderful brother-in-law and his backhoe who dug out our driveway-we owe you big Nate.

Stratton loves the snow!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-03T08:26:00.000-07:00

I was stuck in Palm Springs at an art show that was a total waste. These were two pumpkins I carved before I left, they are really withered in the photo but were still worth posting. Amy and Stratton were both pirates and had a lot of fun trick or treating both our neighbors, the trunk or treat and the grand parents.

Blessing, Birthday, and Boys

2010-08-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

We've had a pretty busy summer so far, and it's not going to slow down. We moved to Idaho the end of June, and started looking for a home (still in the process). Jude was blessed on July 4th-he's getting big so fast! The next day was Stratton's birthday and the town celebration for 4th of July. He fully believes that the parade and fireworks were all for him. He requested a "black robot cake" which we assumed meant chocolate... Matt's sister and her family came from Michigan, and also his other sis and here daughters were here from Scottsdale. It was so great to get to see everyone. We spent most of July surrounded by family and having fun. Actually, Matt had to leave for 2 weeks for art shows, but the rest of us were having fun :)

Blessing Day

Emily's Matthew and Samuel, My Stratton and Jude, and Melissa's Jaxon and Likon. Six boys and counting.

Pictures for Emily

2010-06-23T16:46:00.000-07:00

Stratton's favorite color is green, so of course this is his favorite outfit...he's starting to be quite opinionated about what he wears. Sometimes he insists on wearing gloves even though it's well over 100 degrees outside. He's so quirky and cute, I love it.

Jude's first smiles. I was so enraptured by the beautiful-ness I just stood there basking with the camera in hand not taking pictures. But here's a bit of a fading smile...

Stratton told me that he likes orange and Buzz likes red.

Rival Video

2010-06-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

This is my rival video to Colman's yodeler guy. I admit that it is a voice over but seriously this guys singing voice is far superior. YaaaAA! Yeah ya yeah. Yadi yadi.

The last few weeks

2010-06-06T12:41:00.001-07:00

This was my first physical undertaking since having the baby. We drove about an hour and a half to the worlds largest travertine bridge (or so they claim). It is about 180 ft high and 400 feet long. It was beautiful and had a little water fall. The hike was to the bottom and back up was pretty steep and slippery. Luckily my pride outweighs my out-of-shape-ness, and if Stratton could do it then I could :)

Stratton had so much fun playing with Samuel and Matthew. Thanks again Emily for all the help! You are amazing.

Matt, Stratton and Buzz Lightyear enjoying some PB&J before our hike to the land-bridge.

Some Sides of Jude:

Awake Jude

Baby Brother Jude

Overly-dramatic Hungry Jude

Lazy Tummy-Time Jude

And "thank you thank you" to Lynlee for the BEAUTIFUL afghan.
I love it. You are so great!

Hey Jude!

2010-05-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

2010-05-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

Jude Joseph Sievers has arrived! 8 and a half lbs. and 21 inches long, with a full head of hair. He already has a pacifier fetish where he won't let us take it very easily. Eating like a champ and it seems so much easier then it was with Stratton! We are all worn out and will post more photos tomorrow.

Our Spring Happenings

2010-04-01T12:47:00.001-07:00

Matt's 1o week art show just finished and I'm so glad! He's done working 7 days a week and it's so great to spend some time together.

President's Day Weekend at Disney Land with Souths and Grandma and Grandpa Barnes. We had so much fun in California. We left Scottsdale Thursday evening, spent Friday at Disney Land, and headed back home at 4am Saturday morning (Matt had to be back at work). It was sort of a whirlwind of family and fun but we had a great time. Emily and Nate were renting this condo right by the beach and it was beautiful! Stratton had so much fun, he keeps asking to go back. I got him a little jar with a slit in the lid so he can save money for our next trip there-which Matt says is not for 10 years...I think Stratton enjoyed it more than Matt :)

At the Hyatt here in Scottsdale, they do these gondola rides at night on this little pond. We went with Greg and Debbie and some fam friends from California. Our gondolier (I'm not sure if that's right) had an amazing voice and serenaded us with some beautiful Italian opera songs.

Lots of pro baseball teams do their spring training here. We watched the SF Giants and Chicago Cubs play on Tuesday. It was fun to be out and enjoy the sunshine-at least for the first 2 hours. It was 88 degrees that day and we only lasted until the 7th inning and headed home for the pool. I don't handle the heat well normally, not to mention when I'm 8 months pregnant. Stratton didn't really care about the game but he loved sharing Grandpa's peanuts and lemonade.

I just think he's so cute here...

Baby Boy

2010-01-21T14:39:00.000-08:00

So, it's about time that I officially announced this to our blog pals. We are expecting our 2nd son May 11th. We waited a while before really telling anyone because we sort of had a hard time getting this far along. We had a pretty disappointing round of miscarriages before we got to this point, and we really appreciate the prayers and kindness from those who went through it with us. I never thought I'd be so happy to have little baby kicks and punches keeping me up at night! So everything looks great and we're so excited to have another little boy join our family! Our scanner is broken, or I would post some beautiful ultrasound pics...

Christmas in Idaho, New Years in Mexico

2010-01-08T14:31:00.000-08:00

We went to Rocky Point Mexico with Andy and Lauren for New Years and had a blast. The weather was beautiful, especially having come from nasty cold Idaho. It was a great way to wind down from a busy December. Looks like I ate a few too many tacos...or I could be 5 months pregnant (and eating too many tacos).

Stratton loved to push his bucket upside-down into the wet sand. Little air and water bubbles would gurgle out from the edges and Strat would laugh hysterically saying "Stinky bucket!"

Christmas morning at Emily and Nate's. What a good-looking couple of boys (Matt and Strat, not Em and Nate). The Holidays were so much fun. We hired someone to help out at the gallery and were able to be in Idaho Thanksgiving through Christmas. Matt and his dad went to Chicago and NYC for a couple of weeks to do art shows and everything went really well. We were so thankful to spend so much time with our family enjoying the Christmas season.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-03T11:54:00.000-08:00

Halloween was so much fun. We made sugar cookies, carved pumpkins, and hit up the ward trunk-or-treat. Stratton made such a cute cowboy, and Matt and I made an attempt at John and Yoko. Although throughout the night several people asked him if he was Brad Pitt... Stratton quickly mastered the "trick-or treat"= candy drill. He still comes up to me throughout the day and says it in hopes of getting something yummy.

A Great Summer

2009-10-02T09:45:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun summer. We survived the Arizona heat until the end of June, and then we hit the road for cooler weather. We went to Idaho for our Barnes family reunion. We had a great time camping in the mountains. Our camp theme was "Survivor" so each little family had a team color and wore matching bandanas. We played lots, competed in team challenges, and had tons of food. W did not vote anyone out of the family though.

After camping Matt, Strat, and I headed to Colorado for 3 weeks of art shows Matt was doing. This was our first time doing an art show. We sort of felt like gypsies. We slept in a tent for 11 nights at a campground, it was really just a field by the river but at least there were showers and bathrooms. The art shows were only over the weekends, so during the week we got to see some really fun things and play lots. The first 2 shows were in neighboring ski villages, it was so amazing there. The towns had a european feel with cobblestone roads, beautiful buildings, and delicious creperies. We found some fun free things to do like a tram ride to the top of the ski hill (about 12,000 ft elevation-it was breathtaking!) and a Queen tribute concert-Stratton is now a big fan of "We Will Rock You". Our last show was in Boulder (where we binged on a hotel for the last week-thank you matt!) and then we headed back to Idaho. The shows went really well, we were excited that so many people liked Matt's paintings, and that we were able to sell some!

When we got back to Idaho, Matt and the other Sievers menfolk left on a fishing trip to Washington/Vancouver. They spent a week covered in fish guts, saw whales while they were out fishing in the ocean, and brought home a ton of fish. I know they had some great (hygiene lacking) man time. I spent the week canning garden food and making jam with my sisters and step-mom. We even taught the toddlers how to snap beans, sort of. We were able to spend a couple of days camping with Sievers right before we had head back to AZ, and it was lots of fun. We had a great trip, I'm already planning next summer vacation :)

We got a flat tire on the freeway in So. Utah, Strat was happy to get out of the car for a bit and chill in his camp chair.

Barnes Reunion, sort of a goofy bunch I know.

Stratton shared his birthday with his 2 new baby cousins' blessing day. It was a fun day surrounded with all sorts of family and in-laws from me and my sisters fams.

This about half of the art booth. It took us almost a full day to set it up for each show, and then we would have to take it all down at the end of the show 3 days later in the dark. I haven't done that much manual labor in years...

Breakfast at the camp site. Stratton takes a little while to wake up in the morning. And I think he was mad about all the mosquitoes keeping him up at night.

Grandma Sievers had some kittens that became Stratton's favorite thing. And the kittens handled the trampoline surprisingly well.

We drove about 30 min out of the way in CO. to see this dinosaur fossil area. I think as soon as we got there and saw this sign, we should have known we were about to be seriously disappointed.

Stratton's first horse/pony ride. He was totally freaked out, but at least we got a picture before he bailed.

Knott's Berry Farm

2009-06-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

Last month we were able to spend a few days in California with Andy (Matt's bro) and his wife Lauren. We went to the Aquarium of the Pacific which Stratton loved. They had an entire tank full of Nemos and he just sat and yelled "fish! Nemo!" We also went to Knott's Berry Farm. For those of you that don't know, Knott's is one of California's most under-appreciated theme parks. It is much MUCH cheaper than the other big name parks in CA and there's hardly ever any lines. We used to go there every Disney Land trip growing up so it has lots of fun family memories for me. It has a great kids area with miniature roller coasters, rides, and activities that were perfect even for kids as young as Stratton. It also has lots of great roller coasters/rides for us big kids plus the usual shops, shows, and theme park features. So there's my plug for good ol' Knott's. Anyways, this is a picture we bought of us on the log ride. Stratton has a really flighty stomach (i posted previously about how much he hates the swings). So, even though he didn't cry, I think he face says exactly how he feels about thrill rides...(if you click on the pic it should zoom in so you can see better)

Sedona

2009-05-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we ran up to Sedona and stayed a night- It was beautiful, not to mention it being 20 degrees cooler than Phoenix. We did a lot of really fun things- one was an African park where they have all the large animals. But our favorite was this spot- an information worker gave us the idea to come check this area out and it is one in a million. Cool water and soft stone with breathtaking views. We are gonna go back here again just to picnic along this river.

2 New Paintings

2009-05-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

24"x 48's

These are so fresh off the easel they may change some yet but I wanted to post them so Amy could see what I was up to while she is in Idaho. I am really excited cause these are my first water paintings and I think they are great- but there are so many places to go from here. Some places are kinda flat like the blue shadows look chalky but once they get dry and jessoed they are gonna pop- hopefully right off the wall and into someone's home. I am painting like mad cause I had applied for art shows in Colorado through July and felt rather prepared and took some vacation time while Dad maned the gallery and before I knew it all my large paintings were sold and I feel some serious pressure- I think that is one reason I went so loose with the water which helped me fall into this look that I am loving.

Back at the Lake

2009-05-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

Stratton posing.

Matt, Amy, Stratton, Lorin and Andy- posing.

We really love this lake, probably because we grew up with Rigby Lake- YEAH! Arizona gets kinda ridiculous in the summer and you have to find ways to keep cool- this trip was a lot nicer then last too. Last time Nathan my bro in law and I collided our rentals and had to pay through the nose to get them fixed. This time we just unloaded them and took a photo and then put them back on the trailer- so fun! Actually we tried to get dangerous but it is hard to compete with a south boy.

The Botanical Garden

2009-05-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

We were able to go to the Botanical Garden a few weeks ago and it was amazing! It has blown glass structures from the artist Chihuly that are arranged throughout the Arizona scenery with crazy shapes and colors.

This blue chandelier and this massive curly tree are so tightly pieced together and so well done. You can't see any armature, it looks like one solid piece of glass that lights up at night.

A promise to Emily and proof that I'm crazy

2009-04-17T20:26:00.000-07:00

I promised Emily this week that I would that I would post by tonight...It has been months since I've updated our blog, and this entry is really just so that I'm not a liar. I lost my plug-the-camera-into-the-computer cord and haven't been able to upload any new pictures. So this photo is actually from January, but Emily said she was really missing us and needed to see some new pics. This picture is of a day that we went to the zoo with my mother-in-law. I sort of get "season shock" living here, grass is not supposed to look like that in January, so sometimes I forget what time of year it is. For example I'm mentally gearing up for summer and 120 degree heat so we are trying to spend as much time outside as possible before summer comes. I find myself feeling like its almost time to close up all the windows and stay inside for 3 months. Sort of like in Idaho as the last beautiful fall days transition into blizzards and sub-zero temps. I don't know if that makes sense...but there it is: green grass in winter has slowly made me crazy.

2009-01-26T16:28:00.000-08:00

I know amy already mentioned our trip to me-HEico, but I though I would add a few other photos that Dad took. We got up early to watch the sun rise over the ocean, later Dad got up and took these photos as the sun became blinding.

Holliday Happenings

2009-01-22T13:04:00.001-08:00

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get these up, but here are some pictures and updates on what our little family has been up to this last month!

We had a great Christmas. It was our first Christmas with just the 3 of us. I was worried that it would feel a little lonely without our families around, but it was quiet and cozy and really nice!

Here is Stratton enjoying some of his presents. He loves to color, and he can't get enough of his little 4wheeler. He played hard all day, and by the end of it all, he was pretty tuckered out.

After Christmas we were able to have lots of family time. Matt's sis Aubrey was in town at her in-laws, and we sort of joined the Carter family for a few days. They fed us and made us feel really welcome (and not so homesick). Matt's bro Andy and his wife also stopped by for a couple of days and it was so great to spend some time with them. Then Matt's parents and his sis Liz and her fam came down. It was a full house for a couple of days, but I loved getting to see everyone. Then Matt, Stratton and I headed out on New Year's Eve to Idaho. Talk about weather shock! It's so weird to go from palm trees to snow drifts in a few hours.

Stratton loves the snow. It was so cold outside, and he would beg to go out. Then it was a battle to make him come back inside. His little nose would be running and his cheeks freezing but he'd want to stay out longer.

We got together at Emily's for New Year's Eve. We played and ate a lot (a common theme for our family). Everyone joined in on some Rock Band. We even got Bridger and his shy little girlfriend to do vocals. The babies all loved to dance during the music.

Stratton wants to be a rock star. He loves the drums the best.

This is the trike that Samuel got for Christmas. We walked into the kitchen and they were all sharing it. I think Jaxon got the best seat.

We rented a cabin on Henry's Lake for a few days with all my family. It was beautiful. We took up a few snow machines, a ton of good food, and lots of games. It was great. Except for a few little things like a round of stomach flu, Nate getting frost bite on his cheeks, and Matt wrecking dad's snowmobile. I think Barnes get togethers all have to have a touch of humorous disaster. Check-out Melvin's blog for more icky details. But all that aside, the cabin was a lot of fun! Here the boys are enjoying some tasty Ramen noodles.

View from the cabin

After a week of beautiful winter, we headed back to sunny Arizona. We had traded a painting with a client for some time at their Mexico beach-front condo, and decided we should squeeze in a quick trip south of the border. Greg and Debbie came with us, and we spent a great weekend at Rocky Point. It's only about 5 hours away, and has little tourist shops and fresh fish markets. We had our fill of shrimp and fish tacos and some amazing flan. We were walking down on the beach and I thought how crazy that only one week before, we had been playing in the snow!

This is the view from the balcony. Matt and I got to watch this beautiful sunrise from a cozy lounge. That evening we saw a whole school (herd? flock?) of dolphins swim by! It was amazing!

Stratton looks like he has a halo...though sometimes he's not much of an angel...

It has been a really great month. I'm so grateful that we were able to spend time with our families! Now we're starting our (hopefully) busy season with the gallery and have to buckle down for a few months!

Boxes are so much fun!

2008-12-15T16:24:00.000-08:00

Despite having a pile of toys behind him at Grandmas, Stratton loves playing with any box that he can get even half way into.

Hanging the Tree

2008-12-11T18:10:00.000-08:00

So after putting up a tree in the gallery Amy really wanted one at the condo so since we were both tired of hanging ornaments we decided to have Stratton do this tree- and he did a great job. Ok, he hung one ornament but it was the best one on the tree, then he took it off an re-hung it for the next hour.

A shaved head for Christmas

2008-12-11T17:54:00.000-08:00

So, due to thinning hair i thought it would be a great idea to see how the Jason Statham looked on me- I was picturing "Handsome Rob" but forgot that he is in shape- So all I got was the white supremacist look, which isn't as popular in Phoenix as it was in Idaho- northern Idaho

Tagged! Crazy 8s

2008-11-17T21:56:00.000-08:00

Shows I watch:

30 Rock
The Office
Survivor
Lost
Friends re-runs
Jeopardy
Veggie Tales
Price is Right

Favorite Restaurants:

Tandoori Grill (best Indian food ever)
Flos’s Chinese
Johnny Carinos Italian
any pizza place!
Mimi’s Café
Café Sabor
Gringos-2 years as a waitress and I still crave it
any French creperie

Things that Happened Yesterday:

6:45 am meetings
Church
Stratton’s trial run of nursery (it was harder on me than him)
Sunday Football nap
Walk at the park
ate frozen pizza
Watched Disney’s “Cars”
fell asleep, hear a noise, made Matt search the entire apartment for bad guys (this is a regular occurrence)

Things I look Forward To:

Emily, Nate, and Samuel coming to Thanksgiving!!
Buying a house
The Holidays
More babies (someday)
Matt selling more paintings
3^rd Wedding Anniversary
New Year’s Eve Party at our house (if you read this you’re invited!)
Emily and Melvin’s babies this spring

Things on my Wish List:

A White Christmas
A gallery in Jackson
Be with family for the Holidays
Trip to Matt’s mission in Madagascar
An Idaho garden that would grow in Arizona, minus the weeds and animal fertilizer
A washer and dryer, so tired of the laundry mat
Star in a romantic film with Steve Buscemi-what a hunk…
To be a famous gun-fighter

8 People I tag:

Liz S.
Stephanie S.
Diana D.
Nikki W.
Aubrey C.
Jess K.
Amber H.
Christina M.

No pressure ladies, I’ll be the first to admit I’m terrible at doing “Tags”…

Halloween

2008-11-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

Nothing like takin candy from a baby.

Halloween night we went and "Trunk or Treated" with the ward. This photo was meant to have us in character, Amy and I were close but Stratton nailed the dead baby pirate perfectly. Next time it will be Blue Steel. Actually, the bullet hole is what happens when you leave you baby unattended at a ward activity...

Just Kidding

2008-09-14T21:10:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite SNL cast member. Her name is Kristen Wiig and everything she does is just hilarious. Everyone should check her out.

Family Reunion in Idaho

2008-09-12T11:31:00.001-07:00

Our Barnes Family Reunion was over Labor Day weekend. For the last couple of years we have camped at this amazing secret spot that Nate showed us (but we wont tell anyone else, promise). It's tucked up in the forest against this beautiful little river. After a summer in Arizona we were ready for some cool weather and pine trees. It was however, freezing. Especially to us Arizonians. The first day was really nice, but then it rained, blew, and froze us. We did still have enough nice weather to participate in family Olympics, huckleberry picking, four-wheeler rides, and plenty of games. Speaking of Olympics, I am proud to say that the Matt Sievers family walked away with 3 gold medals. It was a great camping trip, thanks Melissa for all of you hard work. And I'm sorry I underestimated the fun of a mini-golf course through the woods...

It was impossible to keep the boys clean, this was the only time they wanted to sit in chairs rather that dig in the dirt and chew on sticks.

One of the Olympic events was a boat race. Our family boat could only be made from natural materials. I think we did allow paper for sails, but even a paper plate sail couldn't make Nate's boat fast enough to keep up with Matt's. Gold for Sievers.

Ahhh. The highlight of the weekend. Nate was riding in the Mule (this crazy off-road vehicle) and when he turned to say something to Emily a wasp flew into his mouth and stung his lip over and over. The first night it was just his lip, but the next day his whole face was swollen up. He was a really good sport about it even though the mass amounts of Benedryl made him sort of loopy. Sorry Nate, but thanks for putting up with the 3 days of laughing at your swollen, misshapen face.

At first Stratton was afraid of the four-wheeler, but then he loved it (he even fell asleep on 2 rides) He would make brrmm-brrrmm sounds the whole time. And he liked to go fast!

The Fam

Stratton loved to carve with his dad.

The boys were really sad when it was time to go home.

After camping a bunch of us went to the Idaho State Fair. It was great food and fun. The boys really liked the petting zoo. The goats probably did not.

Trouble Maker

2008-08-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

Now that Stratton is fully mobile, I can't seem to keep track of or clean up after him fast enough. A girl in my ward just asked my if I'd be willing to day-care her 2 year old and 4 month old. If I decide to do it, I think I'll be pretty much covered as far as birth control goes.

This morning he let himself outside.

Already a movie buff. This drawer of dvds is his favorite to unpack. He hits it up 2 or 3 times a day.

A perfect Strat-sized cupboard. Every day or so he empties this cupboard.

I'm still not sure how I got him out.

Stratton was so proud of this trick that he gave himself a round of applause.

Family, Friends, Weddings, and Lots of Driving! (A super long title for a super long post)

2008-08-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, here's the promised pictures and details of our latest travels. Stratton and I left with Emily, Nate, and Samuel the 3rd week in July. We drove through New Mexico and up through Colorado, Wyoming and then home to Idaho. I think it was like 25 hours of driving. Then we got to spent 2 weeks with our family. Then Strat and I flew back to Arizona for a few days, and then we (Matt came this time) drove to California for Matt's little bro Andy's wedding. It has been a crazy couple of weeks, but we have loved seening our family and friends. Next week we head back up to Idaho for family my reunion and Andy's open house. It's so great to see our family so much!

These were some amazing mountains in Colorado. I forgot how beautiful mountains are when they actually have trees and snow on them.

Strat and Samuel were so good on the drive. With only a few angry moments. This is them playing "peek-a-boo" with their blakies. You can barely see the tops of their heads poking out.

They both love books, the problems came because they mostly liked whatever book the other one had.

Stratton has been practicing his walking. He took his first steps in AZ with Matt right before we left. In Idaho with so much help form aunts, uncles, and grandparents he is really mastering his staggering walk.

He loved playing on the 4 wheeler with Grandpa Barnes.

He did ok on the motor bike at first, vibrating his lips making engine noises. But then he kind of freaked out and they had to cut the ride short...he's sort of a chicken pants.

Great-Grandma Barnes shared some raspberry cobbler with Strat, he loved it!

Great-Grandpa Barnes helping Stratton get around.

We got to visit Great Grandma and Grandpa Sievers

Stratton practiced up on this Rock Band drummer skills.

I love this picture. It pretty much sums up Idaho summers growing up. Hiking the Butte, canoing/floating the canal, and the changing farm fields that let you know how much summer is left.

Grandpa letting Stratton play in the puddle.

Uncle Bridger juggling the boys. Stratton loves all of his uncles. In fact, he usually prefers them to his mom.

I was able to go to one of my best friends from high school's wedding. It was so great to be in the temple with so many of my old friends! I think that's what heaven will be like. We'll just look around and see all of these familiar faces and people that we know and love but haven't seen in a while. Anyways, she was beautiful and her husband is a really great guy. Good luck Marc and Diana!

Some of my best friends from high school. All grown up now and making babies.

Stratton loves wedding cake.

This was last weekend in California for Andy and Lorin's wedding. I had never been to the L.A. temple before. It was amazing! Lorin look so gorgeous! And Andy even managed to look pretty good :) The reception was at this beautiful mansion (literally a masive home on this hill). It was the most amazing reception I've ever been to. With fabulous food and decorations. It made me really want to get married again. And own a mansion. We were able to see our newest niece, Penelope. She and Aubrey flew out from New York for the wedding. It was a great couple of days. Welcome to the family, Lorin. You're in for a real surprise:)

By the end of the day Strat was pretty pooped. And probably sick from eating so much cake. All in all it's been a wonderful few weeks. Stratton travels really well and Matt and I have always loved long drives. Good thing because next week it's another 15 hours back to Idaho for our Barnes reunion and Andy and Lorin's open house.

Sculpting With Paint

2008-08-14T19:40:00.000-07:00

I am really excited about my latest painting. It is kinda hard to do something new in the art world without it just being weird and who knows if this has been done before or not. I started sculpting flowers out of paint that wrap around a thick canvas and everyone seems to love it. This was my first attempt so who knows how far I will be able to run with this new idea. Yet it makes me a little nervous simply because I just bought 200 dollars in paint and it might last through the weekend.

Home Sick?

2008-08-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

Stratton and I headed up to Idaho for some cooler weather and some family time. Matt had to stay behind and run the gallery :( I didn't realize how hard it would be to be away from him this long. I especailly miss his help with Stratton! But the heat in Scottsdale right now is unbearable, and one of my best friends from high school is getting married the 8th, so it was a great time to get away. So Strat and I caught a ride with Emily, Nate, and Samuel. It was a super long drive from Arizona, we stopped in Albuquerque to see Melissa and her fam, and then went through Denver to drop off some equipment for one of South's construction sites. It took us 3 days to get up here, but the drive was so beutiful and the babies did really well. I was so excited coming through Colorado and up through Jackson, the mountains were so green and amazing, some still had some snow on them! This was the longest I had ever been away from Idaho (7 months- I know it's kind of sad!) and it is great to be back for a couple of weeks. In Arizona I get really home sick for here, but up here I'm really home sick for Arizona (especailly for my husband!!). I guess it's good that it's starting to feel homey there. So, that's just an update on what's going on with us. I'll have some pics and stuff to post later...

Killer Whales and Killer Hair

2008-07-15T09:38:00.001-07:00

We started out Stratton's 1st birthday with Stratton's favorite breakfast: pancakes. I know the "S" is backwards, but that was the pretty side (and I didn't realize until someone asked if it was a 2). After breakfast, we packed lunch and loaded up for a day at Sea World.

Stratton got his first hair cut on his birthday eve. Matt did the honors. Strat did pretty well, except that he is really ticklish, and the clippers made him cringe and shudder every time they touched his head.

Stratton's new 'do. He feels like a rocker with his little mow-hawk. This is on the way to Sea World. Stratton loves his new "big boy" car seat, and he brought his friend "Silky" to his birthday party.

Stratton loves the view from on top of Matt's shoulders. Matt claims he is developing 2 little bald spots on the sides from Strat holding on.

I haven't been to Sea World since high school, and last time there were hardly any crowds. Because of the holiday weekend, the place was packed! We had to get to each show (that was about 20 min long) about 30 min early just to get decent seats! But the weather was beautiful, and it was so much fun! I can't believe how nice 75 degrees feels after a month of 110.

I had left Stratton's hat in the car, and was worried about his little head getting sunburned. The pant-hat only lasted a few seconds...but at least the people behind us got a good laugh.

The killer whale show is always one of my favorites. During this show, they had the audience put our hands together interlocking our thumbs, forming a whale fin. Then they had us raise and lower our arms chanting "Shamu! Shamu!" I got kind of creeped out, thousands of people chanting and doing the arm thing.

They did this really cool Cirque du Soleil show out on this stage area right on the coast. They had clowns, acrobats, and trapeze artists. It was so great!

Stratton finished his day off with pasta and mashed potatoes (2 of his favorites). We couldn't decide where to eat and were driving around aimlessly. We stumbled upon the same Applebees Matt and I ate at on New Years Eve on our honeymoon! It was a lot of fun...the honeymoon and Stratton's birthday :)

Cruisin' for Chicks

2008-07-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

This was 2 weeks ago. We got so lucky, Melissa ans her fam were headed from Tucson to Albuquerque and Emily and her fam were going from Florida to San Diego. So they all stopped by here for the weekend! It was so great. All spring I prepped myself for this long, hot summer and not seeing any of my family, but things have worked out several times for me to be able to see some of them. It's been such a great blessing, and prevented my going crazy and running away to Idaho. This picture was taken at the grocery store in one of those cute little carts. People always tell me how much Stratton looks like my bro Bridger, but it wasn't until I looked at Strat's hair in this pic that I realized they're right :) Also, it's the first good picture I have of Stratton's first 2 teeth. They sprouted up 2 months ago.

A Few Tidbits on Stratton

2008-06-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

In Idaho there are some Grandparents who are very lonely for Stratton. (We are VERY lonely for them too!) So I thought I post a few things about his latest quirks and doings.

This requires some explaining. I have a very flighty/queasy stomach. Roller coasters, bridge jumping, even the swings are all part of love/hate relationships. It took years of coaching by my dad to learn that if I would not hold my breath during these activities then I wouldn't get that horrible falling stomach feeling. Apparently I passed this girly quality on to Strat. All of the other babies at the park love the swings. I was so excited to let Stratton try it out. Here he is: breath held, right before he started dry heaving. Poor little guy, scared his pants off.

Stratton loved pushing Jaxon around in this stroller. But then he tried to put Jaxon in a dress and wig and we had to draw the line.

Sometimes he thinks my jokes are lame.

He is a very messy eater.

He loves the shower. And crazy shower hair.

His new favorite toy is this lid. He rubs is back and forth across the tile as fast as he can. The product is this deafening make-you-cringe-all-over sound.

Happy Father's Day Matt!

2008-06-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to make a special post for Matt since this is his first Father's Day as a father. Matt is an amazing Dad. Stratton loves to wrestle and play rough with him. Everyday when Matt gets home from work, Stratton gets so excited. He loves to crawl around while Matt crawls behind him growling and chasing him. Matt also gives great shoulder rides. Strat likes to grab on to Matt's hair with both hands and then bounce. They're so cute when they play, they squeal and giggle. It's like I have two little boys, at least Matt's mostly potty-trained :) It's so fun for me to watch Stratton give the same looks that Matt does, I just can't believe how he's becoming more and more like his dad. He already charms the ladies, too. Matt always helps out with diapers and feeding, even after a long day at the gallery. He works so hard for our family and to support Stratton's expensive Teddy Grahm addiction. I'm so grateful to have such a wonderful husband who is a perfect dad for my little boy. So, Happy Father's Day Honey. I love you!

Minutes after Strat was born. A proud Daddy!

This was on our trip through Nauvoo. It was really windy and we wre trying to protect Stratton's ears, not join a Harley gang.

Last year's Barnes fam reunion. Strat's first camping trip.

My boys love to nap.

Christmas morning

My boys

Matt teaching him all the secrets of becoming an artist.

Stratton's first trip down a slide.

A Very Busy Month and a Half

2008-05-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, before you send anymore angry emails, guilt-trip phone calls, or hurtful comments, I'm sorry that I kind of fell off the blog bus for a while :) We've been really busy lately. We had lots of family visit over that last couple of months (I'm not blaming you) and Stratton has been sick a lot (I'm sort of blaming him) so sorry for the lack of new posts.

So to re-cap all of the fun and not-so-fun times, here we go:
At the beginning of April Melissa, Jaxon, Emily, and Samuel all flew to Scottsdale to spend some time with us. We had lists of fun things we wanted to do, but soon realized that with 3 babies to dress, feed, change, and nap it's hard to do much anything else. But we were happy to spend hours just hanging out and letting the babies play together. Stratton hasn't been around many babies his age, and was terrified of Samuel for the first while. Any time he was touched or bumped by one of the other babies he would start to scream. But after a few days of being man-handled he really toughened up. After 5 days of us girls and babies, Nate, Tyler, Dad and Teresa joined us! Here's a short list of the most memorable parts:

Wierd rashes-Strat and Samuel got rashes (they cleared up on their own)
Baby proofing-Samuel has amazing hand skills and opened anything he could get his hands on including several "baby proof" pill bottles
puke: Stratton caught the flu and threw-up on me on at least 10 different occasions. (it was so nice to have my sisters to help peel off vomit-covered clothes)
Poison Control: Samuel was working on a sealed bottle of hydrogen peroxide when it slipped out of his hands and broke open, spraying peroxide all over him and in his eyes. Here's a shout-out to the friendly, helpful Poison Control Hotline, thanks!
The Nasties: (not to be confused with THE NASTY) this is our new name for diarrhea. Stratton's puking was followed up by a good week of "the nasties".
Phoenix Zoo: We did make it to the zoo one day- Matt even took work off and came with us. The babies slept through most of it, but it was a fun day. We even got to pet Sting Rays!
Good food: It's always nice to have an excuse to eat out! We also had a great BBQ the last night everyone was here.
Shopping: we found some great baby stuff at the outlet malls!
More puking and Nasties: Stratton's flu bug worked it's way through me, Melissa, Matt, Teresa, and maybe a few others that were too tough to show it. For a couple of days we just laid around eating take-out and playing games. It was great- except for the Nasties... Thanks Emily for taking care of everybody!
Foot Surgery: One night we all went up to Matt's parents for a picnic and some sand volleyball. Everything went well, and we had a great time. Then we got home and my dad said "look at my foot, I broke my toe playing volleyball!" His foot was black and blue from the tip of his big toe to the middle of his foot. He was like, "Hmmm, it's fine I have crooked toes anyways" That's my dad! He's the strongest man alive. Matt said that he has an unnatural pain tolerance...Anyways, he had to have surgery when he got back to Idaho...
Expensive jet skis: Emily and Nate stayed a couple of days after everyone else left. One day we rented a couple of jet skis and went to a near by lake (I was surprised that they even have lakes here) Well, to make a long story short, Em, the babies and I were playing to the shore and the boys were off in the water. They were gone for a while and when they came back, both Jet skis were pretty banged up. I guess they rammed each other or something. The details are still a little sketchy. I just kept hearing phrases like "we were going 45 mph" and "so we were trying to submerge the jet skis" and "Nate dared me" All I know is Matt had bruises all over, and that Jet skis are incredibly expensive to repair.

So, all in all it was a great time, I'll take just about anything to be able to spend time with my family!

Andy, Liz, and Lorin (andy's fiancee) also visited this month! We had a great time playing tons of games, shopping, hitting up our favorite restaurants, and lounging by the pool. Any there was no throwing up, so it was great!

Oh yeah! And I was just put in as the Young Womens president in my ward! Yikes! That has been keeping me pretty busy too. It's been very intimidating. It's a small ward, and I'm loving the girls!

The 3 cousins together again! Jaxon, Stratton, and Samuel

When Strat was sick, he just wanted to cuddle with Dad

This is at the zoo, when we got to pet the sting rays

This was probably the only time all 3 of the babies were awake.

Strat loves to have his dad help him walk around.

Easter Goodness

2008-03-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

Stratton liked having green hair

He did not like having egg hair. Neither did Matt.

We had Easter dinner with Matt's parents and fam last week, that left us on our own for real Easter. We have 9:00 church so amid the usual frantic try-to-get-to-church-on-time hustle, Matt didn't even notice the Easter "baskets" I had put together. Mostly it was a little candy, some granola bars, baby treats, and paper grass stuffed into Tupperware bowls. So I pointed out the goodness and we hurried to church. When we got home, the boys played with their treats while I got dinner ready. We decided to still do a big yummy dinner so I made ham, scalloped potatoes, and rolls. It was a really warm day and we were able to eat out on the patio, it was great. Then we went for a walk at the park. There were so many big groups of people having picnics and BBQs at the park. Seriously, probably hundreds, the park was packed. It was a fabulous day outside, and I decided that as long as we have Easter in Arizona, we will be having picnics instead of cooking hot food inside. Plus, then there's less clean-up (which Matt did anyway...) The only problem at the park was that all the families were having Easter egg hunts and every egg we passed, it was all I could do to hold Matt back. But it was a great day-especially after we took the eggs out of Stratton's hair.

The Water Boy

2008-03-21T15:44:00.001-07:00

Stratton loves being in water. He loves baths and especially the pool. He would be content to soak all day. Obviously this is not possible. Until, I discovered how perfectly he fits in the bathroom sink. Now he gets to soak and I actually get to do my hair and make-up. Everyone's happy, especially Matt.

A Sad Addiction

2008-03-15T22:57:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, we were over at the Carters, and Stratton started to get a pretty bad itch for his pacifier. Unfortunately, we had forgot to bring one...I was trying to get him changed and he was putting up a big fight (which is why he is not dressed in the pic). Aubrey came to the rescue with one of Addie's pacifiers and with a trembling little hand, Stratton put the pink paci into his mouth. I think this might be a pretty hard habit to break...

The Birds

2008-02-25T19:44:00.000-08:00

Today Stratton and I went to our favorite place to walk- this huge, long park that's full of people, ponds, and birds. I thought it would be great to get some pictures of Strat by the water. (He has to stay in his stroller because there is bird poop all over the grass.) I thought it was great with all the ducks and birds out in the water.

Unfortunately, the ducks think that when someone comes near the water they are going to get a treat of some sort. I did not bring duck treats today, but I did have baby treats. So, I threw a few of Stratton's favorite Sweet Potato Puffs out on the grass for the ravenous birds.

The birds liked the puffs as much as Stratton and started getting right by us, quacking, honking (I think geese "honk") and demanding more.

They weren't deterred by my kicking or shoo-ing and seemed sort of aggressive...

I was paranoid that this particular goose would bite off one of Stratton's little fingers or toes, and images of bloody-pecked eyeballs from "The Birds" kept popping up in my mind. So we started our retreat to the sidewalk.

Stratton was pretty upset by the whole thing. Maybe because the scary birds, or because as we made our escape I dumped the rest of his treats to distract the birds and buy us some time to get away.

Sunny Day

2008-02-08T15:23:00.000-08:00

Today is beautiful! I have to keep reminding myself that the weather in Idaho is nasty right now. So here are some pictures of Stratton enjoying Arizona's winter.

no more making-out at the drive-in

2008-02-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

Lately, our favorite thing is to go to the drive-in. Not like the place for burgers and shakes, but the place where they show movies, where we used to go for a good make-out. We've gone twice in the last 2 weeks, and I crave it. It's still a little chilly at night, but we pile tons of blankets and pillows in the back of the durango, grab some burritos, and have a fabulously cozy time. I can't really explain the importance of the burritos, except to say that's how we did it growing up. A 10 pack of burritos at the drive in was perfect night... Anyways, it's super fun! Stratton is really good, we take a little flashlight for him, and he's so happy in our durango-cave of coziness. Actually he mostly sleeps, snuggled right between the 2 of us where it is warmest. So much for getting action at the drive-in...

Super Bowl Fireworks

2008-02-05T15:14:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, the Super Bowl was here last weekend. The whole week before was filled with celebrities and parties and events. The night before the big game, there was this great fireworks show right on the water. We took Stratton and drove up to this park on a hill and watched. We had an awesome view right behind this huge "park rules" sign :) Strat loved it... up until the finale and it got super loud and then he kind of freaked out... Fire works kind of have a special meaning for Matt and me. Our first kiss was after fireworks (it was late and I let my guard down), and last fireworks we watched from the hospital room the night before Stratton was born (also a consequence of letting my guard down). So maybe the special meaning is really a lesson I need to learn about keeping Matt away from me... Anyways, the Super Bowl fireworks were great!

Idaho for Christmas

2008-01-08T12:47:00.001-08:00

We were able to have 2 weeks to spend in Idaho for Christmas. It was so great. We got to see lots of family and friends and catch up with people we haven't seen in a long time. It was a great vacation before the busy season starts for us in Scottsdale.

Stratton was a little nervous for his first plane ride. But he did great.

We had tons of beautiful snow for our vacation. I think Strat liked it.

2008-01-08T12:33:00.001-08:00

Uncle Josh and Stratton at a family Christmas party. The tinsel was a big hit. Really anything shiny is great.

He hates getting his nails clipped.

He loves to wear his dad's new hat.

2008-01-08T11:51:00.001-08:00

Aunt Liz and Stratton's new favorite toy: wrapping paper.

A new cuddle friend

Christmas dinner: Strat's favorite yams. He gets a little upset when they're all gone.

Stratton after a long day of fun.

The day before we left we were able to go to the Rexburg Temple open house with my fam. It was fabulous. The temple is so beautiful! It made me kind of sad (again) that I don't live there.

This toy actually belongs to Samuel. Stratton is sad that he has to share.

I love Strat's expression in this. Like it's taking all the strength he has to make Samuel sit still. Who am I kidding? Stratton wouldn't have a chance against Samuel.

The flight back went well. Except that Stratton and I fought over the window seat...

He's a Food Lover!

2007-12-19T11:10:00.000-08:00

It's all gone??!!

So I gave Stratton his first new food besides the rice ceral. He enjoyed a delicious dish of mashed yam. Even without the butter, brown sugar, and marshmallows He loved it. As you can see. The next day when I sat him down to give him cereal, he was really excited and kicking and smiling. Then when the cereal got to his mouth, and he realized it was not the orange goodness he spit it out and gave me this look of horrible disappointment.

Stratton's Classified Ad

2007-12-19T09:39:00.001-08:00

SWM enjoys pooping pants and drooling. Likes things that are shiny and or jingle. Seeks SWF to spend nights full of crying, teething, and diaper changes with. Must be able to produce milk on demand. Peek-A-Boo skills are a plus. No smokers, please.

I think this is one of my favorite happy pics of Stratton. He's such a cutie. Perhaps this picture will make someone want to alternate nights with me...

NEW FAVE TOY AND SNACK

2007-12-13T18:53:00.001-08:00

strat has become very fond of fringey things. he loves this throw. so for sit-up exercise i prop him up on the couch with a couple of pillows and some fabulous fringe for entertainment. i guess i didn't realize that he was hungry, but a couple of minutes later Strat was nursing on the tips of these two pillows...
THIS ONE IS DELICIOUS!
THIS ONE'S PRETTY GOOD TOO!

first food not made by mom (unless you count the pillows)

2007-12-13T10:12:00.002-08:00

The rice cereal went really well. Strat likes it and in between bites, he tries to sit up and lean toward the goodness. Now we just put him in his seat to feed him, but Matt wanted to hold him for moral support. Sorry I didn't flip the last picture, I got in a hurry. At least this way you can give your neck a good stretch.

Strat's Favorite Thing

2007-12-13T10:08:00.001-08:00

Ever since he was born, Stratton has really enjoyed having his hair washed. It has become an after bath ritual (so that he doesn't freeze) and he plays in the water and relaxes while I massage his scalp. And then we shave his face...kidding, we don't usually leave razors within reach...

Evil Eyes

2007-12-12T16:01:00.000-08:00

I think that if you click on this picture and enlarge it, you get the full effect. For some reason, Stratton's eyes are particularly vulnerable for the photo favorite "red eye" Even with a red-eye-prevention-button, he can manage to look like he's burning holes through people. Like he's doing to Samuel in this pic. I think that Strat's jealous because he can't roll over yet...Or he really, really hates birthdays...

Party Pooper

2007-12-12T15:57:00.000-08:00

This was my Dad's 50th birthday party back in October. Strat and I went up to Idaho to surprise him, and it was great! Except that Stratton apparently hates birthdays.

Scubba Stratton

2007-11-27T16:50:00.000-08:00

We took Stratton out to the pool for his first time, although I think Amy took him swimming before and didn't have the heart to tell me. As we were getting him ready I found a camo baby bikini that was slightly wet from the pool and freaked out because Amy is always saying how she wants to put bows in his hair and play dress up. I was very relieved to find out it was his cousin's, Addie. Excuse the photo it was taken from Amy's cell phone.

Rubbin' Shoulders with Mike Holmgren

2007-11-17T16:16:00.001-08:00

We have a motion activated buzzer at the front of the Gallery so dad and I know when someone has come in so we can greet them. I was painting and noticed a large man standing behind me and acting little suprised because the buzzer hadn't alerted me, I exclaimed "oh, Hi!" not recognizing that it was the head coach of the Seahawks. Mike (we are totally on a first name basis now) starts talking to me like we know each other, and it wasn't until much later in the conversation that I asked what he did for a living. Then he realized that I hadn't known who he was this whole time after all but he just laughed it off. I was able to get his photo but I wasn't able to sell him any art.

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-05T14:00:00.000-08:00

Grandpa Sievers trying to put my little pumpkin in the patch
Aunt Liz carving pumpkins with Stratton. We don't often let him play with knives...

Cousin Samuel and Stratton ready for Halloween

Samuel, Stratton, Jaxon

2007-10-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

All together at last! Emily's baby Samuel, Stratton, and Melissa's little Jaxon.

A Real Artist!

2007-10-20T18:14:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day! Matt sold his first painting. And by "painting" I mean "PAINTINGS" as in plural. Skip and Cory Tribble bought a beautiful sunflower painting and we were super excited. And about a half hour later a local couple came in and bought 3 of Matt's smaller flower paintings. We may not starve after all...

2007-10-20T14:19:00.001-07:00

I like to call this "Diaper Bonnet" Matt hates it...

2007-10-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

Addie and Stratton

2007-10-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

We went to Carter's cabin last weekend with Aubrey and Colman. It was beautiful! Maybe this state isn't as forsaken as I thought...We played games and I made the most amazing banana boat. It was a great mini vacation. Oh yeah, and Col found a monster tarantula, is there no where safe?!

2007-10-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

I love to take pictures of the really gross stuff. I think I may have a pic of black/green newborn poo somewhere...anyways, here's some boogers 'n spit.

A good one

2007-10-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

A woman gets on a bus with her baby. The bus driver says: “That's the ugliest baby that I've ever seen. Ugh!” The woman goes to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her: “The driver just insulted me!”
The man says: “You go right up there and tell him off – go ahead, I'll hold your monkey for you.”
I like this cuz our babies will all be pretty hairy...

Non-Labor Days

2007-10-06T17:46:00.000-07:00

Over Labor Day weekend, we were able to go camping for a few days with the Barnes fam (and us girls who used to be Barnes)...anyways it was a great canteen filler before heading to Arizona. Nate took us to this great spot in Island Park right on the Buffalo River. It is only accessible by off-road vehicles and crazy men in trucks, so it was our own quiet little heaven (except when the boys were shooting guns...). We had fabulous days of laziness, games, exploring on the mule, great food, and freezing cold baths in the river. Dad even brought a port-a-potty so that 9month pregnant Mel would not have to squat. What a great Dad!
One evening, Matt and Nate decided to drive the mule through the river. They didn't make it very far, but they had fun getting out!

Jaxon comes in last place, but he's still a winner in someone's book!

2007-10-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

Yippee!! He's finally here! On Wednesday, The last of this crop of babies was born, bringing to an end a very successful harvest year. Surprisingly the shortest and not surprisingly the skinniest, Jaxon is quite the cutie. I can't wait to get HOME and see him!

The Big Move

2007-10-03T13:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here we are...Arizona. I think Stratton hates it... When we left Idaho three days ago it was snowing. It is 90 dergees here and the pool is under construction. Not that I'm in any condition to be in a swimming suit. The gallery is beautiful, and we are really excited about it. Excited and prayerful.

2007-10-02T18:23:00.000-07:00

In the blue corner, weighing in at 8 pounds 0 ouces-22 inches long with a reach advantage of not quite over his own head, fighting out of Indianapolis Indiana with a perfect record of 1 win and o losses, we bring to you the Dean of Mean, the Unibrow KungPow Killa, Stratton Matthew Siiiiiievers!

2007-10-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

This is probably my favorite candid within a posed photo ever. We both look tired and kind of freaky... Amy and I were in the gardens of Versailles and wanted a photo with all this beautiful green back ground, not thinking much of the broken down umbrella stuck in the mud behind us. When we picked our camera back up an old skinny women came out of the woods pulling up her pants and snatching the umbrella. As you can see our background ended up the old woman caught in the middle of a squat.

2007-09-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

We were able to see a lot of beautiful art and architecture. When we were feeling rich we would even pay for a audio tour, the problem was that we both have such a different taste for art and there is always so much to see that sharing our one headset was always difficult, so we documented this special occasion where we payed for two!

2007-09-28T16:10:00.000-07:00

While we were in Venice they blew these loud air raid sirens that woke us up to warn the shop keepers that the tide was high and covering the streets. But we had no idea what they were until we were knee deep in see water outside of St. Marc's Cathedral. So they shuffled everyone along narrow planks to anywhere you wanted to go but the mixed cultures had different opinions on walking on the left or right side. But by the evening it was dry and by the next day it was perfect for kickin' pigeons.