Habitat for Hansens

2010-11-14T17:25:00.002-07:00

I'm playing catch up with posting photos on our blog. These are from a marothon trip Jim and I took this last June. We drove from AF to Helena, MT for a seminar, then on to Spokane to visit Danielle and her crew, then we drove to the beautiful Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon side and saw more waterfalls than you could possibly imagine and did a lot of hiking and site seeing!
This view is from the top of Multnomah Falls. A killer hike that just about did us in.

Multnomah Falls

The view just a few steps from our Bed & Breakfast Inn.

The old highway bridge

More old Hwy.

Amazing views!

Mexico

2010-06-20T17:49:00.004-06:00

The bustling port city of Puerto Vallarta was the first stop on our Mexican Riviera cruise. Not being terribly excited about spending the day in a big, dirty, old city, we caught a small touring boat heading down the coast to a little village for some snorkeling, hiking and relaxing on the beach. Unfortunately....Jim's sea sickness patch fell off in the shower that morning and we were in for a rough ride to the village. By the time we got there he was felling pretty green around the gills and ready to feed the fish.

After snorkeling in some questionable water, we headed over to the little village for a hike to the waterfall. Jim was in no condition for hiking, so I left him on the beach and made my way with the group.

Local transportation.

Darling little girls selling shells to us tourists.

Jim working on his recovery and contemplating the ride back to Puerto Vallarta.

Post snorkeling and hiking - both of us looking lovely - ready to head back. There is a saying, "every day in Mexico is a bad hair day." So true.

High School Graduate

2010-06-18T15:29:00.003-06:00

Evan adjusting to the feeling of being a HS graduate! We are so happy to have survived the high school years and are looking forward to him having a happy, successful experience at Dixie State College come August.

Rough Love...Mac Style

2010-03-19T16:28:00.005-06:00

Don't be fooled by this sweet, innocent face. Beneath the angelic facade lies the heart of a future WWF star.

An afternoon with Mac and Lucy in Grammy's care starts off okay...

...but quickly escalates into a major wrestling session.

Sweet Lucy takes the initial head-butt in stride.

Then Mac goes in for the take-down.

Lucy takes hold of the couch for some added support and tries to avoid being tossed on her fanny by the ever-persistent Mac.

After a good half hour of grappling with Grammy as an ineffective ref, Mac has decided to end this match with a combination belly-bump and simultaneous wet one to the nose. Lucy continues to play it cool and is unimpressed by this last move.

Blessed Boy

2010-03-19T16:19:00.002-06:00

Baby Hamilton, what a love! Showing off his sweetness here with mom and dad on his blessing day.

St. John's River

2010-02-25T20:35:00.008-07:00

We took a little trip over to St. John's River planning to take another scenic boat ride and check out the gators and manatees, but we were disappointed to find out all the tour boats were booked for the day. So....we decided to do the next best thing and rent a two-man kayak and head out into the swampy waters on our own!

We started out fine, enjoying wilderness along the river the wide variety of birds perched above us in the trees.

We quickly departed the dock and any sign of human life.

Jim is expressing concern over the reports of plentiful alligators roaming the river we're floating on.

The water was extremely dark, so no manatees sightings despite the signage.

All is well.

Here's one of the many large turtles we saw basking in the sun. Then...just when we're feeling safe and secure in our surroundings...this appears!

He looks so small in this picture, but actually he was rather massive!

We tried to stay in the middle of the river where the water was deep to avoid his kind. We tried to paddle past this fiend of nature as quickly as we could, Jim expressing his wish to avoid becoming a gator snack. The next thing I hear is Jim screaming "PADDLE FAST! THERE'S A FREAKIN' GATOR COMING AFTER US! AHHHH! IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO US!"

At this point Jim is no longer enjoying the experience. I had to laugh a little, only because I didn't actually see the "scaled one" lunging after us and therefore didn't quite experience the same level of terror as my Jimmy. :-)

Bulow Plantation Ruins

2010-02-25T20:08:00.006-07:00

On day two in Ormond we took a nice drive into the rustic state park to check out the ruins of an old sugar cane plantation that was built in 1821 in Seminole Indian territory. After fifteen years of operation, and many conflicts between the federal government and the Seminoles, U.S. troops stormed the plantation, taking John Bulow prisoner for opposing the government plans for the Seminoles. Not too long after the Indians burned Bulowville to the ground. Deeply discouraged, Bulow died shortly after at 26 years of age.

The area has pretty much been reclaimed by the forest, making for a rustic hike.

Love that Spanish moss.

Ormond Beach

2010-02-25T19:36:00.003-07:00

Yea! Our hotel was right on the beach! We went on long walks, picked up shells and watched the whales right off shore; a great way to relax.

It was especially nice to shed the coats and boots for a while.

And bonus....the beach was uncrowded.

Warm and happy!

Okay, there was one or two drawbacks, the Ormond and Daytona Beach areas are definitely in decline. I think they probably had their hey-days back in the 50s and 60s, sadly now most of the place is in disrepair and many of the hotels look like they could use a good wrecking-ball to the mid-section. But as you can see, my bargain hunter of a husband is feeling quite pleased with himself as he contemplates the many dollars saved.

Winter Park, Florida

2010-02-25T19:20:00.003-07:00

After a few busy days at Leaders Conference in Orlando, Jim and I opted out of the theme park offerings and made our way over to the coast. But first we made a stop in lovely Winter Park for a scenic boat ride and cafe dining in the cute downtown district.

New Year's Baby News!

2010-01-28T18:38:00.003-07:00

Mac kicks back on Mom and Dad's bed while considering the New Year's arrival.

Hanging out with Mom and Dad after church.

Okay, being a big brother isn't too, too bad.

Enjoying grandbaby #2, baby Hamilton born New Year's day.

Beautiful little guy.

San Diego Weekend

2009-09-23T20:50:00.006-06:00

I just returned from a lovely weekend in Encinitas (San Diego area) staying with my oh so accommodating sister, Arlene and her husband Ron. Her beautifully remodeled home had me ready to move in for good, but eventually I had to leave the beach and palm trees and sunny weather behind and head back home to the chill of fall in Utah.

Arlene and Jenny picked me up from the airport and after a nice seafood lunch at the bay-side, we took a drive to the old neighborhood. This is looking down the street towards the beach from my first home on Del Mar Street.

I had to get a picture of this house just a half a block up from our old home. It's a cute Cotswold re-creation selling for just 1.7 million!

After dropping Jenny off at work we took a little stroll down to Sunset Beach.

Post funeral - this is a shot of Uncle Thayne's family - my cousins and their children and their children. It was so great to see family members that I haven't laid eyes on in years.

Arlene and I took another drive out to Point Loma to see the light house and the view through the fog/haze.

We had a little bit of a surprise the day after the funeral we got a call from Tina and Ruby that they were there a day late. Oops! Oh well, it was great to see them again. Ruby is our favorite! and at 86 still as spunky as ever!

Out to lunch with Tina and Ruby, Arlene and Jenny.

On my last day in So Cal I had to spend on the beach to really maximize the de-stressing of the whole weekend. Jenny was kind enough to hang out with me for the afternoon. We had a great time chatting in the sun and diving in the surf.

Jenny's new car!

Kidding.

There was a "woody" car show going on at the beach that day.

I guess all good things must come to an end.

Thanks again Arlene, Ron and Jenny!

Sunset Hills Park

2009-09-21T19:34:00.003-06:00

Just sharing a few more because he's so dang cute!

American Fork Canyon with Danielle & Mac

2009-09-21T19:13:00.003-06:00

Danielle and I took Mac for a little nature hike up American Fork Canyon on their latest visit to Utah. Mac is definately an outdoor boy!

With his Mama on the trail.

Resting with Grams.

The awe and wonder of nature!

London - One Last Day

2009-09-13T20:50:00.003-06:00

I'm finally posting our last day of our London-Paris trip, then I will be moving on from things that happened two months ago, to the more current but sadly less exciting.

This was taken as we were leaving the Notting Hill area.

We stopped off at the Natural History Museum on our way to the Theatre.

Wicked. Loved it! Then we had a bite to eat at a litte Indian restaurant across the street.

St. Paul's was closed so we were unable go in, but it was beautiful from the outside.

We worked off our Indian feast by taking a long walk through Hyde Park. It's huge; you could spend the day there easily. Think Central Park in NYC, full of trees, lakes, buildings, trails and lot's of families just enjoying the outdoors.

And a fond farewell to beautiful , beautiful England. We hope to be back next year to continue our explorations.

Day 6 - The Cotswolds

2009-09-13T18:38:00.006-06:00

This was one of my favorite parts of our trip...the tour of the quaint Cotswold villages with Blenheim Palace thrown in. The Cotswold area is famous for its wool and the little villages sprang up as a result of the trade. The sweet little cottages are all made from the yellow Cotswold stone - even the roofs as well.

First stop - Burford. With a light rain coming down we took refuge in one of the little pastry shops!

Next was the village of Bourton on the Water. We ate lunch in a darling little upstairs dinging room and had some classic British fare: Shepherds Pie!

We picked up nice print of the old village from a local gallery here .

One of my favorite things - the old houses. I wanted to take them home with me!

This was the view from the road as we made our way to the last village.

Bibury - said to be one of the loveliest of all the Cotswold villages.

An finally...Blenheim Palace, home to the 11 Duke of Marlboro. During America's "gilded age" the 9th Duke was married to Consuelo Vanderbilt who brought quite a bit of cash to the arranged marriage. Winston Churchill was born here (his uncle was then the Duke) and he is also buried here.

From the back, beautiful. Think Pemberly...and then some!

As you leave the formal manicured gardens you head off to the lake area complete with boat house.

Day 5 - Paris

2009-08-11T19:06:00.005-06:00

On day two in Paris we headed over towards the Eiffel Tower again and found ourselves some breakfast at a little street cafe.

There was a huge crowd at the Eiffel Tower so we took a pass on the long wait to go up and also took a pass at the ever-persistent gypsies that seem to permeate all tourist sites in Paris.

Our next stop was over to Notre Dame which was so amazing inside and out.

I especially loved the outer door. I wanted to take it home with me!

Afterwards we crossed the pont and made our way over to the other side of the Seinne where there is a nice walkway beside the river and took a lengthy stroll.

Day 4 - Paris

2009-08-06T18:26:00.009-06:00

After dodging a few persistant gypsies at the train station, we made our way to our hotel and dropped our things off, then headed to the subway. We emerged from our station tunnel on the Champs Elysees and this is what stood before us! The Arch de Triumph!

After enjoying a little lunch at a street cafe, we traversed over to the Seine for a river cruise. Here we're passing under one of the more ornate bridges, the Pont des Invalides.

Musee d'Orsay.

Just coming upon Le Louvre.

Notre Dame on Ile de la Cite - a little island that was once all of Paris.

Back to our starting point in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Back to the Champs Elysees where we found the crepe vendors! Gruyere and ham! - the beginning of the diet downfall!

Crepes + Pain du Chocolat = This.

A little rest after our long walk to the Louvre!

The arch just prior to the entrance.

Jim getting excited about looking at miles of art!

London - Day 3

2009-08-03T20:29:00.006-06:00

Covent Garden - I almost burst into song - a la Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, "All I want is a home somewhere."

Buckingham Palace.

A monument to Queen Victoria right outside of Buckingham Palace.

The Admiralty Arch as we approach Trafalgar Square.

Trafalgar Square with the pillar and statue of Admiral Horatio Nelson who died at the battle of Trafalgar.

Just inside the National Portrait Gallery.

Big Ben

Westminster Abby. Beautiful!

Side view.

Harrods. I don't know if I've ever been in such a huge department store. Amazing. Sort of a cross between Disneyland and Macy's.

Unfortunately, not on the South Beach diet!

Day 2 - Beautiful, Beautiful Bath

2009-08-01T19:07:00.005-06:00

View of Bath Abby as seen from the Roman Baths just next door.

Jim looking over all the tombstones that line the wall and floor within the Abby.

The Roman Baths from the upper balcony.

A couple of the workers looking things over.

The lovely square outside the Bath Tea Room with a view to the Pasty Presto.

Indulging in their wares.

At the Royal Crescent: 18th Century Georgian townhomes.

After doing the Jane Austen walking tour through the city, what better way to end our journey than a stop at the Jane Austen Centre!

The beautiful Bath park overlooking the Avon.

Dinner at Sally Lunn's, built in 1482, it's the oldest house in Bath.

London - Day 1

2009-07-29T21:11:00.003-06:00

Our hotel in Kensington - The Enterprise. Lovely on the outside and tiny on the inside.

Scouting out London - more than a little jet lagged.

The Tower Bridge on the river Thames.

Jim at the Tower of London.
Tribute to those who died at sea.

The Door Game

2009-06-21T12:12:00.002-06:00

During our fun, yet extremely tiring weekend together Mac discovered the joys of closing the door to my room. I would wait a few seconds then open it carefully so as not to knock him out, and he would laugh and laugh, then close the door again and wait for me to open it. This went on for a good 20 minutes and he was not at all pleased when I was ready to give it a rest. He's a cute and yet rascally little guy!

Heading Towards the Grove

2009-05-14T17:14:00.004-06:00

Palmyra

2009-05-08T13:37:00.005-06:00

Last weekend I flew into Rochester for a work-related seminar, and since I was in the neighborhood I took an extra day to explore Palmyra and experience some church history up close and personal.

This is the little cabin that all 11 of the Smith's first lived in when they came to Palmyra. The grove can be seen in the distance.

Here's a back view of the cabin as I was coming out of the grove.

Again, looking towards the grove.

Just Another Lovely Spring Morning in Utah...

2009-04-16T08:57:00.006-06:00

...greeted by a foot of snow!

In Search of Warmth

2009-04-03T16:52:00.007-06:00

Last weekend Evan and I headed south in search of Spring, which for some reason appears to be missing from northern Utah. We stayed at Arlene's (once Gordon's) fabulous condo at the mouth of Snow Canyon. It was great! We hiked and hiked until the blisters began to swell and glisten. Evan was scampering up the rocky hillsides like a young mountain goat and I was stumbling and crawling after him like...an, ...an...old, out of shape woman. It was a terrific trip if for no other reason than we could finally break out the shorts and t-shirts.

The Petrified Sand Dunes.

Hidden Pinions Trail

This last shot was taken at Red Cliffs, a great hike we did on our way out of town, on the recommendation of Don Lehnhof (my old boss), and it turned out to be our favorite.

More Mac

2009-03-12T14:39:00.004-06:00

These are just a few shots of the little man from his recent trip here with Danielle. I really dislike having to send them back to Spokane, but they'll return again for another visit in May!

A Beautiful AF Sunrise

2009-02-05T12:51:00.002-07:00

Some days there is a payoff for crawling out of bed in the cold, darkness.

Merry Christmas!

2009-01-06T15:39:00.005-07:00

Australia! Go see it!

2008-12-09T11:58:00.002-07:00

Love a sappy, old-time romantic epic? I know I do!

Here's part of a review from Roger Ebert:

Baz Luhrmann dreamed of making the Australian "Gone With the Wind," and so he has, with much of that film's lush epic beauty. This is the sort of film described as a "sweeping romantic melodrama," a broad family entertainment that would never have been made without the burning obsession of its producers (Luhrmann for "Australia," David O. Selznick for "GWTW"). Coming from a director known for his punk-rock "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet" and the visual pyrotechnics of "Moulin Rouge," it is exuberantly old-fashioned, and I mean that as a compliment. What a gorgeous film, what strong performances, what exhilarating images and -- yes, what sweeping romantic melodrama. The kind of movie that is a movie, with all that the word promises and implies.

Hangin' with the Hatch's

2008-12-02T16:23:00.003-07:00

Mac looking good for church.

Bath baby.

At the MAC (Museum of Arts and Cultures) to visit Father Christmas.

Father Christmas was a tad frightening - a cross between the Pope and a letch. He wanted Danielle on his lap too.

Love this kid!

Spark Restaurant Lounge

2008-11-24T14:58:00.006-07:00

I'm sharing this review with you in an effort to spread the word and keep a great restaurant in business. Jim and I had our anniversary dinner there Friday night and it was amazing!

Provo, Utah: A chic, urban destination with gourmet dining, sleek style and a buzzing social scene. What? Not the Provo you know? Well, I can think of one spot that fits the bill. Meet Spark Restaurant Lounge.

Located in the Wells Fargo Building on University Avenue, Spark serves up hip, gourmet eats and sophisticated atmosphere unlike anyone in Utah Valley. You can enjoy a delicious meal at a table, or drinks and appetizers at the bar, or cozy up in the lounge and loft areas.

One of the first things you should know about Spark is that it’s a teetotaler’s paradise. A playful drink menu includes such fun refreshments as mango mojitos, peartinis rimmed with cinnamon sugar, and even Shirley Temples topped with clouds of cotton candy—and all non-alcoholic but still delicious. Particularly interesting was what they call the “hot and cold:” a layered beverage with a warm, lemon base and cold Coke on top.

Appetizers are equally novel with options like cumin fries with garlic aioli and house-made pasta with lamb ragu. One of our favorites was the “dueling edamame,” feauturing soybeans two never-had-before ways: vanilla-steamed and bacon-sauteed. The chef also whipped up some just-for-us fancy mushroom and swiss profiteroles (kind of like a cream puff, but without the cream). We hope to see them on the menu soon.
For dinner, we ordered roasted black cod with spaghetti squash and crispy mashed potatoes, and flat iron steak and short rib with fingerling potatoes. The cod came topped with garlic foam and was cooked to flaky perfection. The flat iron was tender with a great crust on the outside, and the short rib literally fell apart it was so well-cooked.

Dessert, anyone? Choices range from delicate to decadent with pink grapefruit frozen mousse and poppyseed cake with lavender foam, to almond-coated fried chocolate pudding with orange coriander ice cream. Despite their complex sounds, these sweet options taste oh-so-right at the end of a meal of this kind.

Here’s the deal: Don’t let Spark’s chic decor (did you see that chandelier?) and gourmet options scare you into ordering small. Even when it includes appetizers, drinks and dessert, the bill won’t hurt too much. Specialty drinks range from $3 - $4.50, appetizers from $5 - $10, salads from $8 - $11, entrees from $14 - 20 and desserts from $6 - $7, so you can impress your date and still make rent. In style.

Spark Restaurant Lounge
86 N. University Avenue
Provo, Utah
801-701-6780

Brett Returns

2008-11-13T15:33:00.005-07:00

Elder Brett Hansen, the missing link, has returned from his mission to Florida. We're very glad to have him home for a couple of months before he heads off to BYU-Idaho in January.

Chad is Home!

2008-10-29T11:26:00.005-06:00

Monday afternoon Chad made his triumphant return from his two years as a missionary in Tampico Mexico. He's tan and sporting a bit of a Mexican accent, but happy to be back and is making the rounds, visiting all his friends.

Heading home.

The happy taste of non-Mexican food.

Another Quick Spokane Trip

2008-10-22T17:05:00.008-06:00

I just made another fast trip to see Danielle, Cameron and our sweet little Mac. I loved seeing how much the little guy has changed and grown in just two months. I saw him experience his first taste of solid food and heard his first laugh. What an angel. We dined, we shopped for Mac hats, and even took in a movie (WALL-E). Mac watched the screen the whole time.
A stroll in the park.

The Mac Hat Fashion Show:

Cute guy in his front yard swing wearing his new hat.

Pretty mama.

Conference Weekend Visitors

2008-10-13T14:34:00.005-06:00

We had a nice conference weekend with Lee, Leni and Megan in town and staying with us. Here's Megan at the BYU MOA in the Japanese print exhibit.

Leni is a top notch card maker. Thanks Leni, I love them!

I've Been Tagged - Here are my 6 Quirks

2008-10-08T08:58:00.006-06:00

Okay Danielle (and Jenny, I've been double tagged) here goes, 6 quirks:

1) Probably my quirkiest quirk is that I don't like fruit. Never have. Very strange, I know.
2) I have two completely different ears; one resembles my father's and the other looks like my mother's.
3) I have an extensive collection British costume dramas on video and DVD.
4) I can make my tongue do a belly dance. This one might be classified as freaky rather than quirky.
5) I'm very, very ticklish. I had three older brothers who used to hold me down and tickle me until I turned blue, screamed, cried, foamed at the mouth, or they just got tired of torturing me.
6) My favorite guilty pleasure is a little pint of smooth, delicious coffee Haagen Dazs. It helps me forget the pain of those rascally brothers. :-)

Now it's my turn, I tag Arlene, Amy and Nicki.

Painting Like a Crazy Woman

2008-09-25T10:56:00.009-06:00

White walls, white walls, everywhere I look I see white walls! So now that the boys are returning within a few weeks, Lee, Leni & Meagan are coming for a visit and we're planning on putting the house on the market in the spring, it's time to paint and spruce things up a bit. Here comes the color! I've got one room done and looking good, with many to go.

Tim Cummings Cancer Fund

2008-09-15T12:14:00.004-06:00

Some good old friends from back in my Newport days are going through an extremely rough time right now. Tim Cummings, a wonderful husband to Liz, and father of 8 (7 boys, 1 girl) has been diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. He currently resides in St. George, UT, is self-employed, and uninsured, plus his business has been doing quite poorly this last year so this has hit them quite hard. Tim's sisters, Karin and Tiffany (a.k.a. The Style Sisters), have been doing all they can to raise $$ in the effort help offset the staggering medical costs by getting the word out, fund-raisers, massive garage sales, etc. If you would like to donate to help this wonderful family and most worthy of causes, please go to http://www.thestylesisters.blogspot.com/
and click on the "Donate" button. Your prayers and any financial contribution (no matter how small) are greatly appreciated.

A Happy BYU Football Fan Birthday!

2008-09-15T12:01:00.002-06:00

Thank you BYU for doing your part and thoroughly trouncing UCLA so my guy could have a happy birthday!

Back to Spokane

2008-09-03T10:23:00.003-06:00

I just returned from another trip to Spokane to see Danielle, Cameron and baby Mac. Friday night Mac developed a high fever which required a trip to the hospital and a boat load of unpleasant tests. By 2 am he had been catheterized, had blood drawn, been hooked up to an IV, had a spinal tap, X-rays, and finally an ultra sound. We can't say that they weren't thorough, but what an experience for the poor little guy only to have them tell us "we don't see anything" and send us home. So the fever gradually cooled over the weekend and by Monday Mac was back to his sweet little self.

NSP Lagoon Day

2008-08-11T11:02:00.012-06:00

Jim looking very excited at the prospect of spending a day at Lagoon.

That's better.

Computer games help to pass the time.

Before the nausea sets in.

Evan plans to ride them all.

A sweaty dinner time.

A damp man wondering who talked him into the Rattle Snake Rapids.

Jim pretending that he's got the intestinal fortitude to ride it.

I don't think so.

Evan going it alone.

I think I'll pass.

This is what us old people with weak stomachs do while the youngsters are having fun.

Earning the Big Bucks

2008-08-06T10:23:00.007-06:00

Evan's showing off the fruits of his summer labor.

Another horsey morning out in front of our house this weekend...

...followed by an amazing sunset that same evening. I guess American Fork isn't so bad after all.

Tomorrow the Dawn will Break

2008-08-01T11:55:00.002-06:00

Read much youth literature? Who me? Okay, I admit to being mildly interested in picking up book four in the Twilight series. But I draw the line when it comes to fighting my way through crowds of manic fans at the midnight release... unless I have absolutely nothing better to do.

My Last Day with Mac...Until Next Time

2008-07-14T16:29:00.003-06:00

It was a nice day at the farm, but also a bit sad knowing that we were leaving the next morning.

The Hatch Farm House

2008-07-14T16:24:00.004-06:00

Joy has decorated the farm house with grandchildren in mind; there is a cowboy & Indian room for the little boys and a princess room for the little girls. Megan loved the chalkboard and spinning wheel.

Lunch at the Hatch Farm

2008-07-14T16:21:00.003-06:00

On our last day in Spokane we took Leni and Megan with us out for a beautiful lunch courtesy of Joy at the Hatch farm.

A Week with Danielle and Mac

2008-07-14T16:07:00.003-06:00

It was great to have Danielle and Mac with us here in Utah for a little over a week before we delivered them to their new home in Spokane.

Lindsey Does Great Mac Pics

2008-07-12T12:57:00.002-06:00

Yes, it's now official, baby Mac is the cutest baby ever! Okay, I'm slightly partial.

An Evening with Glenn Beck

2008-06-30T09:03:00.003-06:00

Last night Jim, Joy (Cameron's mom) and I drove to the Marriott Center for a little Freedom Festival fun. It was a night of patriotic music, awards, and good words. The main speaker was conservative talk show host Glenn Beck, who's stirring message left everyone a little bit misty-eyed and more thankful for our wonderful country and the freedoms we enjoy.

Evan's 17th Birthday!

2008-06-27T13:35:00.002-06:00

After a birthday dinner at Tepinyaki, a movie, a new battery for his car, and some spending money, Evan demonstrates his feelings for his birthday cup cakes by setting one on fire. That's teenage-speak for "thanks for everything Mom, you're great!"

Kicking back in Vegas

2008-06-25T16:50:00.003-06:00

After a screaming good time in an all day car ride with mom and Grammy, Mac did a little relaxing at the Las Vegas hotel. We got up the next day for the final leg of the trip to Utah. Oh boy, we get to do it all again in another couple of weeks when we take them to their final destination, Spokane! Mac does NOT like his car seat!

Baby Blessing

2008-06-25T16:39:00.003-06:00

Sunday was blessing day for baby Mac; Lee, Leni, Megan, Evan and Grammy were there for the big event. This weekend was a hot one in southern Cal and the Hatchery was much like a sweat lodge, so we stripped down the little guy to provide relief and the rest of us did a little dripping and melting, but we were very glad to be there!

Mac's Day at the Beach!

2008-06-25T14:26:00.002-06:00

After a yummy lunch of Surf Dogs we took Mac to the beach for a quick photo opp before he gets wisked off to Spokane. Hopefully we'll all be back to visit our much loved Carpinteria.

More Baby Mac

2008-06-16T09:44:00.003-06:00

Baby Mac is Here!

2008-06-10T20:45:00.005-06:00

Baby and mom are doing great. Here are the vital statistics:

Name: McKay William Hatch
Born: Tuesday June 10th
Time: 9:51 a.m.
Length: 20"
Weight: 8.12 lbs.

Waiting for Baby

2008-06-02T10:31:00.005-06:00

Today is Danielle's due date and we are sitting on pins and needles waiting for the little man to make his appearance. I'm finding that I'm not a very patient Grammy-to-be, but hopefully I'll be hopping on a flight to California any time now and can pacify my baby cravings.

Mother's Day

2008-05-21T13:46:00.009-06:00

I'm a little behind here, but I had a nice Mother's Day welcome from Jim

after flying back from Burbank and my trip to Carpinteria.

Tulips are my flower of choice.

A cute apron I wanted for my future black and white French kitchen.

Yea! Jim got me more of the rotating food storage systems to finish off my pantry project!

The Shower

2008-05-14T16:36:00.002-06:00

Tide Pools

2008-05-14T16:21:00.001-06:00

Trip to Carpinteria

2008-05-14T16:13:00.003-06:00

I had a great trip to Carp last weekend for the baby shower. Danielle's friends Amber and Sue from Utah came and stayed too. Saturday morning we crawled out of bed for a nice walk along the bluffs and then we dropped down to see the tide pools.

Baby Shower

2008-05-05T12:21:00.003-06:00

Baby McKay is only four weeks away from making his grand appearance! Family, if you're in the vicinity of Carpinteria, CA this Saturday, it will be fun to get together!

A Little Thesis Excerpt

2008-04-29T14:35:00.005-06:00

I thought some of you might like to see and hear a little bit about Danielle's thesis project she just finished. The photos are from the UCSB exhibit opening last night (5/20). It turned out great!

Here's a first draft, rough excerpt from her written thesis that sort of explains what it's about:

The Child Estate consisted of a large mansion which sat along the coastline in Santa Barbara from just before the turn of the century until the 1960s and which now houses the local zoo. What distinguished the property from other large oceanfront estates was its eccentric proprietor the twice widowed New Englander Lillian Child. After the death of her second husband around the height of the great depression Child came to the aid of two squatters who were being escorted off her property by local police. Child told the men they were welcome to stay on her property as long as they liked, provided they weren’t involved in any mischief. From these first inhabitants a community of wandering homeless men sprang up on her property, with the men constructing makeshift homes and eventually organizing a system of self governance with an elected mayor. The men used discarded items from the local community which they scavenged from the city dump as the materials to construct their dwellings. In 1941 the Santa Barbara News Press described this process of reuse: “the older inhabitants of Childstown search the city dump for rags, bottles, brass, coffee, iron, aluminum, etc. which they sell each night to a whole sale junk buyer who stops by daily. They also use materials to build with, wood for fuel, cardboard boxes, crates, barrels and scrap metal.” At its height in the 1940s this impromptu village, which came to be known as ‘Childville’, housed a total of 125 men.

Lillian Child came to be seen as somewhat of a patron saint to these migrant men or ‘knights of the road’. She was referred to by several titles by men who lived in Childville including, the grand little lady, the lady and the saint of eucalyptus hill and she called the men ‘her boys’.

With this history as a starting point, I worked to conceive of a project which would navigate between specific historical references/allusions and my basic intuited experience with Santa Barbara as a place. This duality came to a head for me in my thesis project titled My Childville. Slowly the history of the Child estate began to emerge for me as a mythology which weaved together with various personal associations I have with the Santa Barbara area, beginning with characters taken from the Nutcracker ballet which I performed in as a child. The strong feminine archetype of Lillian Child began to fuse in my mind with the Nutcracker character of Mother Ginger. This maternal character in the ballet typically wears an enormous skirt which houses her children or ‘ginger snaps’ who only come out from under their mothers skirt to perform a dance. I decided that I would also conflate the men of Childville with the characters of the rats who act as the antagonists in the ballet. From here, the piece evolved into the creation of an enormous skirt, acting as a remnant or symbol of Lillian, and within the skirt placed in the center of the large circular space would be a cage containing a scale model of the topography of the Child estate housing a village of shelters which are all constructed with discarded paper and plastic products and which are all slowly being chewed away at by live rats. I want the viewer to experience the piece by entering the nine foot by ten foot skirt and while examining the model village they themselves become sheltered by this symbol of Lillian implicating them in the same context as the rats. Beneath her skirt she simultaneously offers protection and cages elements of the social periphery. The project for me was meant to allude to circumstances or various elements within society which we tend to shy away from and yet when confronted with these things we reconsider our original hesitations, essentially things which can be both menacing and enticing. Ultimately I wanted to balance symbols and references that are enigmatic which those which are iconographic. I see the final piece as addressing a multitude of interests for me including housing, reuse, and feminine maternal archetypes, while all being filtered through this specific history and my own personal experience.

Danielle Update

2008-04-29T14:23:00.002-06:00

Here are some pics from Danielle and Cameron's recent trip to Sutter Creek with Lee, Leni and Megan.

Finding Spring

2008-04-28T15:04:00.001-06:00

Here's what greeted my lunch-time stroll.

From "Baby" to "Tank"

2008-04-28T12:45:00.002-06:00

Well, we've had the dog for a couple of weeks now and she is such a sweetie. Her name had been "Baby", but Evan would have none of that and promptly dubbed her "Tank". She may look like a Tank but she acts more like a Baby; shy and sweet. She's even afraid of the cats; but in her defense, Nutty is terrorizing her.

Our New Cat Herder

2008-04-15T15:45:00.002-06:00

Evan has long been wanting to get a Siberian Husky, but alas they tend to think of cats as chew toys, so as a favor to Nutty and Corny, he's had to forgo that wish. But....now we have found a dog through "Petfinder" that is half Husky and half Yellow Lab who is in need of rescuing. We're hoping the Lab portion of her heritage will temper the cat-eating Husky side of the family. We are picking her up tomorrow from the Tooele Animal Shelter and keeping our fingers crossed.

Island Park Trip

2008-03-31T12:16:00.004-06:00

This weekend Evan and I did a little road trip to Island Park, Idaho (just below Yellowstone) for a snowmobiling adventure. It was great! Our lodge was right on the Snake River with incredible views. There were hardly any other visitors at the lodge so we basically had the undivided attention of the staff. The food was truly amazing! The cook was a little black man from Louisiana with a true gift. Evan did some male bonding with him over "Gator" on the Sci Fi channel; obviously a guy thing. We had a nice snowstorm blow in the evening after we arrived, which was kind enough to stop by 9:30 am so as not to interfere with our snowmobiling. We set out on a 20 mile ride to Mesa Falls through Targhee National Forest and didn't see another human being for a good two hours. Wow! was it ever beautiful! Evan is hooked! We are definitely going back with the rest of the family next year...or maybe sooner. We'd like to put together a summer rafting trip with any other willing family members. Think about it folks! :-)

Driving the Frog-mobile

2008-03-24T11:50:00.003-06:00

Okay Elders, your dad wanted me to show you the funky Honda Element I won (for a month) from my work, along with cash and a gas card. It's a fun car to drive; sort of like a green ice cream truck! :-) Actually, the more I drive it the more I like it. At the end of the year they'll give away a new Element for someone to keep, until then they just pass along this one to someone new each month. Fun. Fun.

Wishful Thinking

2008-03-17T15:31:00.002-06:00

We're not quite there yet, but we don't have too long to wait before we start seeing a little green.

Our Favorite College Art Teacher

2008-03-17T15:07:00.003-06:00

Danielle working with some students on their funky art projects. Hopefully she won't kill me for sharing the picture of the baby bump!...but I'm sooooo excited be a grandma that I just can't stop myself!

Dreaming of Spring

2008-02-27T15:47:00.001-07:00

New Photos from South of the Border

2008-02-19T13:28:00.000-07:00

At President Hinkley's Viewing

2008-02-14T14:50:00.000-07:00

Nicki and I took a long lunch and drove up to Salt Lake to the viewing of President Hinkley. It was a wonderfully touching experience; I sort of felt like I had just lost my dad again or a grandpa, someone very special. He was the kind of man that made people who had never met him feel like they had lost a close friend.

Chilly Days

2008-02-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a taste of what we've been living with the last few weeks.

Utah Sky from the Back Yard

2008-02-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

Evan talking with Chad on Christmas.

2008-02-07T16:29:00.000-07:00

Hansen Christmas 2007

2008-02-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

In the beginning...

2008-02-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

Hi family and friends,

This is the beginning of my efforts to share with you the wonderful workings of the Hansen Crew. Today is just one more cold snowy day here in Utah. Will it ever quit? Looking on the bright side, Jim and I have been burning calories shoveling our driveway and walks which is always a good thing.

Evan recently got his drivers license and has been hitting the American Fork roads in his $200 Toyota Super-Beater. Having wheels is a happy thing! :-)