Family Pics

A friend of the family took some family/grad pictures. Here are just a few of our favorites...

Love These Ladies!

I had an amazing weekend with my all my best friends (excluding Dave) in Cedar City. (Dave and Sophie had quality Daddy-Daughter time while I was away). I've been so lucky to be blessed with such amazing friends and I am so glad that we've kept up our friendships! It's also really fun to get together and pretend we're 12 again.

Watch this video....




Now tell me if you see any Sand People in this picture...

I always knew deep down Jael was a die-hard Star Wars fan. :)

10 Things I Hate About U(ofA)...or college in general

We have had a wonderful time attending the UofA. Education is a very good thing, and something we are very grateful that we have been blessed to pursue. With parting always comes sorrow.

However, here are a few things we will definitely NOT be missing...

1. Smoking

If this is an institution of higher education, then why are there so many smokers!? And why can't they read the sign "No Smoking within 20 feet of entrance?"
2. PowerPoint Presentations
More and more professors are using PowerPoint in their lectures. 75% of them do not know how to use it correctly.
3. Spandexed-Rear-Tushies
If you're not a dance major, you're just trying to show off your bum. And we know it. And you know that we know it.
4. The Spanish Department
Don't get me started on it.
5. Professors
The ones who use those PowerPoint slide-shows incorrectly.
And the ones who don't really know what they're talking about.
And the ones who don't know but insist you treat them like they do know.
And the ones who put their political slant on everything.
And the ones who make you do busy work just because they can.
And the Ego. Enough said.
5a. The not-really professors, or TAs (or GAs if you prefer)
So, why are so many classes taught by foreign grad students anyway? I can understand Doctoral students doing this, because they have had some good time to learn the subject. But people only a few years farther along who you can't understand anyway? This is not to bash all TAs, there are good ones out there (many better than the actual professor), but you know the ones I'm talking about.
6. Pedestrians
They're everywhere, like gnats. Off the sidewalk, in the street, in the bike lane, ignoring traffic signals, oblivious to traffic (you've seen the guy, he's halfway across the intersection, texting, before he realizes he's stepped in front of cross traffic). Hope you don't hit one!
7. Unvocabulated Students
Isn't it amazing how some students can use the same word to describe every emotion they feel? (ie: "I #*@$&% hate this!" "I #*@$&% love you!" "That is #*@$&% awesome!" "You are #*@$&% lame!")
8. Lack of Clothing
...and very nice sunburns/tan lines because of it.
9. Homework
Especially busy work.
10. __________________
(We left this one open for your suggestions - add a comment)

Wow, this has been a very negative post. We will now say something amazing about our college experience: We're graduating!!!!!

Falling in L-O-V-E

I am so in love with Marana right now. Look at this picture...


There's a river in Tucson!! Marana is actually working with the natural environment and added this beautiful river walk along the Santa Cruz. I believe that the water here is actually reclaimed water right now but the Santa Cruz gets very full during Monsoon months. Here is the relatively new library by the river...


This rear window of the library looks out toward the river. ♥ it.

I love that Marana is actually showing off the beauty of the desert. This doesn't happen much in Tucson. Instead, Tucson peeps just cement-up a perfectly decent wash and hope nobody tags it. Marana is really impressing me with all the natural beauty that they're trying to enhance -- not hide. You should see all the flowers they've planted along the roads. It's gorgeous.

Happy, Happy Birthday Sophie Dear!!!

Happy Birthday, Sophie-Girl!

It's Sophia's big 1st birthday! We celebrated by stopping by "Grandma" Mary Anne's for some yummy cake. Soph loved the frosting and sprinkles!

Due to the move, we didn't plan a real birthday party, but the Hancock family decided to get together for an impromptu party!

Everyone sang Happy Birthday....



then we ate cake....


ppened presents....


and got a nice card from Great-Grandma.

It was a lot of fun. Thanks everyone for celebrating whether you were here with us or not!


In other news: Under distressing and overwhelming circumstances, we sadly said goodbye to our old home--the cute little duplex (pictured below).


We're lucky enough to have Mom and Dad Hancock who are letting us stay with them for a while. We feel very displaced right now, but we're grateful for Mom and Dad's generosity and a safe, happy environment. We're looking into buying our first real home (with no shared walls with the neighbors!), so if you know of any gonga-deals, let us know!

Mommy's Favorite Sophie Pics

Here are some pictures from last November.


Rolling...
Still Rolling...
& Rolling s'more.
Just love that angelic face! Rolling in blankets is so fun!

Tummy time.


Here's some from January...

Mom and Baby are Babes!

Stuff About Us

Lindsey's favorite....

• thing to do in her free time: read or go on walks if it's nice outside.
• book: hard question. Baby book: The Babywhisperer. Novel: Deep Blue, Goose Girl, Les Miz,...
• moment in the last 6 months: that one day when we cleaned the house all together. If felt good.
• place to be: home. Where else?
• movie: I can watch Sabrina ('95 version) every month. I love Star Wars (Original) just as much if not more than Sabrina, but I can't watch those every month.
• movie kiss: The Lake House. (1^st kiss)
• pet peeve : misuse of cell phones!!!
• TV game show: Jeopardy
• college course: Photography 101
• date: Dinner theatre. I've attended two dinner theatres. One with my spouse and one not.
• celebrity: Barbra Streisand. No competition. She is amazing. Amen.
• current event: balloon-saucer boy and his insane parents. Believe me, I would NOT watch a reality show about them!
• stupid thing she ever did: You don't want to know.
• phrase/saying: Inconceivable!
• stupid thing she saw someone do: “I got a job at McDonald's. It is so hard! People actually get mad if you get their order wrong!”
• food: nuts, beans. Mmm.
• website: facebook (I know, what a loser I am.)
• language he wished he knew: French
• most beautiful language: English or Irish accent
• talent she wished she was born with: Brityn's voice.
• word she can never spell: defenitly (definitely)

Dave's favorite....

• thing to do in his free time: read, draw, spend time with my family (especially Lindsey)
• book: “so many books, so little time...”
• moment in the last 6 months: when last semester ended, among others
• place to be: with Lindsey
• movie: Batman Begins (and any Star Trek movie, except #5 and Generations)
• movie kiss explosion: that's more like it... Mask of Zorro mine explosion was good. The kiss is pretty good, too.
• pet peeve: #7: incorrect use of apostrophes
• TV game show: Jeopardy
• college course: Design-Build Studio (“World War I and its Effect on Art and Architecture” was really cool, too)
• date: 12/25
• celebrity: Yoda
• current event: the final blow to the Nobel Peace Prize's legitimacy
• stupid thing he ever did: salsa anyone?
• phrase/saying: Today's: “David Donald Doo dreamed a dozen doughnuts and a duck-dog, too” (Dr. Seuss)
• stupid thing he saw someone do: some guy blatantly ran a red light, and then gave me a look like I was the one that did it, since I was staring at him like he was an idiot (I was on the other side of the intersection, waiting for it to change)
• food: Italian and Mexican
• website: Google – it can take you anywhere else (and the one I made is pretty cool, being the impartial informant I am – www.shambach.com)
• language he wished he knew: French and Spanish
• most beautiful language: Russian (because I speak it – French is nice, too)
• talent he wished he was born with: Lindsey's music composing skills
• word he can never spell: committment (commitment)

Happy New Years!!

A great way to start our New Year... Hiking in Sanctuary Cove!

A friend lent me her baby backpack. I am totally sold on it. I gotta get one of my own!
Dave being Dave. Sophie being Sophie.

Hiking can be so exhausting!

• Our Family New Year's Resolution: Go on more hikes once monthly.

• Lindsey's NYR: Read the lessons for RS before I get to church.

• Dave's NYR: Find his old Star Trek Books (which translates as cleaning).

FYI...

I made a new "Joke Blog" a couple of days ago. I wanted a joke blog so that I could (1) remember the good jokes I hear, and (2) share them with everyone else.


I find that people just don't tell good jokes anymore--And I know why. I'll be with my friends at school or at work and say "Hey here's a good joke I heard..." and after I'm done telling it, the listener will have to tell me his or her "great joke" which ends up being dirty and trashy. So I just don't tell jokes anymore, because I don't want to hear "their" jokes. Hence, my blog was born.

Please visit it and send in your jokes--that is, if you're willing to share.
http://lindseysjokeblog.blogspot.com/

Catching up....

School must be out because I'm actually posting something to our blog!! Below are obviously Halloween pictures. We had a blast going trick-or-treating with some of the Hancock gang out in Vail. Sophie got LOTS of candy for us :) You're probably thinking what horrible parents we are--using our 6 month old to get candy! And yes, I did feel like I was "stealing candy from a baby" and I'm sure there were lots of parents handing out candy that knew exactly what we were up to, but how else were we supposed to get any candy!?


Check out this Hot Wolfman.....


His hair looks amazing thanks to his talented wife and lots of hair spray and blow-drying. Dave makes a great Wolverine!

And Now, Thanksgiving.....

We went on a family walk after stuffing our faces with turkey and stuffing. Dinner was really yummy. Just thinking about it right now makes me want to eat s'more!!!!! (Drooling)
Sophie with her cousins Hailey and Kate.