Cluff Corner

Best Picture Ever

2010-05-29T08:42:00.003-06:00

This is Reid and Genna at IHOP for my birthday breakfast last week. Aren't they cute? Everytime I look at this picture, I can't stop laughing. Enjoy!

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life...

2010-01-08T16:31:00.003-07:00

... and I'm feeling good.

Goodbye 2009, and the first trimester blues, and hello 2010! I am looking forward to these next few months of relative comfort (physically), and then to another happy & healthy baby (hopefully). I have good feelings about this year, and I hope it doesn't let me down.

This song says it all. And no, it's not over the top. I secretly wish that I was a Broadway diva, and Reid secretly wishes I was Canadian, so it's perfect!

P.S. Hilarious video of Genna dancing to follow, for those of you who read this blog for her.

This time it's real...

2009-12-10T20:20:00.004-07:00

Well, unlike last time, this time it's for real. As you can see in the picture above we will be having a baby! Rebecca is 11 weeks along and her due date is on July 2, 2010. Sorry for the poor quality of the picture, but our scanner doesn't work and so I had to take a picture of the picture. We are really excited and can't wait for the new addition to our family. Hopefully, Genna will be just as excited to share her parents, but there's plenty of time to teach her that before next summer, right?

SYTYCD (and a little falsehood)

2009-11-06T11:50:00.001-07:00

Isn't it great how you can go back in time with Blogger? I went to this concert on November 5, but never got around to posting these pictures. Even though today is January 9, 2010, I am going to pretend that it is November 6, 2009.

******************************************************

If you don't know what SYTYCD means, move along.

Reid and I are big fans of So You Think You Can Dance, and have enjoyed watching real dancers perform real choreography, not like some other "dancing" shows (ahem, Dancing with the "Stars"). (Although, it is true that quite a few of the Professionals on that show were previous contestants on SYTYCD. Good for them!) (Who knows where the "Stars" come from...moving on).

So, when my dear friend Jane emailed me with the great news that she had access to FREE tickets, I was so excited! To top it off, Reid scored us tickets to the aftershow so we could meet the dancers. Awesome!

Jane had another ticket, so I was able to invite my friend, Katey, who as another young mother, hasn't been to a concert in awhile. The three of us had a great time. Unfortunately, we forgot to take a picture of us having a great time. Just believe me. I also tried to take a picture during the concert, but that didn't work so well.

The concert lasted longer than we expected, and however pathetic it is to admit, we were so tired, we considered not staying for the aftershow. I know, we sound old and lame. But we stayed, and here is proof!

This is Randi Evans, a fellow Oremite (did I just make that up?). In fact, the whole cast was leaving for UT within a few hours after this concert, and I was a little sad that I couldn't just hitch a ride and visit my family.

Kupono, with one of his custom "designs," complete with safety pin. It was amazing to see the addiction dance live (love the song: "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles).

Janette, one of my favorite dancers throughout. She should have been a finalist!

Melissa, the ballerina, was very sweet...and tall. (Don't you love my aftershow sticker? They made us wear them...)

And Brandon, whom I would have chosen as the winner! Oh well, that's what I get for not voting.

Well, I feel so much better now that this event has been publicly documented. Now on to Genna... :)

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T21:45:00.027-07:00

Happy Halloween!!! In celebration of this "sweet" holiday (pun intended), we have posted a few pictures of our adorable little girl. Please enjoy this montage of pictures to see what we did for Halloween.

This is her costume (thank you Grandma Cluff!). She's a butterfly-fairy princess. Notice the pretty glitter on her cheeks (thank you Mommy!). She loved being able to play with Mommy's make up without going into time-out.

Here's Genna counting up her loot. It's her first time trick-or-treating!

Here she is after enjoying a few too many pieces of chocolate. Notice her halo headband and wings are now off, she's exited the princess persona...

Oh how she loves her pumpkin....

Sorry, Genna, Daddy gutted your pumpkin. But at least it still looks awesome. He sure is a good "carver".

Genna loved my (Reid's ) carving so much she decided to imitate it using her famous "freeze frame" face.

Finally, she decided to take a nice picture next to her new found friend. Does this picture look familiar...I'm calling it "Halloween Gothic".

Happy Halloween Everyone! Until next year.....

Winter is Here!

2009-11-01T20:38:00.006-07:00

Winter has arrived with our first ice storm. The storm was on the weekend and I (Reid) had to work the CC Hockey games. On Saturday night, which was the heart of the storm, it took me ten minutes to chip the ice off of my car so that I could drive it. I thought to myself "should I just go home, which is right over the hill, or should I use this awesome 2 for 1 Josh & John's coupon and drive downtown?" Well as you may know, the only time before this that I've posted anything on this blog it was about how much I love J & J's ice cream.

So, needless to say, I decided to take my life into my hands and take advantage of this awesome coupon and drive 10 mph downtown from the World Arena. All the while I was driving, I was just thinking what would happen if I got in an accident all because I wanted to eat a delicious treat? Well, 30 minutes later, I arrived to find that I was their very last customer of the night (although I was surprised to find that I was not the only customer of the night, there wasn't even that much parking to be found downtown let alone the 20+ people who were in Josh and John's eating ice cream) because they were closing early. 30 minutes after that, Rebecca and I were safely eating this delicious ice cream on our couch. What a way to celebrate the arrival of Winter: Hockey, Ice Storms, and Ice Cream!

Last Summer Post

2009-11-01T20:20:00.010-07:00

Colorado Springs has a great park here called America the Beautiful Park, which has an amazing water feature. Every Wednesday during the summer, they have a farmer's market and free outdoor concert, so Reid and I decided to check it out. The concert was not impressive, but Genna loved splashing in the water!

Remembering Summer...

2009-10-26T12:21:00.011-06:00

This summer, Genna discovered that she loves water! We went to this splashground for a play group, and had a lot of fun...eventually. Our ward pool party had been just a week before, and Genna really enjoyed splashing in the water, so I expected her to love this. However, she sat on my lap or tried to run out of the park for almost an hour! Just when I was about to give up and go home, she suddenly decided that it looked like fun.

Self Portrait by Genna

2009-08-21T22:48:00.002-06:00

Breakfast in the Summer

2009-08-17T14:32:00.006-06:00

The other morning, we gave Genna some milk and a leftover pancake for breakfast. She decided to take her breakfast outside.

Yum.

Nothing is better than FREE!

2009-08-12T23:08:00.004-06:00

Reid and I scored such a deal tonight, it was unbelievable! We recently received a few coupons for free fries and drink with the purchase of McDonald's new Angus Burger, so we thought we'd give it a try, even though we weren't sure how much the burgers cost. Our total was $8.57 or something, which I guess is not that bad for a meal for two. We pulled up to the first window and Reid handed the guy our coupons and then tried to hand him our debit card. He was taking another order at first, so Reid just kept holding out his card. Finally, the guy said that it was going to take too long or something weird, and handed Reid a receipt. What?! We looked at it, and it said, "Employee Discount" for the amount that we were supposed to pay, with an end total of $0. Reid and I just looked at each other and started laughing - did that just happen?

In addition to that, we had a few coupons for a free Jr. Frosty from Wendy's (thanks Gretchen!). I kind of felt bad handing them my coupons and not buying anything...but not that bad!

While I'm talking about restaurants, I may as well share another recent find. My favorite money-saving website, Springs Bargains, recently posted a whole lot of places that will offer you something free for your birthday. Many of them also give you something free just for signing up for the email list. I have a separate email account for things like that, so I don't get "special offers" mixed in with personal email. Here is a link to the birthday deals, many of which are for chain restaurants, so even if you don't live here, check it out!

P.S. The link on McDonald's Angus Burger at the top will take you to a site where you can print out your own coupon, if you didn't get one in your Sunday paper. But I can't guarantee that your cashier will be too busy to charge you for it!

The Giant Jokester

2009-07-14T19:55:00.004-06:00

Reid and I were just sitting around, knowing it was bedtime but too lazy to move, and I noticed how much Genna has grown in the past year. She was standing next to a musical play table, with lots of fun buttons, which she got when she was about 7-8 months old. I remember that when standing, she could barely touch the buttons on the edge of the table, and here she is towering over it like a giant.

Reid said, "She looks like King Kong!" Right at that moment, Genna turned to the side and took a few really large steps, as if imitating a giant. We bust up laughing, of course. She turned around and looked at us, and then starts laughing really loud as well, like she totally got the joke. We could not stop laughing!

Neither could she...long after we had calmed down. She kept doing things and waiting for us to laugh again. She is such a funny girl, and loves attention! I thinking Genna will love having younger siblings to entertain/boss around/laugh at her. But not yet.

We Joined The Circus

2009-06-27T21:26:00.000-06:00

Well, not exactly, but we did enjoy ourselves at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus that came to town here in Colorado Springs. On Saturday night, Rebecca and Genna got to go to the circus while I was working in the Box Office. Here they are during the first half:

Right now, Genna's thinking, "How can I sneak away from mom to go pet that tiger over there?" Well, she never got the chance, but we did get to see the tigers after intermission when I joined them. It was pretty awesome! As you can see, I might have liked them even more than Genna did.

The tigers were the greatest part of the show.

Genna is so tired, she looks dazed.

This is Genna the next day with her elephant. I took Rebecca and Genna to meet the promoter of the show, and she gave us this sweet elephant.

Love Affair with a Banana

2009-06-12T09:57:00.000-06:00

I've had this post in my drafts for a few months now, and decided to post it. As mentioned previously, Genna loves bananas. Here is a photo essay for you to enjoy.

It began with mushing, then progressed to slicing. Eventually, she wanted sections or even to bite by herself.

The end.

Cookie Monster

2009-06-06T16:51:00.000-06:00

Since she was about 9 months old, Genevieve has been learning a few "baby" signs. It has been so great to be able to communicate with her, and even better, for her to be able to communicate with us. (Check out my sister's blog for a video of Genna signing.)

A short list of her current vocab includes: more, all-done, milk, juice, thirsty, hungry, please, thank you, car, dog, Dad, cracker, cheese, and her new favorite - cookie.

Reid and I stopped by the grocery store a few days ago to grab something we needed for dinner. As soon as we got inside, Genna said and signed, "cookie." Reid looked at me, and I admited that I often (ok, almost always!) get her a free cookie to nibble on while I am comparing prices and getting awesome deals. (No, that's not bragging. It's true!)

Anyway, we were in a hurry, so we grabbed what we needed and headed for the check-out. Since it was just after 5 pm, the store was very busy, and there were a few people in front of us. Genna was getting antsy, so Reid decided to just let her walk around, and he would follow her. I waited in line, quickly reading in a magazine as much of the story about Jon and Kate as I could before it was my turn. I finished checking out, and they still weren't back. As I headed for the door, I saw Reid carrying Genna through the produce department, holding something....

Apparently, as soon as Reid set Genna down, she walked directly to the bakery where the free cookies are. Smart girl, right? Or maybe we go to the store too much? In my defense, the store is right around the corner, so we often go more than once a week (I buy what will fit into the stroller bottom).

These pictures are not of the store cookie - she ate that before we could get home to our camera, so this is a cookie I made. That's right. I let my daughter eat two cookies in one day.

This is one of the signs that says as well as signs (others are Dad, shoes, car, juice and cracker), so I was hoping I could catch it on video. No such luck. As soon as I pressed "record," she gave me this clueless look like, "What are you talking about, Mom? I don't know anything about any 'cookie'."

"All-done!"

I'm Back!

2009-06-04T13:41:00.003-06:00

Well. It's been over a month, and if I'm being honest, closer to two months. I can't believe that I missed the entire month of May! I suppose I have been spending my time focusing on other things, but I miss blogging and I KNOW you all miss me.

Right?

So, I've got a few great blog posts coming up in the next few days, plus (hopefully) some new pictures. Get excited!

P.S. Does anyone know how to get comments emailed to you?

Genevieve, our Court Jester

2009-04-12T22:16:00.002-06:00

As we were sitting around after our delicious Easter dinner tonight (pictures forthcoming!), Genna started laughing hysterically with her tongue sticking out. It was so funny, we just had to take a video. I can see it now...Genevieve, the Class Clown!

P.S. Genna went on her Easter egg hunt today! My dad recorded it, and I'll post an edited video after I get a chance to cut it down from 6 minutes. I think only my sister and possibly Genna's cousin would watch the entire video.

April Showers on My Calendar

2009-04-12T21:40:00.006-06:00

April has been and is going to be CRAZY!!! Let's see...we went to Denver to visit Reid's cousins for General Conference, my parents and little brother flew in yesterday and leave Wednesday, Reid's parents fly in Wednesday and leave Sunday, that next week I have something almost every evening (three things that I must plan/prepare for), that Saturday is packed as well, and then the following weekend, Genna and I fly to Utah for Women's Conference and my sister's graduation. Whew - aren't you tired just reading that?

So. I am determined not to let this craziness destroy my renewed determination to stay connected through blogging and commenting (or exercise, but that's another story...). This will just give me more to blog about, right? :)

How do YOU organize your digital photos?

2009-04-06T21:57:00.003-06:00

I'm putting out a call to all my blogging and picture-taking friends (and friends of friends):

How do you organize your digital photos? I've been thinking about this for some time now, and decided I should find a better a system while I have only a few thousand photos (almost 5,000) instead of a million. :)

Currently, my photos are basically just organized chronologically, with a folder for each month. But, I don't remember what exciting events happen each month, or even in which month an exciting event happened. We have a Mac, so I use iPhoto (I used Picasa on our old PC, which I also really liked). iPhoto (are you supposed to capitalize the "i" if it's at the beginning of a sentence? Look how Apple has affected our grammar...) automatically creates "events," which can be helpful in some cases. For example, I could have an event titled "Genna's birthday" or "Day at the zoo," which is clearly more descriptive than "May 2007."

But what about random, everyday pictures that are not part of an event? I don't want to create a new event (or folder) every time Genna gets a new outfit or I make a beautiful meal. I can also create labels or keywords for the photos which are searchable, but I guess I haven't yet figured out an efficient way without creating too many labels.

Do you have a separate folder for each person? Do you use labels, and what categories do you use? ("Family" or "Mom" and "Dad," etc.) How do you find the best photos? And what about pictures with more than one person in them? What program do you use?

So, what do you do? Maybe you just throw all your photos into "My Pictures" and never look at them again. If so, perhaps you will get an idea or two from some other comments. :) Please share your tips (Mac and PC alike) for organizing your digital photos. I can't wait to hear all your brilliant ideas.

P.S. Should we have a contest? Maybe the person with the most digital photos should win something! I'll think about some kind of awesome prize, and get back to you. Thanks for sharing!

What does "sanitary" mean anyway?

2009-04-03T22:27:00.001-06:00

Genna LOVES the dishwasher. The moment that she hears us open it, she is there, ready to "help." She will dutifully stand there and hand us everything within her reach, so we can put it away. If we don't take whatever she's holding withing 1.7 seconds, she reminds us that she is helping by letting out our favorite new sound: whine. If only I had recorded it...but I'm sure you can imagine.

Today, she handed me each piece of silverware (well, actually stainless steel, but whatever). I cannot guarantee that her hands were "clean." Does this mean my dishes are "dirty?" Should I "sanitize" them again?

(Emily, I thought of you as this was happening...do you let Frank "help" with "clean" dishes?)

I'm NOT Pregnant

2009-04-02T15:09:00.002-06:00

Thanks for indulging me in a little April Fool's joke, everyone. No, I'm NOT pregnant, and when I do become so, probably won't announce it like that on my blog. But who knows? Maybe as soon as I get two lines on a stick I'll get one of those freaky-looking floating fetus counters: "280 days to go."

(No offense to those that have them. Only don't you wish the fetus would actually represent what it looked like at that moment? I keep waiting for the little floating guy to get bigger until he doesn't float around anymore...just squirm. TMI? I thought so.)

P.S. Cathie, I loved your train of thought.

So, how was YOUR April 1st?

I have an announcement...

2009-04-01T08:24:00.002-06:00

Please leave a comment to let us know how happy you are. :)

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-27T10:45:00.000-06:00

I hope it is socially acceptable to blog about an event 10 days after it occurred. Let's see, I'm social. Do I accept this? Yes, I do!

St. Patrick's Day has long been one of my favorite holidays. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that my favorite color is green. My family always seemed to focus more on the green aspect rather than the Irish aspect. In fact, I don't think I had ever heard of corned beef or tried cabbage until I went to college. Even when I try to be cultural, it's off. Case in point: my dearest cousin Melinda also has a fondness for this holiday, and we like to celebrate by watching "Brigadoon." Which takes place in Scotland.

Anyhow, we (my sister and I) started off the day with some good old-fashioned green eggs. I did take a picture, but it doesn't exactly look appetizing, so I'm going to leave it out. My cousins and a few of Reid's co-workers came over for dinner, which turned out to be a feast! This is what made it to the table:

Avocado, pear, orange & craisen salad (thanks, Deanna!)
Green mashed potatoes
Pesto gnocchi
Chili queso (so, this was not green or Irish in any way. Sorry, I love queso!)

Our guests also contributed to the meal:

Steak (yum!)
Rolls with green butter (looked like frosting)
Mint chocolate chip and brownie ice cream
Mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches
Shortbread cookies (pretending to be Irish...really Scottish)
Dark chocolate biscuit cookies (French...which is an even further cry from Irish)

Overall, a delicious meal. And when followed up with "American Idol," what could be better?

The Golden Rule: Comments

2009-03-26T10:23:00.002-06:00

Hi. My name is Rebecca, and I have a problem.

It's a problem that many of you may share with me. Some may consider it normal while others consider it rude or even verging on illegal. What am I talking about?

The act of reading others blogs while never commenting, also known as: lurking.

With Facebook and blogs, it is so easy to follow someone's life, and keep up on their activities without actually connecting with them. Then, I sit at home, refreshing my blog to see if anyone has commented. Ironic? Yes.

I am changing my ways. Right now. From here on out, I am committing to being more communicative and less stalkerish. I will actually take the time to type up the thoughts that I have and share them (at least the nice ones), instead of just moving on to the next thing.

I won't beg (oh please!), but just know how much I LOVE reading comments. Maybe this will start a mini-revolution in my little blogging world.

In summary: follow the Golden Rule and share the love. And don't be surprised if I know more about you than you may think (hmm...is that verging on creepy?)

The Cluff's Happenings

2009-03-21T20:25:00.006-06:00

Hi! I'm Rebecca's sister, Holly. I have been visiting with the Cluffs this week and have been blogging about all of our adventures. Rebecca has been scrapbooking a lot this week, but will return to blogging soon. To see what we have been up to please visit my blog-Holly's Happenings. Enjoy!

Butterfly Dress

2009-03-04T15:04:00.002-07:00

Reid's mom mailed us this adorable dress with butterfly pockets, and I love it. So cute!

Now, all she needs is hair...

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T22:04:00.004-07:00

Sorry for the three-week hiatus. I've been really busy taking care of our new pet elephant. (That's more interesting than the real reason...which is nothing.)

So, Happy Valentine's Day! Here are a few lovey pictures.

My sister mailed us Valentines, and here is Genna opening hers...

...with her mouth. :)

For breakfast today, we had pink heart-shaped waffles. Yum!

Don't you just love Genna's pajamas? You can't help but love her.

Today was wonderful, even though Reid is at work and I am at home. It's ok - he is making big $ at Carrabba's, and I am comforted with Grey's Anatomy and my blog.

This morning, we had the opportunity to attend the temple together, for the first time in over a year (well, that's not entirely true, but the first time we've attended a session). It was so wonderful; I felt so happy and peaceful, I didn't want to leave. I thought back to our wedding day, and pondered how far we have come. Heck, we have a daughter! And isn't she great? I can't wait for my whole family, and all my children, to join me in the temple.

Genna Remembered How to Walk!

2009-01-24T00:35:00.002-07:00

Before we left for Utah, Genna started to take a few steps on her own. She took 10 steps in the airport! However, the whole time we were in Utah, she would only take 1-2 steps before dropping to the floor and crawling.

Last week, she seemed to remember how to walk! I think part of this was due to the fact that I babysat a boy who is almost 2; monkey see, monkey do!

Christmas Day

2009-01-24T00:12:00.004-07:00

This year we enjoyed a white Christmas, and it was wonderful.

Here are our stockings, hung with care. It is with slight sadness that I officially move from those-who-receive-a-surprise-in-their-stocking to those-who-stuff-the-stockings. I suppose Reid had a few surprises for me, which was nice. I'm sure it will be more fun to play Santa as Genna gets older and has more anticipation/excitement.

Christmas pajamas!

Genna diving into her stocking (I think I'll sew some new ones for us this year).

Don't you love Genna's face? She is so over those spoons...don't worry - she enjoyed everything else!

"So, when do we get to open these ones?"

Isn't this purse and headband adorable?

Just a few of her spoils. She officially has more cute clothes than I do. Is that what happens when you have kids?

Thanks for a great Christmas, Grandma & Grandpa Cluff!

Christmas Eve

2009-01-23T23:03:00.005-07:00

I am determined to post these pictures...despite being one month late. So here we go:

We spent Christmas Eve with my family, and it was a busy but wonderful day. My sister and I spent most of the day cooking and baking, with a small break for a manicure. :)

The day started with cookie baking - yum! I tried very hard not to eat all the scraps... (Did you notice the unicorn in the left corner? "My horn can pierce the sky!")

Happy cookie maker, wearing my mom's plaid apron. It seems we've always had it.

Our beautiful Christmas Eve table, simple and traditional.

Reid showed off what he learned at Johnson & Wales University - impressive!

Chad, the Oven Mitt Man, displays the ladies' hard work...and it was delicious!

Genna chowing down on green beans and a roll. That's right, I didn't even break it into pieces for her. She got the whole thing; hey, it's Christmas!

Sugar cookie Christmas tree

Sugar cookies, gingersnaps and candy cane cookies. For Santa? Oh yeah, sure.

Genna opening her first Christmas present - socks!

I hope your Christmas Eve was filled with family, yumminess and sweet anticipation.

Gingerbread House and Train

2009-01-20T22:55:00.007-07:00

Our Christmas journey continues...with a gingerbread house and a gingerbread train! See how excited Holly is!

A few days after we arrived in Utah, Diane utilized her amazing culinary skills to guide our creative efforts.

The train: pre-decoration.

I couldn't resist organizing the candy by type and then color...it's just what I do. Let me tell you, we were not tempted to eat this "candy" at all - it came with the house & train sets and was not appetizing. Trick-or-treaters would have scorned. It was colorful, and I suppose that's all that matters.

Look at Holly's joyful face! She got to knead the tube of frosting to a "toothpaste consistency."

We were so lucky to have Grandpa Cluff, a real engineer, around to guide our efforts.

He was quite the task-master!

The pro in action.
Diane taking out her frustration on some hard candy - she broke it into pieces to be used for stained-glass windows. This did NOT come in the box. :)

Our poor little gingerbread men couldn't seem to stand up straight...neither could the lamppost...

Here is Jordan adding his contribution.

Ta-da! Here is the train: final product.

Could we have added any more rainbows? I don't think so.

Don't you just love the Milk Duds coal? This was another of our ingenious additions.

And the house - what a masterpiece.

Check out those icicles! Diane is a master.

As a final touch, we added a cobblestone entry made of white chocolate peppermint bark (another delicious "neighbor gift.")

We had such a wonderful time making these beautiful gingerbread creations. Thank you Diane!

Utah Highlights - 2

2009-01-11T23:12:00.002-07:00

Here's a few more miscellaneous photos; I have been devoting my time to some major projects, instead of blogging. It's probably for the best. :)

Genna received a really cute Noah's Ark set from Grandma and Grandpa Cluff, and she loves playing with it!

My favorite picture of my sister, Holly, and myself. Aren't we cute?

Genna and Avery playing around on New Year's Day. I'm so glad they are friends!

I think Genna's favorite present was My First Purse, which you can see in the previous picture with Avery. It includes a coin purse, lipstick, keys, comb and most importantly - a cell phone! She loves playing with it, but once she catches sight of my cell phone, she drops that silly plastic thing and goes for the real technology! She is very good at calling Reid at work, and my family at home. She even managed to clear out my Favorites menu. Thanks, sweetie!

This is Genna and her Great-Grandpa Cluff. He lives in California, but flew out to visit many of his children. We were so blessed to be able to visit with him for a few days!

Utah Highlights - 1

2009-01-09T21:54:00.003-07:00

Well, we've been back for a whole week now, and I've finally decided to blog. It was a little difficult not being able to blog whenever I wanted to during the holidays, and now I have over 400 pictures and the thought of blogging about all of the wonderful things that happened is overwhelming. Therefore, I have decided to just do some highlights of the trip. For a comprehensive account of my time in Utah, please check my sister's blog: Holly's Happenings.

Genna and Reid playing Magic with my brother, Jordan.

Wow...that's some loyalty.

At first, Avery (my brother's son) wasn't too sure about Genna...

...but who can resist that smile?

Genna reaching for an ornament. I wanted to take this picture because I have a picture of me reaching for an ornament on my Grandmother's tree my first Christmas.

More pictures to follow. For now, Reid and I are putting together a Noah's Ark puzzle his mom gave us for Christmas. I can't wait to glue it and hang it in Genna's room!

Happy Birthday, Genevieve!

2008-12-27T22:19:00.003-07:00

Today my daughter turned one year old.

Wow.

Thanks to Grandma Cluff, we had a fabulous & pretty butterfly party. We started at 2 pm, which was about when Genevieve was born. Today she wore her new butterfly outfit, and looked adorable, as usual. After her birthday song, she put out her own candle - with her fingers. Surprisingly, she didn't burn herself, but we were all worried for a moment. She thoroughly enjoyed her birthday brownie (cut in a butterfly shape), and ate the whole thing, even licking the plate. It was a fun afternoon.

I had intended on creating a special post for her birthday, with beautiful photos and thoughtful words. However, I am borrowing this computer, and it is late, and I realized that Genna may never read this blog, so I'm just going to tell her how I feel about her in person.

We have also enjoyed a wonderful Christmas, but that story will come later. With pictures.

I promised my sister we would be on time for church tomorrow, so this is farewell. I hope your holidays were equally joyful.

We are here!!!

2008-12-22T09:27:00.004-07:00

Everything is wonderful.

DESPITE
Genna having the worst night ever on Saturday night at the hotel, and
Reid and I getting only 3-4 hours of sleep, and
us forgetting our stroller, and
our flight being delayed,

we are here in Utah!

We have seen our loving families, and Genna has already charmed them all. She really knows how to work a crowd, I tell you what... We have eaten yummy food, and slept well. There is a hot frittata and bacon waiting for me right now. It is snowing, and will be for the entire day. Maybe I won't get dressed or leave the house. :)

Life is good.

I'll Be Home for Christmas...in 1 Day!!!

2008-12-20T17:45:00.004-07:00

One year ago today, Reid's parents came to visit us for Christmas, with hopes of welcoming their first grandchild into our family. We had a wonderful and anxious Christmas with them, as we sat around, waiting for something exciting to happen. Bill had brought his new hanjie book, and was kind enough to let me try it out...and I never gave it back. It was the perfect activity to take my mind off of contractions (or the lack thereof).

Genevive Isabel Cluff arrived on December 27, and we were so glad that the Cluffs were still here! I think Reid was grateful to have his mom at the hospital before Genna came, as I was content to listen to my music and play hanjie. He might have been lonely without her. :)

Here is Diane with Genna, just after she was born. I am so glad you could share this with us!

Here's Bill with Genna. Thanks for letting me steal your hanjie book, and thanks for being such a wonderful grandpa.

Today is special for another reason - it is the Cluff's anniversary! Congratulations for getting married and having Reid, so that we could have Genna. It all leads back to Genna, doesn't it?

Well, we will be in Utah in just a matter of hours. I am so excited to see my family, I can't sit still! Which I suppose is a good thing, as I still have a few more things to do...

Merry Christmas everyone!

I'll Be Home for Christmas...in 2 Days

2008-12-19T23:58:00.002-07:00

Our Utah vacation is almost here! Only a few more people to highlight in my countdown, and today it's my parents. I love them both so much! They both had a special birthday in November, and I made them each a memory book, filled with words and images of loved ones. It made me love them more to hear how others felt about them.

I do have more pictures of them, but it is very late, and my to do list is still here, staring me in the face, so I will just leave it at this: see you soon!!!

I'll Be Home for Christmas...in 3 Days

2008-12-18T22:52:00.005-07:00

Today I decided to highlight Reid's brothers: Regis and Shadow.

This is Regis, the older of the two. He is a shnoodle. After having a dalmatian (Max) for many years, Reid's parents never thought they would like small dogs. Regis changed all that. He led the way for Shadow...

...who is an even smaller dog! Shadow is a choodle...or poouaua? Chiuaua-poodle mix, in case you can't figure that out. :) The Cluffs were once offered $900 from a stranger for Shadow, but they turned him down. Look at that face!

Here they are playing together - they really entertain themselves (sounds like what I've heard about having two kids. Genna, let's get you a sibling!) The last time Genna saw these guys, she was barely sitting up, and certainly not mobile. With her walking more each day, who knows what will happen. Boys, get ready for some action!

I'll Be Home for Christmas...in 4 Days

2008-12-17T23:48:00.006-07:00

Today's special family member is my beloved sister, Holly. We talk on the phone just about every day - thank goodness for free mobile-to-mobile minutes! It will be so wonderful to talk to her in person. I can't wait to see her and she can't wait to see Genna (yes, I am second to my daughter.) So, just for you Holly - here are some pictures of your niece!

Thanks for inspiring Genevieve to be musically inclined. So glad she doesn't have to wear a bib 24-7 anymore; it's totally not stylish.

I wish she was smiling, but what can you do? She is showing off her new outfit, including bow.

Genna participating in her FAVORITE activity: "Empty the Diaper Bag." Observe the look of absolute glee on her face. How could I be mad?

Crawling through the wreckage, laughing with delight...

Genna is already striving to become a fashion diva like you, Holly. We dressed her in this beautiful gown for Reid's work Christmas party, and then set her down while we got ready. She proceeded to crawl over to where my jewelry is, picked up this white beaded necklace, and put it on herself. Wow! What an outfit! Of course, we had to let her wear it to the party. :)

(Those of you with Photoshop, don't judge my efforts with iPhoto editing. One day...)

Lastly, Genevieve walked 5 steps today!!! I tried to post a video, but to no avail. Maybe tomorrow.

I'll Be Home for Christmas...in 5 Days

2008-12-16T23:28:00.002-07:00

Today, I am thinking about my older brother, Ryan, and his wife Stacy. They are moving into my parents basement, so they will be close at hand during our trip!

This is their son, Avery, who is obviously very cute...for a boy. :) Hey, this blog is all about me and my cute daughter. Anyway, I can't wait for them to get together - I hope they will play!

I'll Be Home for Christmas...in 6 Days

2008-12-15T23:41:00.005-07:00

Today's special family member is my brother, Chad. I can't wait to feel really short...not. It's always great to talk and laugh with Chad - he is so witty! He needs a blog. Seriously.

This is him in a ballroom dancing competition in England. I'm just barely missing his dance concert (again), but hopefully I can get him to show Genna how a Real Man dances. :)

I love you, Chad, and can't wait to see you!

I'll Be Home for Christmas...in 7 Days

2008-12-14T23:47:00.002-07:00

In seven days, we will be in Utah with our families - the Cluff family and the Nelson family. I am very excited about this...just ask Reid. I've decided to do a count down until we leave by sharing with you some of the people I can't wait to see!

First up is my brother, Jordan, who just turned 16. Whohoo! Jordan - I heard that you were delaying homework last night by reading my blog. All I have to say is, it's not my fault you haven't been keeping up. :) Love you, and finish your homework!

O Christmas Tree...

2008-12-12T00:56:00.006-07:00

I have always loved the Christmas season, especially the decorations. There is something so fulfilling about re-discovering the same favorite ornaments and decorations each year; it seems so easy to connect this year to those past, and to connect those items with special memories.

When I was younger, I loved the special feeling that the glow of Christmas lights gives so much that I would curl up behind the tree to play with the Nativity set or read a book, all the while listening to Christmas music. A favorite was "Beneath the Christmas Star" which I have never heard on any holiday music radio station...but I still have the cassette tape. :)

The first two years that Reid and I were married, we purchased live trees. What a treat! There is nothing better than that smell, though I admit the watering gets a little old, especially in this dry climate. This year, we will be in Utah for Christmas, plus we have an almost-walking daughter, and the thought of a live tree didn't sound so great. I didn't want to buy an artificial tree who wouldn't actually get to shelter presents under its boughs, and since we have re-arranged our furniture since last year, we don't really have a place for one.

However, I have just participated in an ornament exchange, so I have about 20 new, beautiful ornaments to display, in addition to those I have already accumulated. What to do? And then one day, it hit me. I will have a Horizontal Tree on a Diet! Maybe it needs a new name. Any suggestions?

Here's how it works: I (actually, Reid) wound two lengths of garland together with some icicle lights and hung it over our front window. Then, I hung the ornaments on our whatever-you-want-to-call-it Tree. I absolutely love it! It has actually surprised me how much I don't miss having a real tree. Last year, I was looking forward to buying one for months! I think this year, I am just so excited to be spending Christmas with my family...but that's another post.

Here are a bunch of pictures of my Tree and ornaments. Enjoy.

The Tree lit up at night - my favorite! The ornaments:

Recognize this little guy? :)

I hope you are each enjoying your tree - no matter what it looks like.

How cute!

2008-12-12T00:36:00.004-07:00

This is a few weeks (month?) late, but I just had to post about this. I entered a giveaway on Brooklyn's Bows blog, and I won! I received two adjustable headbands, plus those adorable Disney clips: Minnie Mouse and Tinker Bell. It may be a few years before I can use the clips in Genna's hair (if she ever gets some!), but the headbands are super cute.

Here is a picture of Genna with the white headband and new clothes. Wish she was smiling, but she's still my pretty little princess.

Do you have a little girl?

2008-12-08T16:08:00.004-07:00

Then you HAVE to check this out! My BYU art history friend and fellow blogger, Lindsay, has recently decided to take her creativity public. She makes adorable tutus which are available through her Etsy shop: Zeelightful.

HERE'S THE BEST PART - a tutu give-away!

Check out another great blog, Light Refreshments Served, and enter to win a FREE CUSTOM-MADE tutu! Simply leave a comment, and start choosing your colors. Time is of the essence, as the give-away ends tomorrow night.

Lindsay has another blog where she shares creative projects. Fun to check out.

Don't miss this wonderful opportunity - seriously, go enter right now!

P.S. This is the first time I have used hyperlinks in a post, and it is so fun! Yay! :)

Once There Was a Snowman...

2008-12-02T17:30:00.004-07:00

In November, my friends and I had an ornament exchange: each of us made 20 ornaments and then we exchanged and took home 1 ornament from each person. I decided to make some cute little snowmen, which turned out great - thanks to Reid's assistance!

I found the snowmen cutouts at Michael's, which I painted white. I also found some adorable rub-on snowmen faces. (This is where Reid comes in.)

Here he is with his trusty "craft stick," which he used to rub the faces on the snowmen. Like so:

Then, I finished them off with little buttons and crocheted scarves. Ta da!

Stay tuned for more pictures of the ornaments I received, as well as our "Horizontal Tree." :)

Cheering for the Cougs in the Falcon's Nest

2008-12-02T15:11:00.008-07:00

Although we are grateful for Reid's new job, we are slightly sad at the loss of some great perks. El Pomar was always giving the Fellows opportunities to attends various events, which we able to take advantage of often. One last freebie we were able to enjoy were box seats at the BYU vs. AF game in November. (I know it's been a few weeks - I've been busy!)

It was so fun! El Pomar owns three parking spots in an upper lot right next to the stadium, so we drove past the traffic and walked right up to the press box. Lunch was a slight disappointment - we saw the Texas Roadhouse vans and were expecting BBQ, but we found stir fry with rice instead. Huh? Oh well, it was free.

This is a picture of one of our seats...

...which were on the front row! This is Reid and Genna standing in front of our seats, checking out the crowd before the game started. (Note the adoring look that Genna has for her father.)

Of course, Genna couldn't be without her favorite little blue puppy, Sammy. "Hey, what's going on down there?"

Genna spent a fair amount of time crawling and climbing around, which meant I spent a fair amount of time following her. She makes friends wherever she goes, and this day was no exception. Two ladies just could not get enough of her - they are clearly lesser fans than my mother. :)

Although we had to leave a bit early to get Reid to work on time, we were able to pick up the game on the radio in the car (we even got KSL, though it was a bit staticky). Yeah for BYU!!!

Stair Master

2008-11-29T09:48:00.003-07:00

I thought some of you out there might be needing a little Genevieve in your lives, so here you go!

Here is a video showing off Genna's skills of climbing up the stairs, with intermittent waving.

This one shows Genna clapping, and you can see her two teeth!

Twilight Movie!!!

2008-11-21T02:29:00.003-07:00

Well, I just got home from watching the midnight showing of the "Twilight" movie, and - of course - had to blog about it. There is just something unique about attending a movie on opening night. The audience has a shared excitement, and is always more vocal with cheers, laughs and applause.

Yes, there were cheesy moments and awkward moments; I was expecting that. But there were also funny moments and thrilling moments. Mostly, it just made me want to read the book again, which I suppose is what any good film version should do for a great book.

Some favorite quotes:

While the Cullens prepare "Italiano" food for Bella~
Rosalie: "Is she even Italian?"
Emmet: "Her name is Bella!"

Carlisle to Edward~
"Remember who you are." (Sound familiar?)

Even Stephanie Meyer pops in! Despite the theater filled with girls not legal to do just about anything, it made me want (for a short moment) to go to prom again. If that prom included Edward Cullen. And he had less lipstick on.

As a side note, I did NOT enjoy the previews. Most of them were for dark, twisted, graphic, disturbing movies, not exactly in the same vein as "Twilight." I even had to turn my head a few times because I cannot stand images of freaky children. Where were the romantic comedy previews? We need more love and less explosives, people.

Scentsy Giveaway

2008-11-20T23:04:00.002-07:00

Check out this blog for a Scentsy giveaway! The products look really cool.

http://phelpsfamilyfun.blogspot.com/

It's FINALLY cold!

2008-11-20T15:16:00.003-07:00

Today it finally feels like end of fall/beginning of winter, like it's supposed to. The weather has been so nice through most of October and November, and I have really enjoyed and taken advantage of each day. We've gone to the zoo and walked at the park many times. Two days ago, I went outside in short-sleeved t-shirt because the high was 74 degrees!!!

Although it has been nice, it has put me in a state of denial about the passage of time. I cannot believe that Halloween is over and Thanksgiving is well on its way. How could I, it felt like summer? Well, today, I almost believe it. It's about 34 degrees right now, and overcast. No snow, but still a wintry feel.

(Un)fortunately, it won't last. Tomorrow will be back in the 50's and then 60's next week. I'm really not sure if I should be complaining or rejoicing. I just hope winter doesn't last through June just to make up for it.

Congratulations to Reid!

2008-11-14T22:13:00.002-07:00

Recently, Reid has been complaining that this blog is really all about Genna. True. I've decided to try to blog about more things than just Genna - let's start with Reid! (Ironically enough, I couldn't find a picture of Reid without Genna...)

Reid just got a new job! We were not searching, but this job found him. Reid is now the Box Office Manager at the World Arena. His first day of work was yesterday, and I think it went well. He is already familiar with many aspects of the job and people he will work with, as he
spent a part of his fellowship there last year, and has been working part-time since then. Reid is currently asleep on the couch (didn't make it through "Super Nanny"...) after coming home from work at 8 pm. He works so hard for our family, and I sure am grateful!

Love you, Manager Reid!

Genna's Magic Trick

2008-11-14T21:55:00.005-07:00

Genna just inherited a new toy - a pink ball, which was rejected by her friend, Sammy, the cat.

She likes to do a little magic trick with her new toy...

Waiting...

2008-11-04T19:47:00.002-07:00

In honor of Election Day, Genna decided to wear her patriotic red t-shirt. Never mind her pink pants or my dirty shirt...not my fault. Despite Genna's patriotism, she will have to wait until tomorrow to find out who our new President is. It's bedtime! :)

Pocket Full of Sunshine

2008-11-04T10:40:00.004-07:00

My house is a little bit chilly today, but I feel perfectly warm. The sun is shining through the window on my back as I sit here and type. It feels wonderful. Memories of curling up in the sunny spot on the floor of our house in Texas 15 years ago come to my mind. I love sunshine...

(And yes, I took that picture. :) )

Halloween Fun

2008-11-03T21:36:00.005-07:00

Thanks to everyone who voted for Genna's Halloween costume. The Witch Cat won by a much larger margin than the Presidential Election, that's for sure! Speaking of which, we did our civic duty over a week ago at an early voting location. Even Genna voted! (Well, maybe not really, but she still got a sticker!)

This is Genna with Sophia, who is Little Bo Peep. And yes, her sheep are lost.

Genna did NOT love to keep her Witchy-Cat hood on!

These adorable 10-month-old girls were not as interested in posing for a picture as they were in exploring. At least you can see Genna's cute tail.

Here are Genna and I on the hay ride at our Fall Festival. What a fun day!

Eating Peas

2008-10-26T19:59:00.003-06:00

This video is for anyone who loves Genna and needs a little smile on their face, but especially for my sister, Holly. We love you and miss you!!!

Thanks for the Package!

2008-10-25T23:30:00.007-06:00

This week, I received a package from home - my mom and sister sent Genna a new outfit, and me two new shirts. I tried to take some pictures of us...some are better than others, but almost any picture with Genna is a good picture!

They also sent this beautiful pink coat for Genna - it's nice and fuzzy inside. :)

"Mom, aren't we done taking pictures?"

Thanks Mom and Holly! We love you!

Some Halloween Fun

2008-10-20T12:33:00.002-06:00

My friend shared this fun Halloween link - you get to practice carving pumpkins!

http://www.cubpack81.com/images/carve_pumpkin.swf

(Sorry, I haven't figured out how to actually make it a hyperlink, so you will just have to copy and paste. If you know how to create links in Blogger (do I need to change the html?), please let me know!!!)

Handbag Planet

2008-10-14T13:39:00.000-06:00

Handbag Planet is giving away one free handbag once an hour for 24 hours leading up to their October 15 Grand Opening. You enter your name and e-mail address and they give you a choice of handbag. Head on over and check it out!

My Halloween Dilemma

2008-10-07T23:47:00.007-06:00

Hello blogging friends, Genna here. This is my very first attempt at blogging, so I hope it goes well. I need your help! My Grandma Cluff sent me two awesome costumes, and I can't decide which one to wear for Halloween. Please take a look at my photo shoot, and then vote on the poll to the right to let me know what you think.

OPTION #1: Puppy Ballerina

I love the pretty skirt!
Here I am working on my 5th position. :)

OPTION #2: Witch Cat
Look at me prowling up the stairs. The tail helps with my balance.

Watch out Mom, I'm going to pounce on you!

Clearly, both are very adorable and add to my cuteness. Either way, the candy is mine (although I've never tasted candy yet...maybe I can trade it in for bananas?)

Thanks for your help!
Genevieve Isabel

Genna and Her Food

2008-09-23T00:55:00.010-06:00

Genevieve is really learning to love food, especially food she can hold. I love it because it keeps her occupied - she once chewed on an apple slice for more than 20 minutes! Here are a few cute pictures of her enjoying food.

Another new food that Genna loves to chew on is baby carrots. Usually, just one. This time, I gave her a carrot while I prepared my lunch, and left the bag of baby carrots on the coffee table for me to eat as a part of my meal. I guess she decided she needed two - one for each hand. (Usually she has a carrot in one hand and her paci in the other; they take turns in her mouth.)

Then, she decided to attempt to climb the stairs while holding both carrots. Why not? She's such a pro at going up that she needed a little challenge.

"Here I go!"

"I'm amazing!" What a cutie.

On this occasion, I was in the process of putting my lunch on the coffee table, so I could enjoy it sitting next to Genna as she played (don't mind the dirty laundry in the background). In the time it took me to walk back to the kitchen to grab my drink...

...she decided to devour my banana! (I had already peeled it...she's not quite that dexterous yet). She already knew it would taste good, as we have shared bananas before. When I discovered her, I tried to take the banana away, so I could break some off and give it to her in her high chair. She did NOT want to let go of that peel!

Here she is finishing off what she started...although I love that she loves bananas, I HATE cleaning them up. For some reason, I just can't stand the smell of mushed up bananas, especially as they get all brown and slimy...ew.

But for a few moments of peace and quite, anything!!!

New Glasses!

2008-09-11T21:08:00.002-06:00

My cousin, Jamie, helped me pick out these new glasses. It had been WAY too long since I had updated my prescription, so it's great to be able to see again! Genna and I were wearing matching pink shirts yesterday, so I made Reid take a picture. Aren't we cute?

Genna Olympics

2008-09-02T09:41:00.005-06:00

Finally, I am able to post this video! I realize that the Olympics are over, but this is my first iMovie attempt with actual video, so again - a learning curve. (For my first iMovie creation, search on YouTube for Chad's 22nd Birthday - maybe one day I can learn how to create a hyperlink...). Much of this video was taken while my Mom was here and we spent way too much time watching the Olympics.

A BIG thank you to Maryann who basically created this with my suggestions. Maybe next time I can manage on my own... :)

Enjoy!

Genna and the Mirror

2008-08-28T14:01:00.006-06:00

"I Want to Go to Narnia!"

"I Love Myself"

Spit Up

2008-08-23T22:58:00.007-06:00

Well, I decided I had better blog about this before it's too late. It's such an important subject, you know, how would you all live without hearing about Genna's spit up? :)

Let's start here, with her first spit up, while we were still in the hospital. She quickly realized that Dad was her favorite person to spit up on (especially during church...on his suit...)

Here is a beautiful close-up of what we loving call the "Spit Up Goatee." Self-explanatory.

This one shows off what happens when Genna spits up, I don't see it right away, and she decides to crawl right through it. All of her clothes now have black tummies. At least she is smiling!

Here is the evidence, when I did catch her before finger-painting in it.

And, last but certainly not least, the evolution of spit up. Anyone want to guess what she had for lunch?

I Feel Pretty...

2008-08-12T09:25:00.006-06:00

Oh so pretty! These are some cute pictures of Genevieve in a new onesie from her Aunt Holly. In case you can't read it, it says: "This is my little black dress."

I decided to complete her outfit with a pink headband, some stick-on earrings, and a sparkly purse.

"Mom, can I eat my purse?"

Thanks Holly!

Taste of Fall

2008-08-08T09:07:00.004-06:00

This summer has been quite hot, especially with no air conditioner or swamp cooler...and we are missing quite a few screens, which makes it difficult to keep the windows open for a breeze. I had assumed that August would be hotter than July, so all through last month, I kept thinking - how are we going to survive?

Well, I am happy to say that I was wrong! After some research online, I discovered that July had higher temperatures than August last year. That pattern seems to be true this year as well: the next ten days are forecasted in the high 70's to mid 80's. Yesterday, it only got up to 70! (It was a cloudy and rainy day.) It was so interesting to feel cold...it reminded me that summer is drawing to a close, and that before I know it - fall (which is my FAVORITE season) will arrive!

I know that there will still be some hot days to come, but I believe the worst is over. I am ready to appreciate the end of summer, and prepare myself to enjoy a beautiful fall.

First taste of yummy...

2008-08-05T22:04:00.004-06:00

These are two fun videos of Genna's first tastes of real food - strawberries and rice cereal. This first one was taken when we were eating dinner at the Cluff's home, and Reid let Genna suck on a strawberry. (I later read that it's a good idea to hold off on the berries...oh well, she didn't die.) Reid kept pulling it out to make sure that she hadn't bit off a piece, but she kept grabbing Reid's hand and pulling it back!

This second one is Genna's first taste of rice cereal. It's so fun to see the confused look on her face - what is this stuff?

BBQ in the Canyon...my favorite!!!

2008-07-28T09:03:00.003-06:00

This is always one of my favorite things to do when we go home to Utah - spend time up in the canyon. It is so beautiful, and so accessible. True, we have mountains here in Colorado, but I have yet to find an easily accessible canyon that is 15 away from my house. This picture shows what it is all about - smores! More pictures can by found on our Picasa web album: picasaweb.google.com/reidcluff.

Becki's Wedding

2008-07-27T19:40:00.005-06:00

On Tuesday, June 24, we were blessed to witness the sealing of two friends - Becki Merkley and Seth Nelson. Reid and I went to high school with Becki and Seth; I was in choir with Becki and Reid played in the jazz band with Seth. They chose to be married in the Manti, Utah temple, which is beautiful! We were so happy to be a part of their special day.

While Reid and I were at the sealing, Reid's dad walked around with Genna. They had a great time, as you can tell by their big smiles!

Becki had a little adventure after she and Seth came out...her zipper popped!!! We quickly ran inside where her mom used a plethora of safety pins to "stick" her back together. :)

We will always be grateful to Becki for introducing us to each other on the first day of our senior year of high school, which eventually led to our marriage. Thanks Becki; congratulations on your wedding, and many happy years ahead for you and Seth!

Catch Up Posts

2008-07-27T18:24:00.002-06:00

Well, here we go. Reid and I have a long list of things that we'd like to blog about. We've also tried to "prettify" our blog, and make it more unique. It has been a little challenging as we try to figure out a lot of new things at once: blogspot, custom backgrounds, iPhoto. Add to that Genna, who always seems to want to be in my lap these days (such as now) which leads to one-handed typing, and you can sense my discouragement.

BUT - I will overcome!!! I am determined to make it through the learning curve, and come out with a beautiful, informative blog filled with pictures. :) Let's go!

Four Generation Picture

2008-07-06T21:14:00.003-06:00

The first part of our trip to Utah was spent in Paragonah visiting my grandparents. While we were there, we took the opportunity to take a four-generation picture: Grandma Isabel Free, Mom Marilee Nelson, me Rebecca Cluff and Baby Genevieve Isabel. I've included a few pictures, since I couldn't pick one. Since we had three wonderful men taking pictures (Grandpa, Dad and Reid), we didn't end up with a shot that had all of us looking at the same camera. If Dad or Grandpa have a better picture, please send it our way!

Try again...

2008-06-03T09:53:00.004-06:00

Well, let's hope this one works. See previous post for description. Below is another video we made of Genna, also cute but with more slobber. :) It's a bit longer, but the classical music in the background makes it more dramatic.

Happy Genna

2008-06-03T09:51:00.001-06:00

I am trying a new way to post a video (through Picasa), so I hope this works. This is just to prove to you that Genna is happy and has suffered no permanent damage from her five seconds in the fridge. The first time that we put Genna in her high chair, she kept chewing on the edge of the tray. We thought it was so funny, so we tried to take a video of her doing it. She almost does it once or twice, but decided just to be happy and cute. I haven't seen her chew on the tray since then. I hope you enjoy this!

Rebecca

How did I end up here?

2008-05-22T21:42:00.004-06:00

"How did I end up in the refrigerator? I only fell asleep for a minute and I woke up in here."

Well, don't any of you worry, we didn't actually put her in the refrigerator for very long. It was only a second so that we could take the picture. But hey, what's the point of having a baby if you can't put them in weird situations and record it for later in life as blackmail? Some of you may be wondering how we even thought of this idea. Good question. It all happend so fast. We were making dinner, the refrigerator dooor was open, and there just happend to be a spot that was perfectly Genna-sized. One thing led to another and next thing we knew, there was a camera and she was having a photo shoot. And what better place to be than with food? So there you have it, studies have shown that babies who pose in weird places in the first year have higher IQs. That means Genna is going to have the highest IQ of her generation, because her parents have a habit of finding weird places and things for her to take pictures with. So far, we have laundry, laundry baskets, the refrigerator, the remote control, the phone, an iPod, and reading a book. Our quest will not stop there though, it must go on until our daughter is the smartest woman of her age!

Below is a picture of Genna, 1 hour later.....

"I guess I shouldn't have eaten so much chocolate syrup while I was in the refrigerator!"

The Phantom Mover

2008-05-20T15:27:00.002-06:00

She did it again! Today while I (Rebecca) was folding laundry, I set Genna down on a blanket next to me, on her tummy. So, I'm sitting there, folding clothes, watching Food Network, and I look over - Genna's on her back! I couldn't believe that I missed it, and I was sitting right there. Hopefully soon I'll be able to catch her in action, and if you're lucky - with our camera.

Genna's Secret Move

2008-05-18T22:54:00.003-06:00

I suppose it's my turn to blog - this is Rebecca. A few days ago, Genna got me really excited - she rolled over for the first time! She had been having some "tummy time" while I did the dishes. She used to hate being on her tummy, and would only last maybe 10 minutes and only if sat down right next to her. Recently, she's been enjoying it more, and keeping herself occupied longer as she strengthens her body enough to play around. Anyway, I had put her on her stomach and started working in the kitchen for a few minutes when I stepped back into the family room to check on her. I was so surprised to find her on her back! I called Reid right away to tell him!

I'm sure it happened just by accident, and she hasn't repeated the trick yet, but I hope she will soon. She sure is a pro at rotating while on her tummy - she completely rotated 180 degrees today, and moved almost a foot! I guess she just preferred the toys on the other side of her mat...

The Fall of Azula.....Finally!

2008-05-18T21:34:00.005-06:00

To the left here, you can see that even our baby has played into our obsession for the Nickelodeon cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender. Our cousin Lauren drew this beautiful onesie at Rebecca's baby shower last November. We are avid fans who listen to podcasts about this show, watch every week, and I (Reid) even have an Aang (main character of the show) action figure on my desk at work. Some people might ask why 25 year-olds such as ourselves are so into a kid's show like this. Well, I think we can blame that on our Free cousins in Arizona. They introduced the show to us two Thanksgivings ago. Ever since then we have bought both seasons that are out so far and we continue to watch the third season on TV. Recently, we just watched an episode that hasn't "officially" been released yet. But we have our sources online. The most recent episode has made us extremely happy as the evil villain, Azula, who has seemed indestructible until now finally went down. WE are so happy about it that we are now putting it on our blog. Is this an obsession.......maybe. But what a great show to be obsessed about. It is the best of Anime with an American style storyline and fantastic martial arts. Who wouldn't love this show? In case any of you want to get in on this obsession, the long-awaited conclusion to this season and the Avatar Saga begin again on July 14 on Nickelodeon.

Rocky Mountain Road.....Mmmmmmmmm!

2008-05-02T22:14:00.003-06:00

Today, I (Reid) am writing about ice cream. Yes, that's right ice cream. Specifically, the flavor of rocky mountain road ice cream from Josh & John's here in Colorado Springs. I have to say that this is is probably the best frozen dessert I've ever tasted. The real key to this particular rocky road is the marshmallows. Some rocky roads have marshmallow swirls, or possibly some kind of stale marshmallows that taste dry. Josh and John have done it right, the marshmallows are the perfect consistency just like you're eating them fresh out of the bag. They also have the perfect walnuts and Chocolate. Sometimes chocolate can be hard, but they use Ghiradelli chocolate and it isn't too hard, but makes the flavor of the ice cream perfect. These my friends make the perfect Rocky Road Ice Cream, that is Rocky Mountain Road:

1. Marshmallows
2. Walnuts
3. Ghiradelli Chocolate

With these three things you can make the perfect ice cream. Well, that is all, I just wanted to ramble on about my favorite ice cream shop. They also have many other great flavors like chocolate peanut butter chocolate chip and homemade waffle cones. If you're ever in Colorado Springs, or perhaps you live here, you must make it a regular treat to stop by Josh & John's Ice Cream Parlor on Pikes Peak and Tejon streets.

Blowing Bubbles

2008-04-29T22:34:00.003-06:00

For our first real post, (and one of the reasons we wanted to start the blog) we have a small video of Genna blowing bubbles. She has started to make some new noises and this is one of them. Sometimes she can entertain herself for several minutes just blowing bubbles. So here's the video, enjoy!

Welcome to Cluff Corner...

2008-04-29T22:13:00.002-06:00

Well, we finally caved and got a blog. Apparently facebook just wasn't enough. You're all in for a treat because we got a lot to say. Plus, like many others, we are new parents so you will probably get inundated with pictures and posts about Genevieve, our daughter. Now you can get a more frequent update of our family, if once a month wasn't enough. So without further adieu, welcome to Cluff Corner!

-Reid