Ye Stewart Clan

Moving Percy

2012-01-30T13:17:00.000-05:00

At this very moment the movers are scurrying around our home like ants, boxing up everything in sight. Having someone else move you is pretty awesome, but my favorite part so far is that when they boxed up Tenny's train set they accidentally hit the on switch for one of the toy engines so we now have a constant serenade coming from deep inside the mountain of boxes filling up our living room:

"Chug, chug, chug, chug, toot, toot! I'm Percy. I'm the number 6 train engine. I'll huff and I'll puff to be there on time!"

We're also going to keep huffing and puffing so that we can be there on time.

Our other kids

2012-01-29T20:50:00.001-05:00

A lot of the focus has shifted to the adorable little sister, but her two older brothers are still around and still as cute and crazy as ever.

Some recent Tennysonisms:

"Daddy, why don't you have very many friends? I have tons, so I'll share some of mine with you."
"Daddy, did you lose a tooth? There's a big space between your teeth where I think a tooth is missing."

Now that's just mean. Anyway, Tenny has really adapted well to having another younger sibling. Tait, on the other hand, realized right away that some of his allotted attention was being diverted to the new kid in town, and he's adopted a coping strategy commonly referred to as: "The squeaky wheel gets the grease." And boy does he squeak. Cute kids, and doing remarkably well considering how much is happening/changing right now.

Baby Julie - 1 Week

2012-01-28T22:57:00.001-05:00

Suzy: "What's wrong with me? I've had a sweet tooth ever since I gave birth. I just can't get enough sugar!"

Jeremy: "Well, you did just lose 8 pounds 5 ounces of pure sweetness."

Julie's Birth Story

2012-01-25T20:57:00.002-05:00

For three weeks leading up to Julie's due date I often felt like I was in early labor. I would have consistent contractions for hours and then they would just stop. Last Thursday night I had some consistent contractions before bed and I was hopeful Julie would be born soon. I fell asleep but the strength of the contractions woke me up at around 2:00 am. I felt like I was in labor. My contractions actually felt good. It felt good to be in labor. I had a feeling today was the day. I called the midwives and Laura was the midwife on call. She asked me a bunch of questions that I had anticipated, about my water breaking and such. But one question that she asked me that caught me off guard was, "Are you moaning?" Huh? Moaning? I was definitely not moaning. We decided I would call her back in about 30 minutes to give her more information on the timing and strength of the contractions since I hadn't even thought to keep track of them. Jeremy and I had recently installed this handy dandy app on my new iPod that helped keep track of contractions. We excitedly timed and analyzed the contractions. I called Laura back and reported that they were 5 minutes apart and moderately strong. We determined that I would call back when I felt they were getting stronger. I spent the wee hours of the morning breathing through contractions and obsessively recording them on the iPod. I called back at about 5:00 am and said I felt like it was time. They were getting stronger and closer together. I called my birthing assistants. The assistant on call was Mary Beth. We called our friend Elizabeth to come watch the boys who were still sleeping. We all met at BirthCare in Alexandria, VA, about an hour later. On the car ride there, we stopped by McDonald's for breakfast. It had kind of become a tradition. My contractions were definitely uncomfortable at this point.

And then we got to the birth center a n d e v e r y t h i n g s t o p p e d.

I don't know why. Maybe it was because the sun came up and I hate laboring in bright light. Maybe it was the pressure to perform since I had woken everyone up in the middle of the night. Looking back I think I should have ditched the iPod. It was stressing me out. Or maybe I was just sick of being pregnant and willed those contractions to happen. In any case, I left BirthCare about three hours later with no baby. At first I felt *really* stupid. I woke up my midwife, my birth assistant, the midwifery student (I will hereafter refer to them collectively as "the midwives"), my husband, the babysitter and my mom and made them leave their nice warm beds so that I could chill in the BirthCare bed in Old Town Alexandria. Giving birth is a lot of pressure. Pun intended - couldn't resist. The midwives were so nice about it though, and told me funny stories about similar situations that made me feel so much better and I left feeling guiltless. But Tennyson was really disappointed when we got back home without baby Julie.

Which brings us to the next part of the story:

A Two-Bedroom Row House + 2 Adults + 2 Sick Kids + 1 Woman in Labor = CHAOS.

At this point I ditched the iPod. I took a nap. I ate. I took a bath. I cursed the bath because there wasn't enough hot water. I cursed my two bedroom row house. I stepped over toys and other random household items that the kids were pulling out. My attitude was now, "Labor, meh." Everyone kind of ignored me. I mean, they didn't neglect me, but I definitely wasn't on stage anymore. When I'd have a contraction I would just stop what I was doing and "breath." But over time I did start noticing that things were starting to hurt. Like really hurt. It did not feel good to be in labor any more. But my contractions were really far apart and sporadic. I remember at one point I was laying on Tennyson's bed watching Tait play on the floor and I had a pretty strong contraction. I started moaning through it. I looked down at Tait and he laid down on his blanket and started moaning too. How can you not laugh at that? It was so cute.

I decided to take a nap. We put Tait down for a nap and let Tennyson watch "Shaun the Sheep" on Netflix. And Jeremy and I took a nice nap. I don't remember even having contractions during that nap. But when I woke up a few hours later I stood up and *bam* - painful contraction. That's when things started getting serious. I don't even know what I was doing. I just roamed the house in my moo moo, moaning and groaning through random contractions. It's all a blur of whining kids, crying, talking, etc. I remember loving my fireplace mantel. It was the perfect place to deal with the contractions, which now were uber painful and really frequent. At one point I was dealing with a contraction at the fireplace mantel and Tennyson said, "Mommy you're scaring me. You sound like a ghost." From then on I tried to use silly sounds so as not to scare the children. I thought about Laura's question, "Are you moaning?" and realized I was progressing way past moaning. So I started barking commands. "We need to go now. We need to call Elizabeth back. Call the midwives and tell them we're coming. This is getting serious. We have to go now!" I was in some serious pain and letting the more dramatic Suzy manifest herself.

Then we had a small miracle: in DC rush-hour traffic, we made it from Capitol Hill to the birth center in Alexandria in under 30 minutes! OK, the miracle might have been helped along by Jeremy breaking a few traffic laws (running three stop signs, four stop lights, and speeding the entire way). Totally impressive. But still, the ride was miserable and now I know why people plan home births (among other reasons). I arrived at BirthCare at 5 pm. It was so different from my arrival that morning. No salutations. No talking. No moo moo. Just me trying to cope. I was eight centimeters dilated when we arrived. Thank goodness. I wanted to get in the giant tub. That usually works wonders. I got in the tub at 5:30. And then I got out 12 minutes later. I was way past that whole tub thing.

At this point I don't think I was what you'd call "coping" very well. I was not really trying to breath through my contractions. That is probably because I was in transition. All the signs were there. I felt like throwing up (which I never actually did surprisingly). There was no where to hide from the pain. I did not know what I wanted except for it to be over. "Why do I do this to myself?" I wondered. I went back to the bed. I was hot. Then I was cold. I was on my hands and knees. Then I laid on my left side. This whole time the midwives were helping me and coaching me with breathing through each contraction. But breathing through the pain felt tortuous. I had been wanting to push way back when I was in the car. I told them I wanted to push. I went with my instinct and started bearing down. It did not take away the pain but it felt right. And then things happened really fast.

Ring of fire. I knew I was close. Laura said I was fully dilated. I pushed away. More ring of fire. Inside I wondered if she would be born in the caul. I got my answer just then when my water broke. I pushed and I remember hearing my mother say, "Oh she's got dark hair Suzy!" I remember the midwives slowing me down so I wouldn't tear. I remember pushing out her shoulders. And then she was mine! Her slippery, warm body was snuggled in the nook of my left arm. She was so quiet. She didn't make one peep. But she was perfectly fine. She was exceptionally fine in fact. Just really peaceful. She was born at 6 pm, exactly one hour after I arrived at the birth center.

We let the cord finish pulsating and Jeremy cut the cord and said, "You're on your own now kid," which has been his tradition. The placenta came a few minutes later. I was so glad the worst was over. I was so glad she was healthy. I was so happy to meet her. She seemed so small to me. She was the smallest of all my children. Maybe that is why it only took two pushes to get her out. But she measured 8 pounds 5 ounces. She was exceptional. Within minutes she was already latched and sucking. Great instincts.

We named her Julie after my mother whom I love with all of my heart. Anyone who knows my mother knows that she is patient beyond patience, selfless beyond selflessness and kind beyond all kindness. I have tried my whole life to emulate her example. I only hope I can be like her one day. And I would love for baby Julie to desire the same. If one human being could be that good, imagine how good God is.

Julie's middle name, Day, is my maternal grandmother's maiden name. And I think it also adds a certain cheerfulness to Julie.

I feel I have learned a lot having had three unmedicated labors. I feel baby Julie's birth created a bridge between my experiences with Tennyson and Tait, which seemed so opposite. I do not think labor was any easier or less painful this time. But I did understand it better. The language of labor is pain. It is a language I do not speak. But I understand enough to get around.

"Julie Through The Glass"

2012-01-23T20:12:00.002-05:00

The 1981 Mormon ad that we fortuitously rediscovered today (by reading this). Our Julie wasn't born in a hospital, but the cognitive journey portrayed in the commercial is precisely what we've experience with the birth of each of our children. When you first hold your little miracle, it's impossible not to focus on all the life that awaits her. This video certainly touched a nerve with Suzy tonight. The song, btw, was written and performed by Carly Simon, one of Suzy's favorite musicians.

Baby Julie

2012-01-22T19:59:00.000-05:00

Our Little Angel Baby

She doesn't open her eyes much, but we'll keep trying to get a picture showing her pretty, dark eyes.

Julie Day Stewart

2012-01-21T21:13:00.001-05:00

Born January 20, 2012 at 6:00 pm

8 pounds 5 ounces, 20 inches, Suzy's brown hair

Absolutely beautiful!

Suzy was amazing, as usual. Suzy and Julie are doing great and resting at home.

Julie Day with her namesake, Grandma Julie.

Tenny and Tait are so happy to have their sister.

Here's a video of the boys meeting their baby sister for the first time this morning:

More details and pictures to follow . . . after we sleep a bit.

The Brewing Storm

2012-01-18T20:26:00.000-05:00

Storm approaching Gunsight Bay in Lake Powell

This may seem off topic, since Suzy's on the brink of birthing our brand new bouncing baby girl. But really it's the main topic for Ye Stewart Clan right now. Why? Well, because there is evidently a correlation between a significant drop in barometric pressure and the onset of labor, and we're about to have a significant drop in barometric pressure in our neighborhood:

So, we're (especially Suzy) hoping for progress by tomorrow night. With that in mind, we took some time at dinner tonight to place our bets on the birth stats for our baby girl. Here are our guesses:

Feel free to add your guesses in the comments. The winner will receive the grand prize of a one-month supply of diapers to help you change our baby girl, plus free lifetime access to Ye Stewart Clan.

Hopefully we'll have wonderful news for our next post!

"WHEN ARE YOU DUE?"

2012-01-18T16:13:00.000-05:00

Now.

40 Weeks Reached
And Baby Remains
In Utero

No rush baby, but we gotta get movin'!

Union Station

2012-01-15T22:17:00.000-05:00

I think it's one of the most fabulous buildings in DC, and it's never more so than when it's decked out for Christmas. This year, when Tennyson saw those giant wreaths, he gasped and said: "Holy cow, look at those giant wreafs! How do they even fit those in their Christmas box?"

Supreme Court Field Trip

2012-01-11T22:45:00.000-05:00

Today I finally did something that I have wanted to do for many years: I attended a session of oral arguments at the Supreme Court.

(Blackberry self-portrait)

It was awesome. OK, it probably wasn't that awesome for the 50+ teenagers visiting with their high school class; they had fallen asleep on each others' shoulders within 10 minutes of the Justices entering the room. But I was as giddy as a schoolgirl (a schoolgirl at junior prom, not one who is being forced to sit through a Supreme Court oral argument). For an attorney such as myself, this is the big dance, and I loved it. Some observations:

1 - All of the Justices were super impressive. I did not expect to leave with that impression, particularly after having spent a few years in law school learning how to tear Supreme Court decisions to shreds. And I know that politically I'm supposed to abhor four or five of the Justices, depending on what side of the aisle I'm on. But I'm not talking politics or judgments. At the oral argument today I saw something that wasn't discussed in law school and never makes headlines: the Justices were incredibly thoughtful, very well prepared, shockingly funny and wicked smart. I watched with pure delight as one Justice after the other made comments and asked questions that cut right to the heart of the complicated issues and dismantled the various arguments being advanced. (As for Justice Thomas, who has been famously silent during oral arguments and remained so today, I was even impressed by him because he had the chutzpah to laugh out loud at the silliest arguments that were advanced -- his own pithy commentary, I suppose.) I had to feel sorry, though, for the poor attorneys who were left begging for mercy. Which brings me to my second point...

2 - The attorneys making oral arguments today were underwhelming and overwhelmed. Granted, the cases today were very complicated (which explains why they were before the Supreme Court). But the attorneys weren't ready for the tough questions, and it seemed like they were so blinded by the strengths of their cases that they had failed to prepare against their weaknesses. Of course, the Justices focused almost exclusively on testing the weaknesses. This led to a lot more stammering than I had expected.

3 - The Supreme Court building is amazing and instantly secured a spot on my list of top 5 buildings in DC (along with the U.S. Capitol, Union Station, the Library of Congress and the National Gallery of Art).

4 - Every American (who is not a teenager) should sit in on a session of the Supreme Court. It did a lot of good in renewing my confidence in the U.S. judicial system and made me feel patriotic, and it probably would do the same for you (of course, I say the same thing when encouraging people to go to rodeos, which also have a patriotism-inducing effect). And it's much easier to attend a Supreme Court session than I thought it would be. Sure it can be tough to get a seat when a blockbuster case is scheduled for argument, but most days don't have blockbuster cases (which you can verify in advance on the Court's calendar) and you can just show up early (7:30ish) on the morning of the session and ask the guard for a placeholder ticket. It's that easy. Plus you just never know what you're going to get: the two cases argued today (Coleman and Roberts) aren't going to be making any headlines, but I did get to watch Chief Justice Roberts read the Court's unanimous decision in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church, which is an important First Amendment/Religion Clauses case that is definitely making headlines and will continue to be an important decision for a long, long time.

Tait is part of the 1%

2012-01-06T23:04:00.001-05:00

In size for his age, that is. We love our little boy.

Harpers Ferry, WV

2012-01-04T21:16:00.002-05:00

If you want a fun day-trip about 2 hours from DC and you like outdoor activities, preserved old towns, American history, shopping and/or Mountain Dew Cake, then Harpers Ferry is a must. Somehow it took us 8 years to make the trip, but we finally made it (back when the weather was about 70 degrees warmer) and had a great time. It really is a beautiful place and there is so much to do (like tubing the rivers). The above shot is of part of the historic town. Below is at the point of the town, at the confluence of the Potomac and the Shenandoah rivers, where three states are visible (Virginia top left, Maryland top right, West Virginia bottom).

John Brown's Fort/fire engine house

This is one of those place we definitely should have visited sooner, because now we wish we could go back but it's not going to happen any time soon.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T22:49:00.000-05:00

In 2011 we resolved to: (1) improve our living conditions and (2) learn how to make portrait photographs. We knocked the first one out of the park -- sure it was the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs, a full count and the bases loaded (i.e., day 363 out of 365), but what better way to end the game than a walk-off grand slam? As for the second, well, you can't win 'em all.

In 2012 we resolve to explore: (1) the Uinta Mountains; (2) City of the Rocks; (3) the Great Salt Lake; and (4) Goblin Valley.

We hope your new year is even better than the last!

Today we bought a castle!

2011-12-29T16:59:00.001-05:00

It may not look like a castle to the casual observer, but "a man's home is his castle," and to us our new/first home is a thing of beauty. We are just so excited to own a spot of earth and that our particular spot is in the lovely East Mill Creek neighborhood of SLC.

Merry Christmas 2011!

2011-12-27T22:08:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas from Ye Stewart Clan! We hope your Christmas was as wonderful as ours was. Our family tradition is to kick off the Christmas Eve festivities by making gingerbread cookies for Santa, and this year Tennyson happily performed most of the labor and produced the best batch to date.

Tait was perfectly happy to gobble up the gingerbread goodness while sitting by the warm fire.

Kids make Christmas merry and bright. Whether they're listening to the story of the birth of baby Jesus, tracking Santa online or ripping open their gifts, they radiate excitement and their faces are filled with joy.

Being together as a family, watching your happy kids, and then shooting them with the Nerf guns that Santa brought is just a great way to cap off a big year. Thanks to everyone for the cards and gifts. Merry Christmas to all!

Someday, we would like to spend Christmas...

2011-12-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

...at the Old Faithful Inn.

Coolest log cabin ever, and who wouldn't want to spy on Santa coming down that chimney?

Happy anniversary to us!

2011-12-20T22:08:00.000-05:00

Nine lovely years.

We celebrated in the traditional way: roses, takeout Indian dinner and a late-night conference call. We hope to do a little better for our big 10th anniversary next year -- our goal is to celebrate at Hotel Del, where we honeymooned. Sponsors and volunteer babysitters are welcome.

Thanks for visiting...

2011-12-19T22:11:00.001-05:00

...Grandma Julie (pictured at Fort McHenry)...

...and Grandpa Jay (pictured at Valley Forge).

Over the years we've spent in DC, we've been happy to have frequent visits by family and friends, and we've made so many good memories together. If you've been wanting to visit us but have been holding out for the perfect time, it's not too late (though you're pushing it). And now we're looking forward to having all of our DC friends make the trip West so that we can see them and show them all of the wonderful things in/around Utah.

Tenny is Five!

2011-12-14T20:36:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday Tenny! We love you sooo much!

(Here's a video of some of the present-opening action, for those who are interested.)

La Famille Stewart

2011-12-08T20:38:00.001-05:00

All five of us!

Christmas in DC

2011-12-06T22:48:00.001-05:00

Christmas is one of our favorite times to be in DC, and we're glad that we get to have one more Christmas season here before our big move. For one, the city clears out and it's much easier to get around and to do the things you want to do without being blockaded by busloads of teenage tourists wearing matching fluorescent shirts. It's also a better time to be a kid in DC, because all of the enormous and stately government and business edifices (that are impressive to adults but boring for children) become wrapped in lights and garland and have out-dazzle-your-neighbor Christmas trees in the lobbies and around the grounds.

One thing we've always wanted to do is attend the Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, but we've never been able to make the 5:00 pm start time. Until today. Unfortunately, our good fortune today was the result of Suzy's bad fortune. The 24-hour flu has been making the rounds through our family and today was Suzy's turn (pregnancy + flu = yikes!). That necessitated Jeremy working from home and at various times extracting the kids from the house so that Suzy could get some rest. So we three kings took the opportunity during one of those banishment periods to walk over to see the lighting ceremony.

The boys were underwhelmed for the first part of the ceremony, which featured way too many politicians giving really lousy speeches. But, the lighting of the tree caught their attention. The tree this year is enormous (63 feet tall, 8,300 lbs.) and "so pretty," as Tenny kept saying. The boys also really liked the Army Band. Here's the video we brought home to try to cheer up Suzy. (She's starting to feel better, gratefully.)

OK, the video's too dark to actually see the boys' faces, but trust me, they were all smiles.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Autumn at the DC Temple

2011-12-01T08:23:00.001-05:00

Should I go to law school?

2011-11-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Having gone to law school and now working as an attorney, people frequently ask me some variation of: "Should I go to law school?" And sometimes I have conversations with people who want to go to law school but haven't really thought it through, and I tell them they really need to think about that question. My answer to that question usually goes something like this:

Law school is ridiculously expensive and incredibly risky! So you need to decide:

Do you want to be an attorney (and if you don't know what that means, you should find out)?
Are you willing to do whatever it takes (i.e., 20-hour days) to succeed in law school, land a good job, and then maintain a career in a field that is largely up-or-out (i.e., keep climbing or die)?

If the answer to those questions is no, then find something else.

I know several people (smart people, went to top law schools) who ignored that advice and will be paying for it (literally) for the rest of their lives. And there are tens of thousands of those people out there in the market right now. I don't mean to be a downer at all --this path has worked out well for me (so far) and I like what I do, but that's because I answered the above questions in the affirmative.

I bring this up now because: (a) I know a lot of people who are thinking about law school, especially as an option to ride out the tough economy/job prospects; and (b) I just found the below article by Vanderbilt Professor Herwig Schlunk, which I think realistically portrays the risks of law school and the prospects coming out of law school. Note that one of the realistic prospects is that you come out with $200,000+ in debt, the opportunity cost of lost earnings during the three extra years of school, and then no job at the end (or a low paying job, or a job you don't like).

*****

Mamas 2011: Is a Law Degree a Good Investment Today?

There continues to be an active debate on the question of whether or not law school is a good investment. I prefer to think of the question not in terms of “whether,” but in terms of “when.” In this essay, I conduct an analysis for three current undergraduates who are considering attending private law schools. I demonstrate how such individuals should take all known costs and all expected benefits into account in making their “investment” decision. As the calculation necessarily differs dramatically from one potential law student to another, my conclusions are far less important than my methodology.

[I]n terms of lost salary, the opportunity cost of law school attendees will vary greatly from one potential attendee to another. To reflect this variation, I will undertake an analysis for each of three very different but hopefully somewhat typical potential attendees. My first such potential law student is a college graduate whom I will name Also Ran. Also Ran achieves above average grades in a relatively nonmarketable major from a middle-of-the-pack undergraduate institution; he could have earned a mere $35,000 in a non-legal job. Also Ran manages to claw his way into a third-tier private law school (with a blended US News and World Report rank of 88th) and has only a poor prospect, which I will set equal to 5% in the current market, of landing an NLJ 250 job (i.e., a “Biglaw” job). My second potential law student is a college graduate whom I will name Solid Performer. Solid Performer achieves relatively good grades in a somewhat more marketable major from a better institution; he could have earned $42,500 in a non-legal job. Solid Performer makes his way into a second tier law school (with a blended US News and World Report rank of 50th) and has a better prospect than Also Ran, but still a relatively small prospect, of landing an NLJ 250 job. Specifically, I will assume that there is an 8% chance that Solid Performer ends up starting at Biglaw. My third potential law student is a college graduate whom I will name Hot Prospect. Hot Prospect earns strong grades in a relatively marketable major from a highly-ranked undergraduate institution; she could have earned $50,000 in a non-legal job. Hot Prospect attends a first tier law school (with a blended US News and World Report rank of 19th) and has a relatively strong chance, which I will set equal to 25% for purposes of my analysis, of ending up in an NLJ 250 entry-level position.

These numbers are bleak. What they say, in plain English, is that with the benefit of twenty-twenty hindsight, two-thirds of the graduates from Also Ran’s institution, four-fifths of the graduates from Solid Performer’s institution, and two-thirds of the graduates from Hot Prospect’s institution will know, as they are receiving their diplomas, that they made what has turned out ex post to be a bad investment!

Finally, it is interesting to turn the mode of calculation on its head, and thus directly confront the question of how much a legal education is worth. ...

[L]aw school is a very risky (and expensive) investment; it should not be entered into lightly. However, as I have already mentioned, and worth repeating again, each potential student’s calculus will be based on a host of factors unique to him or her. For some, like an English major (relatively low opportunity costs) who gets some scholarship assistance (somewhat lower out-of-pocket costs) to attend Harvard Law School (relatively high pay-off), the investment in a legal education is almost surely a no-brainer. Moreover, even for individuals facing a more challenging calculus, it may be the case that a legal education confers benefits beyond the incremental compensation that I have used to analyze the pure investment decision. For example, a law degree opens up many more avenues of potential employment, including importantly self-employment, than does a typical undergraduate degree; lawyers are found in all parts of the workforce performing all manner of jobs. Does this imply, perhaps, that some option value should be added to a law degree’s payoffs? If so, how would one measure such option value? And lastly, of course, a law degree is a professional degree; it confers considerable prestige. But alas, as I first pointed out two years ago, you cannot eat prestige.

*****

Which takes me back to my usual questions: Do you want it, and if so, how much?

US Capitol Dome Tour

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Back when Suzy worked for Senator Bennett she became good friends with an electrician who worked for the Architect of the Capitol, and he was kind enough to use his special access to take Suzy and even a few of our visitors on private tours of the US Capitol Dome. Unbeknownst to most visitors, there are stairs that wind all the way up through the Dome to where you can look into the Rotunda of the Capitol, and then step outside for incredible 360-degree views of the city. It was a special treat to have these tours because really the only other way to access the Dome is to have a Congressperson take you, which doesn't happen a lot. Well, Suzy quit her job and lost this access before I had a chance to take the tour, so this one has been on my DC Bucket List for years. The urgency increased with the prospect of moving away from DC. So I was super excited when my friend extraordinaire, who we'll call Reverend Parker, invited me to join a tour with Representative Bishop on a beautiful Autumn morning. It was AMAZING -- definitely my favorite individual tour in DC. The above photo is from the Rotunda canopy, which hovers 152 feet above the Rotunda floor. For perspective, I took the below photo from the Rotunda floor looking up, and the canopy is a balcony at the last ring of white just before the giant fresco in the middle.

And that giant fresco in the middle is Constantino Brumidi's Apotheosis of George Washington, which covers 4,664 square feet and is even better up close than from down below. This is what the fresco looks like from the canopy. If you click to zoom in, you'll be able to see the cracks in the plaster, which are there because Brumidi had to apply the plaster in sections so that he could paint it while it was still wet (at least that's what I'm told). The painting is so spectacular and detailed up close.

I took the below picture while poking my head out of one of the those pink coffers. You can almost see the whole length of the dome, with the fresco at top, then the canopy/balcony, the dome, and all the way down to the Rotunda floor.

And this is the Good Reverend Parker enjoying the view from the top.

Me, standing 250+-feet above DC.

The below photo, which I took last winter, gives some perspective on where the above picture was taken -- right at the top of the Dome, right below the pillars holding up the Statue of Freedom, there is a balcony ringing the Dome.

To cap off a perfect tour, we had the good fortune to visit the Speaker's Balcony on the front of the Capitol, which is definitely the best porch in DC. Throw a couple rockers out there and watch the traffic go by.

Awesome tour from an awesome friend.

Annual Assateague Camping Trip

2011-11-21T09:52:00.000-05:00

Back in October, before the weather turned too cold, we went on our annual camping trip to Assateague Island. Every night since our last Assateague trip (over a year ago), Tenny has prayed that he "can go camping on the beach with my shovel, bucket, and rake," and his prayer was finally answered.

This year we enjoyed digging in the sand, catching crabs, watching dolphins, and watching the sun rise and set (this sunrise was so spectacular that both of our boys held still at the same time for 3+ seconds - a small miracle).

It's such a nice place to relax and be together as a family.

And no trip to Assateague is complete without searching for and watching the wild ponies. We got to see a whole herd of them grazing in the marshlands during our canoe ride around the island.

One fun thing that was new for us this year was watching these little birdies run in and out with the waves, staying a few inches from the water, and pecking their breakfast out of the sand.

After the breakfast/workout, the birds would gather for a group siesta, with some standing on two feet and others on one foot. It was much more entertaining than it sounds.

As always, Tennyson increased the entertainment value for us and the birds:

Tenny's already praying that we can go back, so hopefully our upcoming lack of proximity won't keep us from this beautiful island too long.

Recently spotted at our kitchen table

2011-11-15T22:04:00.001-05:00

Tenny spinning a top

Tait sneaking a stray Skittle

11/11/11 at 11:11, Part 2

2011-11-11T23:11:00.000-05:00

Answer: Twice. This is more exciting than Y2K.

Here's another unrelated photo to celebrate.

Old Yellowstone Bus at Old Faithful Inn

11/11/11 at 11:11

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-05:00

Seriously, how many times in your life do you get to celebrate November 11, 2011 at 11:11? Let's party!

Here's an unrelated photo to celebrate.

Lake Powell Creosote, about to get a drink.

Ye Stewart Clan Starts a New Chapter

2011-11-10T13:40:00.000-05:00

It is with mixed emotions that Ye Stewart Clan announces that we are moving from Washington, D.C. to Salt Lake City, UT. Jeremy decided to accept a job offer from a firm in Salt Lake City, so in a couple months he'll start working here (the office building, not the temple):

That means that Ye Stewart Clan is officially looking to fulfill its main 2011 New Year's resolution by finding a home to buy. When we set that goal, we thought we would be buying in D.C. (and indeed we tried to buy multiple homes in D.C. this year), but now we're hoping to find something in this general area:

Specific recommendations are certainly welcome. This all happened so fast that it's been hard for us to process all of the changes, and every once in a while we just stop and look at each other and say: "Our lives are going to be so much different."

We are super excited for this new adventure, but we already know we're going to cry when we get on that airplane in a couple months. We've lived in D.C. for almost the entire nine years we've been married. We've had countless amazing adventures in D.C. We've worked our tails off in D.C. We've had two (almost three) kids in D.C. We've invested our time and energy to building our community in D.C. We've had our best jobs in D.C. We've made incredible, life-long friendships in D.C. We've played, struggled, failed, succeeded, and spent enormous amounts of time looking for parking in D.C. We are who we are, as individuals, a couple and a family, in large part because of our time in D.C. And it's very hard to leave that behind.

What are we most sad to leave behind? As of right now, and in no particular order: friends; the Capitol Hill Ward; the Capitol Hill community; a one-of-a-kind job; restaurants; Tennyson's school; unique D.C. experiences/opportunities (museums, sites, events, etc.); a nerdy majority; and probably the pace (though I'm sure that over time we can get used to taking it a bit slower).

Having said that, we are really looking forward to many things in our new life: more family; a garage; a yard; nature; a garage; outdoor adventures; a kitchen bigger than a coat closet; another good job with potentially better long-term prospects; a garage; and giving our kids the magical western childhood that we loved so much. We're sure there are other exciting benefits, but so far it's hard to think about anything other than the prospect that we will be able to pull up to our house and park in a garage.

We can't believe it's happening, but it is. So stay tuned for the next chapter of Ye Stewart Clan -- it's bound to be a wild ride.

Funny email from Suzy

2011-11-07T21:00:00.000-05:00

I got a good laugh out of this email when I received it a couple days ago:

1 - Email didn't exist in 1970 (and if it did, this one sure took a long time to find its way through the interwebs).

2 - Neither did Suzanne.

3 - Neither did I.

4 - Neither did the iPod.

5 - Losing your phone was just not an issue until the 1990s.

I like that it was a technology glitch that made me stop and think how much technology has changed in my lifetime, and how much it has changed my life. For one, we spend a lot more time looking for our gadgets.

Ghost Train

2011-11-04T23:50:00.000-04:00

Which reminds me of one of my favorite pieces I played while in the band program at Weber State:

(That's not my band's recording, just one I found on YouTube. Cool song, though, eh?)

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T23:35:00.001-04:00

Halloween is just more fun with kids, though nothing beats Halloween as a kid. This year Tenny was Superman and Tait was a teddy bear (again). Also, trick-or-treating in our neighborhood is pretty amazing because there's a door every 13 feet and everybody gives out the good stuff. Tenny collected enough Snickers in one square block to ensure that his parents can sneak a couple and he'll never notice.

Carving

Parading

Ground Zero Rising

2011-10-30T22:43:00.000-04:00

For years and years when I went to NYC to work in my New York office, I would look down from my office/hotel windows on Ground Zero and see nothing but chaos that never seemed to change. Well, that's all changed. Ground Zero is taking shape, with enormous towers, transportation terminals, and of course the fantastic new September 11 Memorial.

This is the view from my office window as the sun was setting.

This is the view from my hotel window the next morning. (The memorial is the area with trees, including the two dark holes/waterfalls going down into the ground.)

Here's a parting shot of the sunrise over the East River/Lower Manhattan/Brooklyn from my hotel.

Our Boys

2011-10-28T09:46:00.001-04:00

Tenny is our bug-catching boy.

Tait is our cute little snugglebug.

DC: Off The Beaten Path

2011-10-26T21:35:00.000-04:00

If you're looking for something new to see around DC, try Fort Washington National Park. It has a lot of history, there are lots of fun hikes/walks in the area, and it's a beautiful place for picnic.

Of course, as Tait quickly learned, it's all fun and games until mom gets super excited to have a baby girl, buys a bonnet, and straps it to her youngest son's head.

For additional fun, try the nearby (but less visited and less maintained) Fort Foote.

Vegas baby!

2011-10-24T22:54:00.000-04:00

As seen from the Hard Rock Hotel,

where you should never take your kids, even if you are getting in at 1am, leaving at 6am and just need a place to crash for $50. Trust us.

The Prickly Pear

2011-10-20T09:40:00.001-04:00

It's really not so bad once you get to know it.

(It just wants you to love it without touching it, OK?)

Family Picnic in Zion

2011-10-18T21:22:00.001-04:00

Our recent trip to St. George wasn't all wedding (though that was certainly the highlight). We broke away for a day of family fun in Zion National Park, including a picnic, short hikes, and laying around in the sun.

Emerald Falls

Looking up from Upper Emerald Pools

Tenny's favorite part (as always) was playing in the dirt/mud.

Tait's favorite part (as always) was eating.

It would be hard to overstate how amazing this place is. Actually, I was working in Columbus, OH, today and when the court reporter found out I was originally from Utah she went on and on about her trip to Zion and how amazing it is and how much she wants to go back, but I still felt like she didn't fully capture the majesty. Maybe it's just not possible to do with words, no matter how long you go on. Also, she asked me if there are other places in Utah that are as amazing as Zion. I threw out a couple ideas, but I would be interested to see what others think.

Chinese Developments, Part I

2011-10-09T22:46:00.000-04:00

Tenny's now one month into Chinese immersion school and he's doing really well. He thinks it's totally normal, and he's having so much fun with his new teachers and new friends that he doesn't even really notice he's learning a new language along the way. His parents are also getting over the initial jitters and are falling in love with the excellent program. One of my favorite moments so far was when I was dropping him off about a week ago, and as we approached the front steps he grabbed my hand to stop me, he gave me a very empathetic look, and he said, "Now daddy, you might not understand what they're saying in here because they speak Chinese here." Then as we walked through the hallways to his classroom, he translated for me what the teachers and administrators were saying to him (good morning, hi, how are you, welcome, etc.).

Of course, one of the first things they teach you at a Chinese immersion school in DC is how to count the amount of money we owe the Chinese. Here's a video of Tenny making it to 20 -- he's got a ways to go yet.

Counting in Chinese from Jeremy Stewart on Vimeo.

Congratulations Jared & Elizabeth!

2011-10-03T21:32:00.002-04:00

We recently returned from one of the happiest events ever: Jared (Suzy's bro) and Elizabeth's wedding! It was such a beautiful day in St. George, and everybody was looking top-notch.

Watch out ladies!

We really would have liked to snap more photos of the beautiful event, but we were busy dealing with this for a large portion of the day:

We came out with two decent pictures of the beautiful bride and the handsome groom, plus a lot of wonderful memories.

The above photo is of Elizabeth surprising Jared with a lovely rendition of Pachelbel's Canon during the luncheon. Below, Jared looks on and wonders how he got so lucky.

Mozel tov, you crazy kids!

Last Light at Gunsight

2011-09-25T22:45:00.000-04:00

Lemonade Stand

2011-09-20T21:44:00.000-04:00

Tennyson recently decided he wanted to embark on his first entrepreneurial adventure -- a lemonade stand. Holding to Grandpa Ross's first rule of retail ("The business of retail is detail!), Tenny insisted on serving fresh-squeezed, homemade lemonade. So Suzy took him to the store to buy about 20 pounds of lemons and about 25 pounds of sugar, and then we spent a Sunday evening squeezing, boiling, stirring and chilling.

The next day, Tennyson set up shop and waited for the money to roll in.

Business was pretty slow at first,

but Tenny was confident in his product and was sure the customers would find him because he had also adhered to Grandpa Ross's second rule of retail ("Location! Location! Location!").

And sure enough, the customers began showing up.

Before long, word had spread and the crowds were swarming Tenny's now-famous lemonade stand. Tennyson passed cups of delicious, chilled lemonade as fast as he could,

collected payment,

and counted out the change.

He even dealt with the tougher customers in a polite and professional manner.

In the end, Tennyson made off with $6.85. (His parents suffered a net loss, though it was definitely worth it.)

Also, we really liked the lemonade, so we thought we would share the recipe for anyone needing an end-of-summer swig. Enjoy!

Homemade Lemonade

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup boing water

Boil then add remaining ingredients

2 teaspoons zested lemon rind

1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice

5 cups cold water

Chill 8 hours. Strain out lemon rind (if desired). Garnish with lemon slices.

(Recipe courtesy of Karen Tait, Enterprise chef extraordinaire.)

Grand Teton National Park

2011-09-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

View from the aptly-named Grand View Point.

These boys are sooo cute...

2011-09-11T23:56:00.001-04:00

...together!

Tenny is such a good big brother, and he's always looking out for Taiters and helping him have fun. Taiters is always following Tenny around and trying to imitate whatever he sees Tenny doing. It makes us really happy that they love each other so much.

First Day of School

2011-09-07T01:17:00.000-04:00

Tennyson has been asking us for many days, "Do I start school tomorrow?" Well, tomorrow finally arrived and today was the big day. Tennyson insisted on picking out his own outfit, and he went straight for the "rocker shirt."

It was mostly a big deal for his parents. Allow us to describe the feeling that parents get when they drop off their child at Chinese immersion school for the first time: "Oh crap!" No, really. When we walked in the door for the first time, suddenly all of these kind but completely Chinese teachers started speaking to him and us in Chinese (no English is allowed from day one), and we realized we had no idea what they were saying. And then we realized Tennyson had no idea what they were saying. And then we realized Tennyson would be spending the whole day with these people, and then five days a week for then next nine months, and then..... YIKES!

But Tenny was just excited to be a big boy attending his big (and brand new) school, to have his very own locker, and to hang out with kids his age. Daddy was reluctant to leave, Suzy cried (no really), and Tennyson didn't even notice we were leaving because he was too busy playing with one of his new teachers.

Thoughts after day one: so far so good. Tennyson spent most of the evening chasing us around the house with a red oven mitt, and every time he hit us with it yelling "hongse! hongse!," which apparently means "red" in Chinese. We assume his homework wasn't to hit his parents with red objects, but there's really no way for us to find out. Then when we asked Tenny what he learned in school today, he broke out in song: "honkinisho pah pah," after which he added: "or some silly Chinese song like that."

We really hope Tennyson keeps having fun and acting like this is no big deal - it's about the only thing keeping his parents from freaking out right now.

Operation Desert Storm

2011-09-02T01:47:00.000-04:00

Taken just off I-15, somewhere near Scipio, UT. I took the shot while Suzy fended off a crazy lady who was yelling at her because I had hopped a fence onto private property (to avoid getting the power lines in the picture). It wasn't even her property, so Suzy told her to either go away or call the police. Luckily she chose the former. In the end, I took only pictures and left only footprints, so no harm no foul, right? Also, we think the West is really, really gorgeous.

There is a lot of cool stuff...

2011-08-29T21:02:00.001-04:00

...in the Udvar-Hazy National Air and Space Museum out by Dulles airport. Like:

The Space Shuttle Enterprise

A Concorde Jet

Lots of Cool Helicopters

The Flying Cloud (should be called the flying mirror)

And the Blackbird

Yet Tait's favorite part is the open space for running around, and Tenny's favorite part is the astronaut diaper. Kids.

Happy Birthday to Sue!

2011-08-28T21:53:00.000-04:00

Still getting better with age.

We love you momma!

Our Cuddly Little Taiter Bear

2011-08-25T23:10:00.001-04:00

Don't grow up! We just want to hug you and squeeze you and kiss those chubby cheeks forever!

DC Earthquake - 5.9 and Feeling Fine

2011-08-23T17:40:00.000-04:00

DC is a city of drama and discord, and today was no exception. We haven't reached agreement yet on whether it was a "major earthquake" or a "small earthquake." Personally, I like Tennyson's description:

It was like a 250-foot elephant lifting the whole world! First, we were in Target eating. Then we were in the toilet paper aisle. I was hiding in the toilet paper. Suddenly, something shook and then the ceiling started falling down and some things started falling off the shelves. Everyone was getting out as fast as they could. I didn't know what to do. But we ran out too and made a plan. It was annoying. It was an annoying earthquake.

(We're all OK -- thanks for all the calls, texts, emails, etc.)

Breaking: Exclusive Interview with Tennyson Jay

2011-08-21T21:59:00.002-04:00

Q: What is your favorite color?

A: All of the colors.

Q: What is your favorite food?

A: Hey, get away spider. Get away! Get away! Um, corn.

Q: Where is your favorite place to go on vacation?

A: I like to go to Lake Powell.

Q: What do you like doing at Lake Powell?

A: Lizards.

Q: Lizards what?

A: Lizards on the rocks, remember? Remember dad? I like catching lizards.

Q: What is your favorite toy?

A: Um, I like you.

Q: But what is your favorite toy?

A: Um, um, bristle blocks.

Q: What do you like building with your bristle blocks?

A: Anything that I like to build. Anything that I want.

Q: When do you start school?

A: I’m not starting school.

Q: Ever?

A: No. I’m not going to go to Chinese immersion school.

Q: Why not?

A: Because, I don’t think it’s fun.

Q: What is your position with regard to nuclear waste disposal at Yucca Mountain?

A: What’s that question?

Q: Nevermind. What is your favorite book?

A: Curious George and the New Nephites.

Q: What is your favorite movie?

A: Not Matilda. I don’t like the baseball one [The Sandlot] or the witch one [Matilda].

Q: If you could be any animal, what animal would you be?

A: Are dinosaurs animals?

Q: Yes.

A: I would be a T-Rex.

Q: Why?

A: Because they’re big.

Q: Who is the current President of the United States?

A: Um, that’s not a fun thing for kids.

Q: Who is stronger....?

A: Daddy.

Q: Wait, let me finish my question. Ok, who is stronger: an elephant or a lion?

A: Elephant.

Q: What is faster: Tennyson or a rhinoceros?

A: Tenny.

Q: What is your favorite animal in the zoo?

A: Um, the hippopotamus pooping.

Q: What is scarier: a komodo dragon or a crocodile?

A: Both of them.

Q: Who are you going to marry?

A: Alexa.

Q: When?

A: When we’re older.

Q: Where?

A: In the temple.

Q: Which would you rather eat: stinky socks or pigeon feet?

A: None of them.

Q: Who is better looking: mommy or daddy?

A: I would say both of you.

Q: Which is better: baseball or soccer?

A: Soccer.

Q: Would you rather meet Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny?

A: The Easter Bunny.

Q: What is the scariest thing in the whole world?

A: I know - spiders.

Q: What should we name your new baby sister?

A: Um, Spider Rain Stewart.

Q: If you could have any animal for a pet, what would it be?

A: A puffer fish.

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?

A: Like you.

Q: What job do you want to have?

A: I want to help you do your work.

Q: Do you want to be a lawyer?

A: Yea.

Q: Do you like this picture of you?

A: No way.

We're having a . . .

2011-08-18T13:03:00.000-04:00

A Perfect Night at Lake Powell

2011-08-17T20:26:00.000-04:00

Spectacular landscape, beautiful sunset, desert storm -- it was a photography enthusiast's dream. I'm still sorting through about 200 photos from this night alone. Unfortunately I missed the best light (yes, it got even better) because that storm eventually hit us and snapped the ropes holding our houseboat in place, and I was forced to make myself useful. It was great while it lasted.

Summer Vacation Part III - Grand Tetons/Yellowstone

2011-08-15T09:58:00.000-04:00

As part of our summer vacation, I got to meet up with my good friend Marc Gillet, le petit Suisse. Marc and I were missionary companions in Repentigny, Quebec, in 1998. Marc was visiting from his home in Geneva and everything fell into place for us to take a short trip to Grand Teton NP and Yellowstone NP for some hiking, rafting, touring and eating.

We had a great time exploring the backcountry and taking in the solitude, but it was also fun to participate in the more touristy parts that I had neglected for many years, like:

Old Faithful, playing for the paparazzi.

Stewart Family Reunion 2011 - Heber City

2011-08-10T09:47:00.000-04:00

Our annual Stewart Family Reunion was a blast, as always. This year we met up in beautiful Heber City, Utah.

We had so much fun that we forgot to pull out our camera. We only have two shots of the action: one of Holl taking a picture of the crazy kids on Deer Creek Reservoir,

and one of the fearless pirates returning from a great sea battle.

Thanks, mom!

Goodbye, Grandpa

2011-08-05T23:19:00.000-04:00

Lynn William Stewart

January 15, 1916 - July 14, 2011

Grandpa Stewart passed away while we were in Utah. We were glad to be there to attend and participate in his funeral, but we sure will miss him. We've expressed a lot of our feelings here, but we also like this selection from his obituary (much of which Grandpa wrote himself starting in the 1960s):

Lynn was born on January 15, 1916 in Ogden, the son of John Franklin and Mary Belle Wayment Stewart.

On December 17, 1936, Lynn married the love of his life, Reta Almira Maw in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They were married nearly 75 years.

Except for the four years he lived in Plain City, Utah, he was a lifelong resident of Warren. He graduated from Weber High School in 1934. Lynn was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where he served in numerous positions including the presidency of the high priest group, president and counselor of the M.I.A and a teacher in various capacities.

Lynn worked and ran a dairy farm from his earliest years until 1969. He also worked at the Amalgamated Sugar Company, the Union Pacific Railroad and was a Weber County School District bus driver for 28 years. He was active with the Agriculture & Soil Conservation Committee for 14 years and was always admired for being an extremely reliable, committed and hard worker at everything he did, the greatest legacy he passed on to his family.

He loved sports and played baseball for many years in the Farm Bureau League and the semi-pro Utah-Idaho League. After playing, he continued in baseball activities as President of the Farm Bureau League and an Athletic Advisor on the North Weber Stake Board for 23 years. He loved hunting and fishing with his family and friends, which he did throughout his life.

Lynn was an avid reader of all types of books, such as history, church, gardening and biographies. He will be remembered for the magnificent flower and vegetable gardens that he and Reta nurtured for many years to the benefit of their family.

I've said it before, but I think Grandpa's greatest legacy is the way he loved and cared for Grandma for 75 years.

Last Goodbyes

Grandma with her four boys (from left to right): Gary (Camille), Pops (Pat), Ted, and Kelly (Becky).

Not even going to try to name all these grandkids, great-grandkids, etc., but Grandma has a lot of people who love her.

I just liked this picture of Grandma and Tammie at the cemetery.

Three is a magic number!

2011-08-01T22:53:00.000-04:00

For those who haven't heard, we're expecting our magic number three in January! Tenny wants a sister, Jeremy is scared of girls, Tait is agnostic, and Suzy just wants the morning sickness to end already. So much to do before the big day: picking names, getting rid of our kitchen to make room for another bed, and figuring out how to play zone defense. Stay tuned in the next month or so for gender news.

Lovin' Lake Powell

2011-08-01T00:01:00.000-04:00

Not to be repetitive, but Lake Powell is pretty much heaven on earth. Seriously, look at that. To start off our summer vacation, Ye Stewart Clan spent a couple wonderful days alone on "The Rebel" (the Hurst houseboat, in the picture above), followed by a few more days with most of the Hurst family. We started in Gunsight Bay (above), followed by a few days in a gorgeous little cove up Face Canyon.

Tennyson was a great tour guide and enjoyed driving us around the lake in "Grandpa's Toy," a little fishing boat we used before the Hursts showed up with the ski boat.

We spent a lot of time relaxing and playing on the beaches.

And the boys ate a lot of sand.

Daddy became an instant hero to his sons when he dove off the back of the houseboat and caught a fish in a net...

...and renewed that status by teaching Tenny how to catch lizards and horny toads (Tenny later caught dozens on his own).

Of course, he instantly lost all respect once he got the family stranded on an island (nicknamed "Shipwreck Island") way up Warm Creek and had to be rescued by a strapping young Park Ranger (note Grandpa's Toy being left at sea for the night - a single replacement bolt made her sea-worthy again).

Tenny practiced and practiced his casting and got pretty good at getting his line out from the boat or the shore. He was a persistent, tenacious fisherman, and he really hopes to catch a fish next trip.

Tait mostly liked playing in the sand, getting sweaty and dirty, taking a dip to cool/clean off, and then repeating the cycle.

We're not sure if it's the heat melting away stress or the water washing it away, but we always feel better after a trip to Lake Powell. If you've never been, go now. If you have been, we're sure you'll agree that it's time to go back.

R&R - Rejuvenate and Return

2011-07-27T01:25:00.000-04:00

Our apologies for the lack of recent posts. We just returned from a wonderful, much needed vacation, and then our internet was down for a week due to the heat wave, and then we got super busy again with our lives, and then . . . . Well, we've got a ton of updates and some fun pictures of our fun vacation, so we'll start off with a teaser from Lake Powell, which is pretty much heaven on earth.

After a week back at the grind, it's hard to believe we were ever this relaxed. It sure was nice.

DC Metro

2011-07-15T07:12:00.002-04:00

So modern/brutalist. So DC. So delayed.

Zoom New York City

2011-07-11T07:41:00.002-04:00

Midtown

Downtown

As seen from Weehawken NJ

Air Force Memorial

2011-07-08T08:05:00.001-04:00

We looked at the relatively new Air Force Memorial for years before actually stopping by. But it's much better up close.

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T07:03:00.002-04:00

Suzy's Lilium

2011-07-02T11:39:00.000-04:00

She grew them, but she's not here to enjoy them. They're beautiful, sweetheart.

You know what we need? A camera that takes scratch-and-sniff images.

When you're not with me, I'm blue.

2011-06-29T01:18:00.000-04:00

Oh crazy boys, I love you!

At the "Pesacheake Beach" (as Tenny calls it)

Exploring the Allium forest

Fortune Cookies

2011-06-24T07:28:00.002-04:00

I eat out a lot. I probably eat in more restaurants each month now than I did in my first 21 years combined. Luckily DC has a lot of good options. The Chinese restaurants aren't my favorite -- I find that Chinese food is consistently mediocre -- but I do like the fortune cookies. It's nice to get a good chuckle and a semi-sweet treat at the end of a meal. Here are some of the fortunes I've opened recently:

Do not give up, the beginning is always the hardest. [Not buying it; in the beginning I was a kid.]
Someone is speaking well of you. [Someone is wrong.]
You will be showered with good luck. [I got this one twice. Anyone who knows me should be laughing hysterically.]
You will never need to worry about a steady income. [Suzanne rejoices.]
You will step on the soil of many countries. [Yes, to get from the airport to the conference room.]
You will be singled out for a promotion. [Since my firm has lockstep compensation, this must be talking about moving up from bathroom duty to kitchen duty at home.]
You are broad minded and socially active. [Stop laughing.]
You and your wife will be happy in your life together. [So true, though this is just stating the obvious considering I'm married to Suzy.]

Our Flag Was Still There

2011-06-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

Fort McHenry, Baltimore

Tennyson StewART

2011-06-19T16:40:00.000-04:00

When he's not outside, Tennyson really enjoys drawing, and the boy can manufacture two to three masterpieces per minute (he believes in combining quality and quantity). Here are some recent favorites, starting with...

Tennyson's Father's Day Card For Daddy

Tennyson included a lot of his favorite artistic elements -- stars, rainbow, heart, sea creatures, etc. -- into this one piece to convey more clearly the message that his dad is the best in the world. To cap it off, he added the element that says "I Love You" better than anything else: googly eyes.

Ye Stewart Clan Portrait

That's right, he even does portraiture. And notice that he accurately portrayed Tait as standing upright -- Taiters is officially a walking human being, which makes Ye Stewart Clan four for four on walking.

A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood (complete with row houses)

Tennyson's Self Portrait - First Day Of Preschool

Tennyson's Self-Portrait - Last Day Of Preschool

(Here's a bonus picture of T-Man on his last day of school with his outstanding pre-school teacher, Ms. Jennifer.)

And lest you think that Tenny's artistic abilities are limited to the paper medium, here's an interview with the artist himself after painting a different canvas:

Tennyson Paints His Face from Jeremy Stewart on Vimeo.

Sunrise at the Dock of Deep Bay

2011-06-18T10:59:00.000-04:00

Tennyson the Flirt

2011-06-14T00:01:00.000-04:00

As many of you know, Tennyson has a girlfriend. Her name is Alexa, and they've been inseparable pretty much since birth. In fact, we attended birth classes with Alexa's parents, the two were born two weeks apart, and they've been running around together ever since. Alexa's talking about marriage and growing a garden and raising pet bunnies, but Tennyson is having commitment issues (typical male). It's not that he doesn't love her (he does), it's just that he still thinks he's going to marry his mommy (typical male).

Anyway, we were recently going through the video files on our Flip camera and happened upon this video, which Tennyson shot during a play date with Alexa while mommy was upstairs taking care of Tait.

Tennyson Flirts from Jeremy Stewart on Vimeo.

Instant classic.

Boys in the Zoo

2011-06-03T18:31:00.001-04:00

Tenny's class had a field trip at the zoo that coincided perfectly with Tait's birthday, so Suzy decided to make a party out of it. Tenny got to see a "ferocious Komodo Dragon," Taiters scored a few helium balloons (his favorite toy), and Suzy captured this great shot (with her iPod) of the boys enjoying the beautiful morning. Other than Jeremy being stuck in St. Louis and not being able to attend, it was the perfect morning. (And yes, in our family we cheer for the underdogs.)

Also, a funny Tenny story: when the boys woke up yesterday, Suzy told Tenny, "It's Tait's birthday. He's turning one today." Tennyson replied, "Wow. That didn't take long." No, it didn't. About a year.

Tait is #1

2011-06-02T22:48:00.001-04:00

Our little Taiters is one! He's had a busy year of smiling, laughing, eating, growing, playing with his big brother, comforting his mommy, and being tickled by his dad. As of now, he's pushing his first tooth . . .

. . . and he's standing on his own two legs (does it still count as two legs if you have four ankles and six thighs?).

In one short year our little man has grown from this . . .

. . . and this . . .

. . . to this.

This is one awesome kid, and we're so glad he's part of our family. Happy first birthday, Taiters. We love you!

The Virgin River

2011-05-27T21:18:00.000-04:00

In the Zion Narrows. Given its size, some might not even call it a river. But it has dug a canyon 2,000 feet deep, and it's not done yet. Not bad for a little guy.

Withdrawing Our Candidacy

2011-05-24T00:02:00.000-04:00

It is with deep regret that Ye Stewart Clan announces today the withdrawal of our candidacy for the office of the Presidency of the United States. We had a lot going for us:

Tait's personality;
Tennyson's skills;
Suzy's gravitas; and
Jeremy's age (cool constitutional issue: Article II of the Constitution requires candidates to attain 35 years of age to be eligible for the presidency; Jeremy will not be 35 at the time of the 2012 election, but will be by the time of the inauguration; withholding our candidacy saves the country from the otherwise inevitable launch of the "ager" movement).

But in the end, our candidacy had one fatal flaw: you simply cannot win with these demographics.

That map shows the visits to Ye Stewart Clan in the last year. Even assuming we could carry California, Texas, Illinois, Virginia, DC, Maryland, New York and Utah (which is not inevitable since we would be splitting the Mormon vote, again), we cannot envision a path to the White House without a single vote from Vermont. Seriously, 49 states and dozens of countries, but not a single visit from Vermont? What's wrong with those people?

In any case, you'll now need to start thinking about your second best option. See you in 2016!

Oopsie!

2011-05-20T17:21:00.002-04:00

Oopsie! from Jeremy Stewart on Vimeo.

Enjoy your weekend!

Did I ever envision my son singing songs written by my childhood friend?

2011-05-18T00:10:00.000-04:00

No. But I never anticipated getting old and boring, either. These things just happen. In any case, Danny (and his collaborator, Michelle) wrote a genius children's musical, which we were lucky enough to go see in NYC, and we've been enjoying the recording of the music ever since. Tennyson loves car rides now because he gets to listen to "the butterfly music." And he's memorized the whole CD and would now like to perform a snippet for you. Enjoy. (And thanks again, Danny, for contributing to our son's happiness.)

Tennyson Sings About Butterfly Migration from Jeremy Stewart on Vimeo.

National Shrine

2011-05-15T22:45:00.000-04:00

The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is one of our favorite pieces of architecture in DC. It's big, it's beautiful, and it's got a really cool mosaic dome on top. We recently drove past during sunset and stopped to capture the moment.

We also almost killed Newt Gingrich here recently. We were driving past after services let out, and suddenly a man with a large head and a wife in tow stepped out into the road to cross over to the parking lot. I stopped, they stopped, we looked at each other, and I realized that I had almost killed the Newt. He was looking at me like: "You almost just killed the Newt." I'm guessing that would have drawn varied reactions throughout the country. In any case, the Newt should find a cross walk and look both ways before crossing. Oh, and he goes to a really pretty church.

We were recently forced to get a Costco membership.

2011-05-13T12:45:00.000-04:00

No really. We had no choice. But the experience taught us that there is one thing to love about Costco: enormous shopping carts with tandem child seats that can facilitate hours of entertainment while you work your way back to the produce section.

Thank heavens for cell phone cameras to help capture the moment. And also, we're really grateful to have boys who love each other so much. Here's hoping that continues!

Mac Store in the Big Apple

2011-05-05T23:34:00.000-04:00

In the city that never sleeps, you can buy the latest iWhatever at the coolest underground retail establishment on your way home from work at 1:30 a.m. Or you can just snap a picture of it and then walk away quickly before the pudgy security guard can catch up to you to tell you why he's outraged. In any case, this place is cool on multiple levels.

Eleven Months

2011-05-03T20:49:00.000-04:00

Just one more month until the warranty expires. But this one's definitely a keeper.

Deep Thoughts by Tennyson

2011-04-25T05:00:00.006-04:00

The other day we were in the car and Tennyson was singing, "This Little Light of Mine". He got to the part that sings, "All in the dark, I'm gonna let it shine," and then he stopped and asked:

"Mamma, does light shine in the dark?"

"Yes, Tennyson, light will shine in any darkness and make the dark go away."

"But mom, how does the light shine in the dark? Why does light shine? How does it shine? What is light?"

I was dumbfounded. I thought of Albert Einstein and how he dedicated his entire life to researching light. And all I could say was, "I don't know Tennyson, that is a question most grown ups don't know the answer to. That is a very good question." I guess I could do some research on photons, but I don't think that is what he is asking.

He then proceeded to pick his nose.

A Visit from Grandma Julie

2011-04-22T16:40:00.005-04:00

Grandma Julie arrived on a stormy Sunday evening, but she brought lots of sunshine into our lives.

The first day we drove to Annapolis to sight-see and we treasured the Chesapeake on a fun mini-cruise.

We basked in the sunlight.

We shopped and ate the beloved frozen yogurt.

The next day we shopped some more and visited some sights around DC.

Wednesday we ate with Rye-guy and Kenna and shared memories.

Friday we visited Ford's Theater.

Then we went on a mini-vacation to Cambridge, Maryland for Jeremy's firm retreat (or as the red personality lawyers called it, the "firm advance").

We had a great time and the resort was beautiful. This is a view from our hotel room.

The kids loved having their Grandma Julie around.

Their extremely beautiful Grandma Julie, that is...

While on retreat Tennyson got to miniature golf for the first time.

I *love* Grandma Julie's new do. I'm so relieved that I no longer need to worry about my gray hairs because, well, look at my mother! I'm one of the lucky ones who will get to go "sophisticated silver"!

And then all too soon the fun was over and Grandma Julie had to take her flight back home. We miss you Grandma Julie!

U-Shaped Happiness

2011-04-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

If this is true, oh snap. For those further along the curve than us, any thoughts?

DC Sirens and Sensory Travel

2011-04-17T00:07:00.000-04:00

Has anyone noticed the new sirens on emergency vehicles in DC? They sound so European. Every time we hear them (which is very frequently - we live near the "Beautiful H Street Corridor"), we instantly feel like we're in Europe and we get excited because that means we're going to eat good food soon. But then we come back to reality, and then we take another bite of mac 'n cheese (homemade, though, so it's not too bad).

It reminds me of when I worked at Chevron and one of my responsibilities was to clean the car wash bays every day, which I didn't mind because the car soap smelled like the streets of Jerusalem and I could close my eyes and think of happier times.

Funny how a sensory recall can instantly transport you to another time and place.

Fun new ways to view Ye Stewart Clan

2011-04-14T22:48:00.000-04:00

For those who don't know about this already, there are five new ways to view Ye Stewart Clan (or other blogs hosted by blogger). We point this out especially for those of you (hi mom!) who check in multiple times every day no matter how frequently we post -- this gives you some options for mixing things up a bit. Links to, descriptions of, and sample screenshots of the five new formats are below, and we've also put links over in the sidebar.

1. Mosaic

2. Flipcard

3. Sidebar

4. Snapshot

5. Timeslide

What matters

2011-04-10T20:00:00.000-04:00

Midnight in Times Square

2011-04-05T10:00:00.004-04:00

Shot just after midnight on a recent business trip when I was walking back from the office to my hotel.

Perfect 10

2011-04-03T22:54:00.000-04:00

Our angel baby is almost not a baby anymore. Ten months already. He's walking around while holding onto furniture, he's eating more than Tennyson, and his favorite activity (besides eating) is chasing Tennyson around the house while screeching like a pterodactyl. And he's forced us to be more social because complete strangers are constantly approaching us to tell us how cute he is, and "oh, just look at those dimples." (And it's evidently impossible to look at dimples without touching them.) The funny part is that there's almost an exact 50/50 split in whether people think he looks "exactly like" his mom or dad. We're not ready to call that one yet, but this much is sure: those are definitely Suzanne's feet (a trait passed on for hundreds of years starting with Suzanne's raccoon ancestors).

Flowery Apology

2011-03-30T00:17:00.000-04:00

Dear Capitol Hill Community,

Our son would like to apologize for picking all of your spring flowers. He just really wanted to give them to his mommy. As you will see below, you grew some really nice flowers this year. We're sorry you can't see them from your window, but now you can see them from your browser.

Love,

Ye Stewart Clan

Ye McFarland Clan - Lovers of Mountains and Cows

2011-03-27T23:26:00.000-04:00

Sure, we're part of Ye Stewart Clan. But on my maternal side we're also part of Ye McFarland Clan, a proud group of Highlander Scots going back many centuries. And it's amazing what you can learn about yourself when you learn about your ancestors. I've been re-reading a book ("In Honorable Remembrance") about my ancestors William and Margaret McFarland. The first chapter describes the McFarland ancestral lands on the northwest bank of Loch Lomond, and contains this revealing paragraph:

This ancient territory, one of the loveliest regions in the West Highlands, could not but in the course of centuries produce a race of men instinct with the love of the mountains and moors, and with all the chivalrous qualities which go to make the traditional character of the Highlanders of Scotland. This is nothing less than a fact in the case of the Clan McFarland.

I've long suspected that my love of mountains is genetic, as it feels as much a part of me as my arm, and it looks like that may just be the case.

Oh, and here's another uncanny insight into my character, as described in the McFarland history:

When times were bad they would raid the Lowlands and steal cattle. This practice was considered an honorable occupation, and they felt justified in doing it because they believed that at one time the Lowlands had belonged to their ancestors and that the people of the low country were inferior to them in courage. . . . The McFarland clan are reputed to have participated frequently in these raids. . . . Sir Walter Scott wrote that "The clan of McFarland, occupying the fastnesses of the western side of Loch Lomond, were great depredators on the Low Country and as their excursions were made usually at night, the moon was proverbially called their lantern."

And now I know why I have the impulse to steal every cow I see.

It's Spring! Let's Go Fly A Kite!

2011-03-20T22:59:00.000-04:00

We had four goals yesterday (Saturday): (1) buy cookies; (2) eat those cookies; (3) buy a kite; and (4) fly that kite. It was one of our most successful Saturdays ever, and, as Suzy said, "one of the best days of my life." We're too embarrassed to admit exactly how many cookies we downed, but we're happy to report we brought in Spring 2011 with a full day of exemplary kite flying.

We thought it would take half the day to teach Tenny how to fly the kite, but the instant we got it into the air he grabbed the handle and kept that kite in the air the rest of the day. Well, there were two exceptions. First was the time some amateur little girl crossed his line with her sissy Cinderella kite and we had to bring in the kite to untangle the lines. Momma-bear Suzy was outraged (see below).

OK, I made that last part up. Suzy wasn't even a little bit upset. But the rest of this story is true. The second exception coincided with Tennyson's first run-in with the law. He was minding his own business, flying his kite like a pro, when an officer of the law drove his car across the lawn at Gravelly Point to tell us that we couldn't fly our kite at that park because it's too close to the airport (DCA). Who knew? Well, none of the other half-dozen people who were also flying kites. Consider yourselves warned. Anyway, we moved to the notoriously windy Hains Point for the second half of the day.

Tennyson did a similarly stellar job of mastering the Hains Point wind, so we now know his early success was not a fluke. He's just a natural. This outing also changed the way we think about kites. We had always thought of the kite as being tethered to the kite flier, but now we see the benefit of having the kite flier tethered to the kite -- that thing kept Tenny busy all day.

Even Tait was impressed with Tenny's skills.

We're so glad that we can play together outside again. We LOVE the DC Spring!

Tait is refining his palate

2011-03-19T23:44:00.000-04:00

Because Tait cannot speak English, we will now interpret what he is trying to convey in these pictures.

"Mud is disgusting!"

"I can't believe you knew this and didn't warn me."

Crime and Punishment - Part II

2011-03-17T10:31:00.000-04:00

So speaking of Crime and Punishment, Monday night while I was nursing Tait downstairs I could smell the distinct scent of baby powder coming down from upstairs. It was dangerously quiet up there. Tennyson came down with the large container of baby powder. I said, "Tennyson I want you to take that back upstairs and put it right back where you found it." I didn't worry too much because he has not shown that much interest in baby powder since Tait was born so I thought he was past that stage. I mean that is so 2 years olds. Isn't it? When I finished nursing. I came upstairs.

Oh a couple dabs of baby powder on the stairs, no biggie. I got this one.

Woa. When I walked into me and Jeremy's bedroom I about had a heart attack. It looked like it had snowed in there. I could barely breath. It was so overwhelming I couldn't really respond. I took him downstairs and sat him in time out while I sat on the couch in a stupor of thought. This was right before Jeremy came home.

When Jeremy came home we both started cleaning. Jeremy got out the vacuum and I followed behind with a damp cloth. We cleaned for almost 2 hours. Tennyson sat in time out the entire time bawling his eyes out. When we finished cleaning Jeremy just looked at me and asked, "What do we do to him? How do you punish this?" This was one of the worst things Tennyson had ever done. He definitely knew better. It is 4 days later and our house still smells like baby powder. We thought about throwing away his beloved green blanket. In the end we decided on a week without television (or netflix or movies or any media of any kind).

What do you all think? Does the punishment fit the crime?

National Aquarium - Baltimore

2011-03-12T23:00:00.000-05:00

Several weeks ago I (Suzy) made a trip with Tenny and Tait and my friend and her kids to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Inside the aquarium was difficult to photograph because the lighting was kept very dark to feature the illuminated fish tanks so most of my photographs did not turn out. But below are some that worked. It was such a delightful day. Tennyson was in total wonderment the whole time and I was surprised at how much even Tait got out of the experience. Growing up in DC has given Tennyson an affinity for ocean life that I never had growing up in the desert. He has visited more aquariums and beaches in his 4 years than I ever did my entire childhood. I guess you could say we are discovering the ocean for the first time together.

Sharks!

In the Amazon . . .

Me, trying to be artistic. Did I succeed?

Dolphins really are magical. Did you know?

The boys loved watching the dolphins perform their tricks.

Dolphin Show at Baltimore Aquarium from Jeremy Stewart on Vimeo.

Taiters was bright-eyed the whole time.

The kids were super cute together.

We love the Baltimore Harbor, and this is definitely one of the highlights. Tenny wants to go back - wanna join?

Do these clothes make our kids look stupid?

2011-03-04T12:00:00.001-05:00

Suzy here. A man was admiring Tait in the grocery store today - he thought Tait was the cutest little girl ever. I told him thanks, but Tait's a boy. He said, "Those are girl clothes. You better watch out or your kids are going to get beat up. My foster parents dressed me like a dork and I always got beat up. You need to go out there and start looking at kids their age and dress them just like that, or they're going to get beat up."

Three Sentence Book Review: Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky

2011-03-03T22:17:00.000-05:00

This is the best novel I have ever read. Dostoyevsky's depiction of Raskolnikov's crime (murder) and punishment (I'm not telling) is brilliant, perfect, and gripping, and when he compares redemption to the sensation "experienced by a man who has been sentenced to death and is suddenly and unexpectedly told he has been reprieved," he knows what he's talking about. If you haven't read this book, do; if you have, call me.

Taiter Bear

2011-03-02T22:32:00.000-05:00

He's nine months old (and still waiting for his hair to start growing).

Planet SLC

2011-02-26T10:27:00.000-05:00

We're big fans of downtown Salt Lake City, and this is kind of a fun new take on it. One of the challenges in making these stereographic projections is controlling for the large range of darks and lights, highlights and shadows that occur in any outdoor 360x180 setting. In this case, the Church Office Building partially blocked the sunrise from fully illuminating the Salt Lake Temple. Oh well - it was a fun image to make, and Tenny and I had a great time eating donuts and waiting for the sun to rise.

Beautiful West Virginia

2011-02-20T21:04:00.000-05:00

Canaan Valley Creek

We're a few months out now from our fun West Virginia trip, and a couple things still stick out. First, West Virginia is a lovely place, in a calm and understated way. Second, we remain impressed by the number of vacant homes and buildings in the state. We were in a couple cities where at least 70% of the structures were empty and crumbling. One of our restaurant menus had a town history on the back that talked about how the town grew during the logging boom, shrunk when the trees were gone, grew during the mining boom, and then died when the mines were abandoned. We think that the area's greatest natural resource is its beauty (oh, and the music), so maybe it's time for West Virginia to have a tourist boom - and maybe this time they can make sure not to deplete that natural resource in the process. It is a great place to get away.