Some pictures, finally

I found Brandon's old soccer uniform, and being me, I had to try it on. I don't know what weirds me out more-- that it fits me, or that Brandon used to wear short shorts. Violet tried on her new outfit from Reed. Zara must have some messed up sizes, because this dress is a 6-9 month dress and it fits her at 2 months.

McKay spent much of the break crocheting a purple scarf with his painted fingernails. Brandon said about this picture, "Next week he'll be starting estrogen." Don't worry, it was actually for his girlfriend.

And this is everyone about to go skiing! I always forget how short I am compared to them.

Christmas, so far

We have been in Idaho for the past week and it has been pretty fun. Violet has lots of babysitters and Brandon and I have lots of things to do. Here are a few funny moments from the week:
-Jocelyn putting my boppy around her neck and saying, "this is a COOL pillow"
-McKay chipping his tooth while trying to chew through a wire
-Brandon calling him "snaggletooth" all weekend because of it
-Everyone painting their fingernails (Bryson and McKay included)
-Violet having her acting debut as baby Jesus when we did the Christmas story
-Me not getting to play Mary because Mia wanted to be the one to hold Violet
-Running into a snow drift and some trees while I was skiing
-Violet farting in church, scaring Jocelyn and making everyone around us start laughing
-Cameron thinking he has to leave the room every time I change Violet's diaper and refusing to come back in until she is all dressed again
-Brandon starting fights with McKay because he knows that McKay will always get blamed for them

We will have pictures as soon as we can find a cable for our camera.

She is crazy.

funny boy

Just so everyone knows, Brandon posted the comment on Poodle's blog about taking me and Violet to Canada before he ever told me about it. I didn't find out until Friday night when he told me on the way to our ward Christmas party. And then I didn't believe him until I came home and read it for myself. Surprise! We are going to Canada.

What a great communicator. I just love him.

bff

A few weeks ago I was talking to Brandon about high school and I kept thinking about all the fun I had with Jennifer. Then last night I realized that with all those memories, I at least owe her a blog post. So here are just a few of the fun times we had:

-photo shoots

-the time when we went to dinner on the riverwalk, and felt so devious because it was a school night and our parents didn't know

-going to Firehouse Subs and for some reason trying to hide from her mom on the way home

-being late to school because we got breakfast tacos (or something like that, I mainly remember asking for a tardy pass from her English teacher)

-dressing up as twins during Homecoming week, then hearing some guys behind us refer to us as "hot twins" (we were so proud)

-trying out every restaurant in the San Antonio area

-Film club, and every other club at our high school

-picking jalapenos

-Jennifer calling my parents "Sister Reed and Brother Reed" because she thought it was funny

-going to Austin together and eating at the Denny's Diner

-always starting our Spanish essays with "Hoy en dia"

-staying up till 4 AM the night before I got married to make my wedding cake

-going kayaking together and rescuing some tubers that were stranded

-learning how to sing "Jesus en Pesebre" with my family on Christmas eve

-drawing pictures and writing notes in our classes

-"Girls' Night Out" with the moms at Paloma Blanca (we are totally doing it again next time I come visit, but this time Violet has to come)

And so many more. I miss you!

What have I become?

I never thought I would be a pushover with babies. When I babysat a spoiled baby in high school, I sat him on the floor and let him cry until he learned how to entertain himself, because I thought he needed to develop some self-soothing skills. Then Violet came and I can't listen to her cry for more than 2 seconds. I walk her around the apartment for hours if she's fussy, I take naps with her, I let her sleep on me all the time, and I take her everywhere with me. Brandon says I spoil her and I tell him, "Baby 411 says you can't spoil a newborn." Maybe this is why I have no idea how people have more than one kid. I can't imagine taking care of two of these.

But who wouldn't want to hold something this cute all the time?

More on Thanksgiving

Brandon did a great job recapping our Thanksgiving break on his blog, but he left out the best story. After Thanksgiving dinner, Brandon's little brother said something about not being hungry anymore, so his dad told him to run around outside naked and see if that made him hungry again. So he did, in the snow. Actually, I convinced him to keep his underpants on. We caught it on video but I think his parents would kill me if I put it on the internet. I guess 17-year-olds just like to do things like that.

Things I learned this weekend

-Motherhood isn't nearly as limiting as people make it seem. I can take Violet anywhere. If it's loud, she falls asleep. If it's outside, she is too distracted by the scenery to care.

-I really shouldn't worry about looking like a mom because two sixteen-year-old girls told me how much they love my shoes. They said they liked how shiny they are.

-Fifteen quarts of feijoada goes a long way, and dad enjoyed making it almost as much as he enjoyed making Violet smile.

-If you ask for Mom's help, she does the whole thing for you. I didn't have to do a single thing this weekend.

-Violet loves her sling, and so do I. It is great to have 2 hands again.

-Brandon can sleep through anything, so I don't even leave the room to feed her at night anymore.

-Dad will do pretty much anything to not have to get a hotel. I still can't believe they slept on our tiny couches all weekend.
-Poodle is never satisfied. But since her birthday is this week, I'll post more pictures just for her.

Violet's blessing

Violet had a really fun time with Reed and Papa this weekend. She was smiling a lot for Papa (she thought his gray hair was funny) and it made Reed jealous, because everything is a competition for her. Violet has made me really appreciate the great outdoors because any time we go outside, she stops crying. It doesn't matter if it's 30 degrees out; she doesn't seem to mind. Only Cooper gets more excited about going on walks. Here she is posing like Hulk Hogan.

Today was her blessing day and it was great. She looked very cute for it, but her legs are so long that the dress looked more like a shirt on her.

Here is one of our first family pictures, even though Brandon doesn't know how to smile.

And this one is from the luncheon-- I have never seen a girl as excited to be an aunt as Mia.

It was a great weekend. Thanks for helping out, mom and dad!

Baby blue

Here are those big blue eyes that Brandon was talking about. She looks a little puzzled here. She is very alert. The ladies in the geology office always come and oogle her when we bring lunch to Brandon. They told me that I have to keep bringing her every day so they can see her grow, but I warned them that I won't be able to walk to campus anymore when it starts snowing. At least we can enjoy the mild weather for now.

Brandon is going on a field trip tomorrow, so we get to have "girls' night in" all weekend. It will be fun. I think I am going to eat soup and ice cream every day and go shopping for some non-maternity jeans. Violet will probably have no clue what's going on, but I can pretend that she enjoys it.

Right now she is starting to wake up from her nap. I can always tell when she is about to wake up because she grunts and farts. It's really funny, she will grunt and fart for about 5 minutes before she finally opens her eyes.

Help

If I cut my hair short(ish), would that make me look like a mom? Because I think it's time for a change, but I really don't want to look like a mom. Being one is quite enough for me.

Decisions, decisions

Brandon is starting to apply to grad schools. We could end up in a number of places: Houston, Austin, Utah, Colorado, or Wisconsin. Each place has its advantages. Texas is close to family, Colorado focuses exclusively on geology, Wisconsin has great cheese, and BYU is a favorite with recruiters. It will be interesting to see where we go, but ultimately I want him to go to whatever school makes him the best offer. Too bad it will be several months before that happens.

Halloween!

Our Halloween was great. We were in charge of a cake walk at our ward party and we won the award for spiciest chili in the chili contest. Since I wasn't up to making any costumes, I went generic and decided to be a kitty.

Today Violet looked really cute in her little dress. We tried to take a picture of it, but she was hungry so she wasn't being very cooperative.

And here she is as a little mummy. I can't help it, I just think she is adorable.

Two weeks

I can't believe that just two weeks ago, I hardly knew how to change a diaper or hold a baby. In fact, everyone was still calling me baby. Now everyone calls me mom (which is kind of weird-- I am only one person's mom, and she can't talk yet) and the amount of tasks that I can accomplish with one hand grows every day. Yes, I have come a long way.

Dance, dance, dance: part II

Today while Violet was having tummy time Brandon tried to show her even more dance moves. Here they are practicing together. If you can't tell, Violet has her legs and head in the air.

Outings

Violet had her first few outings this weekend. On Friday, we brought lunch to Brandon on campus. I never realized how difficult it is to push a stroller up a steep hill but I learned quickly. Brandon loved it because he got to show her off to his teacher and all of his classmates stopped and told us how cute she is.

Today we went on a hike in Santaquin so that Brandon could see some rocks from the field trip that he missed last Friday. Violet was good the entire time and loves her little baby carrier.

Here are some cute pictures:

Dance, dance, dance

Brandon thinks little Violet is tons of fun. He really enjoys dancing with her and last night he was making her moonwalk across our table. I laughed until I almost wet my pants and I took this picture of them.

So cute

Today we took Violet to get her bilirubin levels checked and decided to have her wear the little hat that I made for her. She doesn't look too thrilled to be wearing it (it's probably just her sad eyes). Her levels were great, though, so she doesn't have to go back again. She has been doing great. She eats well, loves to cuddle, and sleeps like a rock. We just love having her here.

It's about time!

Today I am going to the hospital and I'm not coming back without a baby. Wish me luck.

All lies

We probably all know not to believe everything we read on the internet, but during my pregnancy I have seen some REALLY weird stuff. I have read things from signs of labor to how to induce labor-- all seriously wrong. Here are some of my favorites:

If your poop is soft, you are about to go into labor. (Wrong)

A day or so before you go into labor, you will have a sudden burst of energy and start nesting. (True for some women, but in my case, Mom has done the nesting for me.)

Your baby will "drop" during your last trimester before you go into labor. (Also false for me. She was pretty far down there from the beginning, so I don't know how she could get any lower without actually coming out.)

Walking induces labor. (Walking only works if true labor has already started. Even then, it only speeds up contractions. I walked 5 miles on Sunday and I'm still not in labor.)

Accupressure has been proven to induce labor. (We looked it up and they claim that it stimulates the small intestine, which wraps around the uterus. In other words, the small intestine acts like a boa constrictor and squeezes your baby out. That made me laugh pretty hard.)

Belly dancing induces labor. (I haven't done that one, but I can guarantee that NO ONE wants to see me try.)

Farting induces labor. (I'm not sure if Ashley got this one off the internet or if she was just trying to be funny, but it hasn't worked so far.)

Polls

Congrats, I made it to my due date. Apparently this baby is not coming on time, so I put a poll up and everyone can vote on when she will arrive. The last possible day is next Friday, because the doctor is starting an induction on Thursday if she's not here by then.

Alpine loop

Today we decided to take a little drive along the alpine loop. The leaves were especially pretty and it was overcast, so it was a great day for pictures. We stopped at Cascade Springs while we drove through the forest. Brandon had lots of fun

My belly looked especially large

And mom looked especially cute.

On the way home we tried to bounce the baby out on all the bumps on the road. That didn't work, but we did find the hospital where I am supposed to deliver so that we won't get lost when I am actually in labor.

Birthday boy

Brandon turns 26 today. I have only known him for three of those years but with all of our adventures together it feels like I have known him for much longer. I'm so happy to be with him and here are just a few things I admire about him:

He has fabulous hair

He is a great brother (most of the time)

He has awesome dance moves

His sense of fashion

His ability to adapt to any situation

I love you, little Brandon! Happy birthday.

Shirts (first attempt)

Poodle showed me some embellished shirts that she wanted, so I tried one on my own. Unfortunately, the store only had black or white shirts, so I got black and the flowers are a silvery purple. I think it turned out pretty well, although the flowers could be a little bigger. I haven't attatched them to the shirt yet, so I can still change those. If Poodle likes it, she can have it. If not, I can make new flowers, or find more shirt colors, or some other small girl can take it. But I will definitely be making more of these; I think they are pretty cute.With one more flower (and some loose strings to be fixed):

Pillows

Here are the first two pillows for Mom's bed. I finished two more, so they are almost all done. They are in the crib for now because they match the baby's room. In the background is the dresser that I painted blue. I think it works. And don't worry, we won't actually keep pillows in the crib with the baby. We know all about suffocation hazards.

Diagnosis, please

I know how much mom loves diagnosing people, so I am wondering if she can diagnose a couple of people that I see at work sometimes. I'm not sure there are medically accepted conditions for these people, but there should be.

First, there's the guy who will only speak in third person. I am not kidding. I thought he was joking at first, but I have seen him at least 10 times and have never heard him use the pronouns "I" or "me."

Then, there is the bag lady. She wears plastic grocery bags over her hands and keeps extras in another plastic bag, which she carries. When she orders food, she makes us take the entire tray out so that she can pick the biggest one, and she will spend up to 5 minutes deliberating about which brownie is the biggest.

Seriously, I have been wondering about these people for a long time.

Sick

I officially ready to have this baby. I have been sick with a cold the past couple of days and I am very congested. Combined with the baby crushing my lungs, it makes breathing a real pain. It would really help out if she got out of my belly so that I can breathe again, as long as she doesn't come as fast as little Leah did. For now I am stuck deciding if I want to breathe through my nose (very labor-intensive) or breathe through my mouth (very dry and makes me drool).

What would you do?

What would you do if you had no job, no school, no kids, and very little money? That's where I am stuck right now. I feel like Mom, only I am in Provo instead of Mexico and I can't fly up and visit people every month. I am making a list of things to fill my time before the baby arrives.

1. Get a library card, as Fernash suggested. A good idea since the only books in our apartment have titles like Applied Hydrogeology.
2. Sew pillows for Mom's bed. The only thing between me and those pillows is not being able to find the perfect shade of purple at the fabric store. Life is tough.
3. Learn how to cook. Maybe if I start baking cookies all the time, people will want to be my friend. After all, Bexar is one popular girl.
4. Start editing our thousands of pictures. We have a brand-new computer; I just need to find someone who has photoshop.
5. Learn how to paint again, because after 4 years of not doing it, I really suck. I think I will start with the painting that Brandon started that he will now have no time to finish.

baby pic!

Here is the ultrasound. Definitely my lips and nose.

More on baby

Yesterday I went in for another ultrasound and I learned a lot about our little baby. She is super active (well, I already knew that) and she already has lots of hair. I was pretty surprised by that; I always expected a bald baby. She had hiccups, but she gets those a lot. She is still about a week smaller than she should be (they estimated her weight at 4 lbs, 3 oz) but she is doing fine. They had a good shot of her face so they showed me a 3D ultrasound. Brandon and I think she looks like me, so Fernash might have to stop calling her "Sad Eyes." I guess we will find out sometime in the next six weeks.

Did I say that?

This week at BYU is Education Week, meaning that tons of people come from all over the country to get BYU brownies (with the excuse that they are attending classes). They all wear name tags with their home town printed under their name. Today at work I saw someone from a certain town in Utah and I remembered that my mom's uncle lives there. I was about to ask him if he knew my mom's uncle when I realized that I would be saying "Do you know Dick Fagg?" to a complete stranger. Fearing a gross misunderstanding, I held my tongue.

Our teeny tiny baby

Yep, apparently she is really small. Despite what Ashley says about my eating habits, I am pretty small for being 7 months along. The girls I know that are due well after I am already have bigger bellies than I do. I actually lost a little weight since my last doctor's appointment and my belly is the same size as it was two weeks ago. I was pretty freaked out about that at first. So, I am going in next week for an ultrasound just to make sure that she is still growing normally. I am really excited to see her at the ultrasound but I hope she knows that she is not allowed to come while Brandon is out of town. I'm sure everything will be fine.

Cool weather

It appears that we are having an early fall this year. It rained all last night and all morning and it has been in the 60s today. It's beautiful! The only bad part about it is that our slip 'n slide activity had to be cancelled because it's too cold. That's okay. Time for me to start making pumpkin bread and soup!

Visits, plans, and more

I was lucky to have two sisters visit me this week. Fernash fed me lots of food, made fun of my waddle, and attacked my belly in an effort to make the baby kick. Apparently the baby does not like being bossed around, so she didn't respond. Bexar proved that her kids really are as crazy as she says they are and shopped for fabric with me. We also got huckleberry shakes at Arctic Circle. I don't care what anybody says; Arctic Circle shakes are just as good as Iceberg ones.

Brandon is getting ready for the GRE and I am getting ready for his fieldtrip. I made a list of projects to keep me busy while he is gone so our apartment should look great when he gets back. I even looked up how to make a banana face mask last night. I asked Brandon if he wanted to make one with me and he said no, so I will do it when he is gone. I also decided that our baby will wear lots of skirts because they are much easier to sew than pants. That is all for now but I will be sure to blog a lot when Brandon leaves because I will be so bored.

All done

Complete with bottle straps, a cell phone pocket, and a key hook. My head is cropped out because I am making a really unattractive face. I think it turned out pretty well, but the button kind of looks like a puzzle piece from far away. It was really fun to make, though. Brandon helped quite a bit.I got so excited about it that I decided to start another project, so I crocheted a little hat for the baby. Brandon showed me how to do it, but it was my first time doing a hat, so it's a bit lumpy.

Freebies

This weekend has started out great-- Brandon and I are getting tons of free things. It started out with free Cafe Rio and Thai Chili Gardens from Ashley because she is the coolest, free tomatoes and other vegetables from the in-laws, free baby clothes from Sheri, and finally, free tuition from Obama. Awesome!

Also, my diaper bag is coming along nicely. I will post pictures as soon as it's done.

Project/experiment

I have looked at diaper bags lately and came to one conclusion: I hate them all. I just don't like plasticky, bulky totes. The semi-cute ones cost $60 and up. Well, I foud this one online, but it's not a diaper bag. Still, I like it, so I spent this evening cutting out a pattern to sew one that looks like it. I will make it with heavier fabric, line it with something water-resistant, and make it a little roomier inside. The best part is that I can make it in any color I want. It is an experiment but we will see how it turns out, and I'll post pictures of the finished product.

Topaz Mountain and Dugway Geode Beds

We took a rather rural camping trip this weekend. By rural, I mean driving for hours on unmarked dirt roads that even Google Maps couldn't find and not seeing another car. Anyways, we started at Topaz Mountain. Don't be fooled; I'm pretty sure there are no topazes there. We dug for them for quite awhile and all we found were tiny quartz crystals. We had better luck at the geode beds. We didn't find anything spectacular but there were lots of little geodes and other nice rocks. I didn't do much digging at either place because I have a hard time squatting because of my belly. It was a fun trip, and we brought back lots of rock samples.

Geode beds

Topaz Mountain

Since Poodle and Fernash keep asking

I put an updated belly picture. Sad Eyes is getting very big, which is good. As for me, I really like the shirt. And the earrings (thanks, Poodle). Also, my highlights have grown out quite a bit, but I decided I kind of like the brown, so I'm not going to redo them. That's all.

Dear Mom,

I found a countdown widget that doesn't have a "creepy rotating baby." I hope you like it; it's just for you.

Work

Yes, that is all I'm doing lately, so that's what everyone gets to hear about. Apparently, not a lot of people that buy ice cream are very smart. I always get people asking for ice cream on a cone with a topping. I always ask them if they want it in a bowl instead, and they look at me like they are really confused. I guess they don't realize that toppings don't stay on cones; they fall off. I'm pretty sure everyone is familiar with the shape of an ice cream cone so it should just be logical that toppings do not stay on a rounded surface without anything to catch them. It is especially annoying when they ask for something like caramel or raspberry topping. One of these days I am tempted to just put in on there and give it to them and let it drip all over their hands and say "Well, what did you think would happen?" As Bill Murray said in What about Bob, that was NOT SMART.

Relief

It has been a little hot here lately. I know, Texas is hotter, but we don't have AC in our apartment OR our car, so it is pretty bad. I am especially hot right when I get to work because I have to walk there, and going up a hill when I weigh 20 lbs more than normal is hard. Then I get to put on long pants, closed-toed shoes, and a sexy apron just in case I'm not hot enough.

Well this week I had enough of that, so now when I get to work I come in a little early and sit in our ice cream freezer. It is about as big as our extra bedroom and it is kept at -10 degrees. Needless to say, it feels nice. Getting samples once in awhile is nice, too, but we are down to a pathetic EIGHT FLAVORS since the Creamery STILL hasn't been rebuilt. They are telling us that it will be running again in October, but if we don't get Graham Canyon back before I have my baby, I might just go into labor right there at the store.

So pretty

Sometimes Brandon and I go to Lowes and just to look around and see what things we would like to have in our house. I always get stuck in the tile section and stare at the pretty glass tiles like these ones. They make me want to have a house so I can tile a kitchen backsplash or bathroom. Or maybe just find a big mirror and tile the frame around it so it looks interesting. Oh well, it will be awhile.

Dear Poodle,

Remember those earrings that you stole from me four years ago? I really want them back. I get sad every time I check my mail and they're not there. I miss them.

Love, Shady

What has been going on

Last week:
Buying $4 maternity jeans
Not being able to sleep because my back hurts when I lie down
Driving to Idaho in 100 degree weather and no AC in the car
Going to Brandon's family reunion
Climbing up a huge rock; Mom would have freaked out if she saw me
Putting together our crib

This week:
Figuring out that if I sleep with a pillow under my legs, my back doesn't hurt
Wishing I could figure out a way to make my back not hurt at work
Only having 4 more weeks of work
Still not knowing how to cut my hair

In two weeks:
Brandon's little brother staying with us for the week while he is at soccer camp, hoping he doesn't stink up our apartment

Three weeks:
Fernash visiting, going out to eat with her, getting half of my food boxed up in advance because my stomach is so squished by the baby

Five weeks:
Brandon going on his field trip; me not having anything to do

Ten weeks:
My baby is full term! I can pop her out anytime after that.

Big long road trip

This week Brandon and I went on a trip with his family and his uncle's family. We went to Indio, California. It is pretty much in the middle of the desert, so it was around 115 degrees the entire time we were there. Brandon and the older kids were brave enough to go golfing in that weather. I don't like golfing that much. Luckily, I found other things to do.

At night I showed the little kids how to hunt for toads. This was the first one I caught. They were all fascinated. Playing by the pool was fun, too, and pretty much the only thing to do during the day. This picture is for Ashley.

I also helped Brandon and McKay grill some potatoes and hamburgers. McKay was excited because grilling makes him feel manly.

Also, when McKay walked into our apartment to pick us up he looked at me and said, "Look how fat you are!" That was great.

This week's events

-Having my whole apartment clean for the first time since we moved in (there was always one dirty room)
-Remembering Brother's birthday, which I always forget. Happy birthday, Brother!
-Buying tons of pastries because they were half off last night, and I can't pass up a good deal (mom would have been proud)
-Eating them all
-Getting two coupons just beacuse the student manager is afraid of me, and I made him feel bad about making me come in to work early
-Having a freakishly lumpy belly because Sad Eyes likes to put herself in weird positions
-Finishing a few sewing projects
-Trying to replace a zipper on a dress, and realizing that the dress is now way too small for me
-Getting our crib sheets delievered, but no crib
-Brandon finishing our picture
-Packing to go to California with the Harpdogs tomorrow; there will be a pool at our condo so I am excited

This weekend's new thing

Today Brandon and I decided to splurge and we went shopping for a rocker for the baby's room. First we went to Babies r Us, and the only fully upholstered rockers were $400. Even the cheaper wooden ones that just have cushions on them were $250 and up. So we went to a furniture store to see if they were any cheaper there. One store was having a big clearance sale and we found this nice, comfortable, leather rocker/recliner for $199. I looked at Brandon and said "I want it" and it was sold. Also, I promise my belly is bigger than it looks in this picture. And I think I need to get my hair cut again soon.

All done!

I took all of my spring term finals today, which means all I have left of school is a 1-credit class in the fall, then I graduate. I am so happy about that! Now I can just sit back, relax, and have a baby. Because after the baby comes, there will be no more relaxing. Ever.

Today we went and got fabric for the baby's room. We tried to do that on Monday, but when I found out that the fabric I wanted cost too much, I started crying and we had to leave. That is how hormonal I am these days. Believe me, it's not fun.

We are bold

Well, at least when it comes to colors. Here are some of the projects we have been working on the last few weeks. The headboard is the one that I found in our dumpster and cleaned up. When I found it, it was silver and had a missing knob on the corner. So we sprayed it bronze and replaced the knob with a curtain rod knob. The dresser was this weekend's project. It is a hand-me-down from Brandon's family and it used to have mismatched handles and ugly milky white stain. On the other hand, it is a really good dresser since it has solid wood construction and dovetail joints. So we sprayed the handles bronze to match our bed and painted it LIME green. You can't tell from this picture, but there is a little bit of lime green on our comforter, so that's where the weird color comes from. Anyways, we really like it and I am excited to get started on decorating the baby's room. The baby has been busy lately with kicking Brandon in the face and making me eat weird things. She is a little hyperactive, but at least she will be athletic.

The rocks

About a year ago, I was in a geology class and my professor used to bring rock samples to class. It always amazed me that every time we talked about a certain rock, he could magically pull out 5 different samples of the rock. It made me wonder how he did it. Do all geologists have magic rock collections that they can pull out of nowhere?

Then Brandon became a geology major. Now every time we go hiking, our rock collection increases by 15 lbs. It started taking over our apartment so we bought Brandon a 6-foot tall shelf just for his rocks. He has already filled half of it. He spent last night dilligently washing his rocks and scrubbing them with a toothbrush so that they will look pretty for the shelf. It was very cute. He could easily teach a college course with the samples that he has, not to mention the 500+ pictures he took of things like convolute bedding and cross stratification. Now I know that geologists aren't magic; they're just nerds. And I am SO glad he is majoring in something he loves so much. Maybe someday he will love me as much as he loves his rocks. (just kidding)