Guy Stuck in a Girl Wirld

2011 in Review

2012-01-24T22:28:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year and welcome back to the Layon family blog!

As you can see, last year was not a big year for blogging, and we may have reached a place where one update per year will have to suffice. We're just too darn busy having fun, I guess, to take a break and write about it!

You probably also noticed that our photo card arrived a wee bit late this holiday season. This was not intentional and, in fact, should not have happened at all. We were actually quite proactive about ordering photo cards in late November, but when they arrived the quality was terrible (fortunately our money was refunded). So after re-ordering and having them arrive at the end of December, we managed to not get them into envelopes and out the door until January.

So those details aside... what else happened in the Layon household in 2011?

Anne started kindergarten at Armatage Montessori, so we bid farewell to preschool (and preschool tuition) forever! Anne loves her teacher and new friends, and also enjoyed playing soccer last summer.

Emma is in third grade at Armatage and continues to develop an interest in art and design. She also plays soccer and takes piano lessons.

Grace is in sixth grade at Anthony Middle School and has adjusted very well to middle school life. She has several new friends, continues to play soccer, and also continues to take piano. She's also continues to sing in Con Brio choir.

Sarah is in ninth grade at Southwest High School and so is our third who started at a new school last fall (it was certainly a big year in the school department!). 2011 was a great year for her: her Minneapolis United soccer team advanced to Premier status, and she advanced to a new orchestra in the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony (she also continues to take private flute lessons).

Katie continues to work at Park Nicollet urgent care 3-4 days per week, and continues to appreciate not having to work overnight any longer nor having to see cases as acute as in the emergency room. When she's not at work, she does a ton of driving around town for the girls' activities and a large amount of our cooking and baking. And in other notable news, Katie started running last year and ran her first 5K race in November!

After ten years at the University of Minnesota, Kris changed jobs and is now a mobile product design manager at Capella Education Company. He now leads a team of designers and developers who make mobile apps for university students who take their courses online. It's a fun new job where he gets to work with a lot of smart people, so he's enjoying it a lot. He also wrote a second book last summer and fall (about mobile web design).

Last but not least, our trusty beagle Leprechaun is still hanging in there and is always a happy companion. He's now 9 years old, getting a bit more gray, and seems to sleep more than ever (retirement seems to be great!).

We hope your 2011 was also a good year, and wish you the best in 2012.

2010 in Review

2010-12-17T20:43:00.013-06:00

Thanks for visiting the Layons’ digital yearbook! We hope you had a great 2010. Ours was pretty good - here are some highlights:

Kris and Katie observed 15 years of marriage in 2009... but were too busy to do anything special to celebrate until February 2010. That's when they went to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, for one week. (it was wonderful!)

Sarah, who turned 13 on Nov. 17, is in her last year of middle school and her fourth year of playing soccer with the same team of girls. They continue to do well, playing their way to regional and state tournaments. When she's not playing soccer, she plays the flute in the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony.

Grace turned 10 on July 21 and is in her last year of elementary school. She also plays soccer, plays piano, and is in her second year singing for Con Brio, a metro-area girls choir.

Emma turned 7 on March 31 and is in second grade. She also plays soccer and piano like Grace, and spends most of her other free time drawing and pondering her future as an architect or interior designer. We'll see whether she sticks with that plan; she has plenty of time to change her mind!

Anne turned 4 on April 4 and is in her last year of pre-school. Not to be the odd one out, she plays soccer, too, but doesn't yet take any music lessons. She's the comic in the family, but that's not why we'll be grinning from ear-to-ear when she's done with pre-school in May (read: no more tuition!).

I suppose Katie and I should mention that it's a big birthday year for us, too; she turned 40 in November (and fortunately Kris is still in his 30s until March). Katie's job changed slightly this year; she now works for Park Nicollet urgent care in their St. Louis Park and Minnetonka locations. Kris continues to manage web projects at the University of Minnesota, and wrote a book about mobile application design.

We wish everyone much love, peace, and happiness in the coming year!

- Kris & Katie (and Sarah, Grace, Emma, and Anne)

To make up for a lazy year of blogging, some additional photos from the past year are below, including:

Kris and Katie in Mexico

Kris, Sarah, and Grace in the BWCA with Grandpa Kent, Uncles Erik and John, Jane, and Steven

Katie and Sarah in New York

Other pictures of Sarah, Grace, Emma, and Anne

Excerpt from Grace's choir concert

2009-12-31T09:50:00.002-06:00

This was a great concert the Saturday before Christmas. I selected this clip because Grace had a solo. Enjoy!

2009 in review

2009-12-16T19:02:00.014-06:00

It's been another busy year in the Layon family. Thanks for tuning in and reading our update, and we hope you are doing well!

As the girls grow up, life just keeps getting busier. The first part of 2009 began with Sarah and Grace having winter training for soccer on weekends. Kris and Emma also did a bit of downhill skiing, and Emma gained a lot of confidence on the hill and rope tow. And in late January, Emma and Kris flew down to Arizona for a few days in the sun with Grandpa Steve and Grandma Cherie (above). Sarah and Grace are old enough to fly down themselves in the summer, so this was a great way for Emma to have her own trip to see them.

Spring is soccer season for us, and everyone's teams did quite well (Emma, Grace, and Sarah all play). Sarah's team eventually qualified for two state tournaments, one in the summer and one in the fall. Pictured here is Sarah's team at the summer tournament.

The highlight of the year, however, was our 2-1/2 week roadtrip to Arizona and California. It was amazing! The entire experience was fabulous, from driving over 5,000 miles and getting a sense of how large our country is, to visiting family and friends. Stops along the way included visiting Katie's father Steve and wife Cherie in Phoenix, visiting Katie's brother Erik and wife Ana Paula (and cousins Matt, Steve, and Carrie) in San Diego, and seeing friends Robert and Katrina Young in Carlsbad (former neighbors in Ohio from 1999-2001, during Katie's medical residency). Picture here are our girls with their cousins Matt, Steve, and Carrie; for some photos blogged during the trip, visit the entries here in the August 2009 archive.

Since that trip, life has reverted back to school, work, and -- yes -- soccer. And for the first time in several years, there have been a few changes with work. Katie's was most significant: moving from emergency medicine to urgent care, which means no more night shifts after working them for 11 years! Other changes include less acute cases and working in a different system, moving from Fairview to Park Nicollet. And Kris also had a small change: he started a new design business. He is now designing applications for the iPhone, and his first one, ArtAlphabet, went on sale in Apple's iTunes Store in October. He is also collaborating with a University of Minnesota physician on some medical reference applications. (his full time job is still designing web sites at the U)

Finally, this year's report wouldn't be complete without mentioning that we observed our 15th wedding anniversary! (on July 16) We are celebrating by taking a trip to Mexico in February. And other marriage-related news this year were the two important weddings in our family: Kris's mother Sharon and new husband Neil (married in June) and brother Chad and new wife Kristi (married in September). The latter wedding explains Kris's tux in our holiday card photo (above).

We wish everyone well at the end of 2009, and a safe and happy new year in 2010!

Sincerely,

Kris & Katie (and Sarah, Grace, Emma, and Anne)

Chad & Kristi Get Married

2009-09-26T22:27:00.003-05:00

My brother Chad married his lovely bride Kristi today, and I had the honor of being the Best Man. It was a beautiful fall wedding on the hillside of Duluth, overlooking Lake Superior. A very memorable and special weekend for a wonderful couple.

Road Trip

2009-08-27T22:33:00.000-05:00

It has been a slow blogging year until recently, so I made up for it by blogging a lot of photos from our epic 2-week summer road trip to Arizona and California. The previous entries dated Aug. 10-22 are from the trip.

(the trip actually ended on Aug. 26, but I had iPhone problems the last few days in San Francisco, so there aren't any blogged photos from the end of the trip)

Santa Cruz

2009-08-22T14:21:00.001-05:00

Monterey

2009-08-21T21:45:00.000-05:00

Big Sur

2009-08-21T19:09:00.000-05:00

Big Sur

2009-08-21T18:45:00.000-05:00

Pismo Beach

2009-08-21T17:53:00.000-05:00

Pismo Beach

2009-08-21T15:38:00.001-05:00

Santa Barbara

2009-08-21T14:50:00.001-05:00

Picking blueberries.

Valencia

2009-08-21T11:55:00.001-05:00

Santa Clarita

2009-08-21T11:29:00.000-05:00

Mileage check before trek along Pacific Coast Highway to Monterey.

LA

2009-08-20T18:10:00.000-05:00

LA

2009-08-20T15:12:00.000-05:00

Hollywood

2009-08-20T13:05:00.001-05:00

Disneyland

2009-08-19T23:16:00.001-05:00

Disneyland

2009-08-19T15:21:00.001-05:00

Disneyland

2009-08-19T13:06:00.001-05:00

Disneyland

2009-08-19T11:49:00.001-05:00

San Diego

2009-08-18T16:33:00.000-05:00

SeaWorld

2009-08-17T16:30:00.000-05:00

Carlsbad

2009-08-16T15:27:00.000-05:00

With Robert and Katrina, our friends from medical residency in Ohio (1999-2001).

Carlsbad

2009-08-16T15:20:00.000-05:00

Carlsbad

2009-08-16T15:15:00.000-05:00

Del Mar

2009-08-15T16:33:00.000-05:00

Del Mar

2009-08-15T14:07:00.000-05:00

Beach Day at Del Mar

2009-08-15T13:59:00.001-05:00

Beer and Palm Trees

2009-08-14T18:34:00.001-05:00

In my brother-in-law's backyard.

Arrival: San Diego

2009-08-14T17:53:00.001-05:00

El Centro, CA

2009-08-14T16:05:00.001-05:00

Amazingly, it *can* get hotter than Phoenix!

California

2009-08-14T14:33:00.001-05:00

In-N-Out

2009-08-14T14:01:00.000-05:00

Yuma, AZ

2009-08-14T13:49:00.000-05:00

Dateland, AZ

2009-08-14T13:12:00.001-05:00

A Dry Heat

2009-08-12T14:44:00.001-05:00

Mileage Update

2009-08-12T14:42:00.000-05:00

Pool time!

2009-08-12T13:01:00.001-05:00

Arrival: Tempe

2009-08-11T13:59:00.000-05:00

Flagstaff

2009-08-11T10:43:00.001-05:00

Arizona

2009-08-11T09:05:00.001-05:00

Gallup, NM

2009-08-11T07:40:00.001-05:00

New Mexico

2009-08-11T02:02:00.001-05:00

Amarillo

2009-08-11T00:42:00.001-05:00

Nearing Texas

2009-08-10T22:13:00.001-05:00

Guthrie, OK

2009-08-10T19:00:00.001-05:00

Safe and Sound

2009-08-10T15:11:00.001-05:00

Not in Kansas Anymore?

2009-08-10T15:07:00.001-05:00

Uh Oh...

2009-08-10T14:51:00.000-05:00

Kansas Storm

2009-08-10T14:35:00.000-05:00

Kansas City

2009-08-10T13:42:00.000-05:00

Missouri

2009-08-10T11:13:00.000-05:00

Des Moines

2009-08-10T10:06:00.001-05:00

Iowa

2009-08-10T07:38:00.001-05:00

Mom gets married!

2009-06-06T14:11:00.000-05:00

Today mom married Neil Nelson, a wonderful good friend from Wisconsin who I always thought might become my mom's next husband. They've known each other for several years now, and seem to deeply enjoy the time they spend together.

The wedding went extremely well -- it was a small but beautiful and perfectly planned ceremony. The weather during the reception was a bit chilly, but for those of us familiar with Duluth in June, it wasn't particularly unusual.

We're so happy to have Neil join our family, and we look forward to the new life you're making together.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T21:47:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas! We hope this message finds you and your loved ones well.

Considering that Kris is in the web biz, he thought it was time to stop designing a paper holiday mailing every year and try issuing our holiday card online instead. So if you got our holiday photo card in the mail and are now visiting our blog, it worked!

And this way, there's also somewhat less to write — some of the news is already here from previous entries. So please browse as time permits, and see what happened with us this year!

As for a quick summary:

Katie is in her eighth year of working in Fairview Southdale's emergency department, and works a 60% schedule. This gives her at least two days per week as an at-home mom, and provides time to be participate in various activities at church, the Y, and with friends.

Kris is starting his eighth year at the University of Minnesota (and his fourth year working for two of its senior vice presidents). He researches new web publishing tools and technologies, keeps over 50 University web sites up to date, and runs an annual continuing education conference for web designers.

Sarah is in sixth grade at Anthony Middle School. She loves being able to bike to her new school, enjoys her classes, and is also in band (flute). She is also active in climbing, church choir, and soccer. This fall, her Minneapolis United team concluded the year with a second place regional tournament finish, the final game being their only loss all season.

Grace is in third grade at Armatage Montessori School and also had a strong soccer season. When she's not playing soccer, she can be found playing the piano or at her school's On Broadway musical theater practice.

Emma is in kindergarten at Armatage Montessori School and loves being out of preschool. Her main extracurricular focus at the moment is perfecting her downhill skiing technique.

Anne is in day care 3 days per week, but about to start Montessori preschool in January. Anne is a whirlwind and keeps us laughing all the time...when she isn't driving us crazy, that is.

Best wishes for 2009! And if you have extra time, browse any of the earlier entries in this blog, or the gallery below of previously-sent holidays cards from years past.

2008 Chicago Marathon

2008-10-25T22:07:00.002-05:00

No, I didn't run it this year, but after seeing it I sure want to!

Katie and I were in Chicago for 4 days, primarily for me to attend a web conference. But we were pleasantly surprised that we arrived the day before the marathon, and the route went right by our hotel. We saw both the start and finish.

Twin Cities 10-Mile

2008-10-05T22:03:00.001-05:00

I ran the Twin Cities 10-Mile, held in conjunction with the Twin Cities Marathon. It's a beautiful route, not to mention a pleasant experience to race and only need to run 10 miles! Very fun. More here.

BWCA 2008

2008-07-29T10:22:00.002-05:00

Photos from this year's trip to the BWCA. My 8th year in a row (and 7th with my father-in-law Kent); Grace's second trip; Sarah's third.

Click on the slideshow to play, and for an enlarged version click a second time.

Undefeated Champions: MU Thunder

2008-06-30T21:26:00.005-05:00

Warning: parental pride is imminent.

Sarah's soccer season culminated in a 3-1 win against St. Louis Park tonight, making them undefeated for the season.

And I should mention, just as an aside, that Sarah scored all three goals this evening. Hat trick.

The team had a fabulous season— it was certainly a thrill to watch them this year. And we could not thank their coaches and winter trainers enough: they did a wonderful job building a team that worked together, and enjoyed every minute of it.

Third Marathon

2008-06-21T22:01:00.001-05:00

I finished my third marathon in 4:43:15! More here.

Home Spa

2008-06-07T20:08:00.005-05:00

Just when you think you've seen everything, my oldest daughters have a spa evening in their bathroom.

When is my appointment?

Track & Field Day

2008-06-04T20:17:00.003-05:00

Today was track and field day at Grace and Sarah's school. Katie and I were there at the beginning and saw he all-school parade, and watched Grace compete (Sarah was in the afternoon).

Makeover

2008-05-28T09:43:00.006-05:00

Our house in mid-makeover, as it gets repainted. I think it would have taken me all summer to do what these painters did in two days!

Memorial Day

2008-05-26T20:25:00.000-05:00

Remembering our departed.

Sarah and Grace were in Arizona over the holiday weekend, visiting their Grandpa Steve and Grandma Cherie. And Katie was working, so I took Emma and Anne with me to stop at cemeteries and see some of my relatives in northern MN.

Puerto Rico

2008-04-06T21:14:00.003-05:00

The three oldest girls got to come along with Katie and I for a short trip to Puerto Rico (Katie had a 3-day medical meeting there; we arrived one day early).

Highlights included our stunning beach-front location (the InterContinental San Juan), taking a day trip to the El Yunque rainforest, and being there with one of Katie's partners who is married to a Puerto Rican. Sean and Jessica travel to PR about 5 times per year to visit family (lucky!) and, having grown up there and lived there through medical school, Jessica had a ton of helpful advice about places to see, where to eat, etc.

The two photos above are of the girls at our hotel, and at the base of a waterfall in the rainforest.

Happy Birthday Emma!

2008-03-31T21:26:00.002-05:00

Emma turned 5 today. Amazing...her last year of preschool, and about to begin kindergarten in the fall.

Can Katie and I really have three children aged 5 and older? And Anne turns 2 in four days, too!

Photography...When You're the Subject

2008-01-30T09:48:00.000-06:00

Our friend Jim Fuglestad, who does photography professionally (see sledding entry below), wanted to take some shots of us to promote his "Relationship Session" idea. This is aimed at couples like us, who feel like we never had cool enough pictures taken at our own weddings, and are now jealous of the creative ways that weddings are photographed by talented people like Jim.

Which is a great idea...until you actually do it!

No, seriously, Jim did a fantastic job. It's just funny, though, how fun it is to work with him when your children are involved, and how that changes and makes you so self-conscious when you are suddenly being photographed. But Jim is a master at making the experience fun and casual, and I have to admit, the photos are better than most of our wedding photos from 1994!

See more of Jim's Relationship Session photos here.

Chicken Cookies

2008-01-15T21:36:00.001-06:00

Annie is almost two years old (April 4) and, accordingly, is learning how to assert her independence in a variety of ways. One of the many ways is to arbitrarily limit her diet. Well, it's not entirely arbitrary: basically, she eats cereal or toast in the morning, and sometimes yogurt, cheese, and grapes for other meals. And cookies, cake, or ice cream. She loves cookies and desserts, but not much else.

(and it's not for a lack of us trying)

Today while Katie was at work, I did one of my quick and embarrassing dinners of chicken patties, salad, and potato chips. No real skill involved in this meal, and not much in the way of nutrients either. But it still offers a somewhat balanced array of protein, fresh produce, and carbs. If only Anne would eat some of it.

Then I had my idea. They weren't chicken patties. They were chicken cookies.

The results speak for themselves:

Sledding

2008-01-07T11:35:00.000-06:00

My friend Jim Fuglestad took these fabulous photos of the girls when we met for sledding about one week ago. 'Newton Hill' is a great place for this, just a few blocks away along Minnehaha Creek.

Jim does amazing work and photographs professionally. See the rest of the photos from this session here, and contact Jim if you want to work with him or know anyone needing a photographer for a wedding, graduation photos, etc.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-24T12:06:00.003-06:00

With about six inches of new snow arriving yesterday, it has made today a spectacular Christmas Eve! We're looking forward to Grandma Sharon arriving soon, and then there will be church services, dinner, and opening presents.

We hope that everyone who is reading this is also having a safe and joyous day. Merry Christmas!

Kris, Katie, Sarah, Grace, Emma, and Anne

Feelin' a Little Swedish

2007-12-13T22:09:00.000-06:00

Today Sarah was mentioning how one of her classmates was "so Swedish" that she celebrated St. Lucia's Day at home. I grant that this can make you seem awfully Swedish, but I pointed out to Sarah that we are also part Swedish.

"How much?" she asked.

Well, allow me to elaborate. First, I will be the first to admit that, until 2002, I had no idea that I was part Swedish. I thought I was Finnish and German/Polish, and with a strange but meaningless last name. Fortunately, this all changed when I went to Finland for two weeks. There, armed with the scant knowledge that my ancestors were from somewhere in Finland and used to be named Kouri, I had a conversation with someone who told me that, apparently, my great-great grandfather must have decided to use his Swedish name upon emigrating to the U.S.

"Swedish last name?" I asked, perplexed.

"Of course," the friendly Finn replied. "Layon is Swedish. It should be spelled Lejon. It means lion."

Lion!

Since then, other things I've learned:

- The Göta Lejon was a ship in the Swedish Navy until - interestingly - 1971, when I was born.
- Försäkrings AB Göta Lejon is the city of Göteborg's (Sweden) insurance company. Göteborg (Gothenburg in English) is named for the river Göta, which empties into the North Sea at this location.
- Saab's logo incorporates a griffin, a mythical creature that is part lion and part eagle. "The heraldic griffin's head - derived from the coats of arms of the Skåne and Östergotland counties in southern Sweden - traditionally symbolises vigilance."

And at the time that the Lejon-Kouri situation was explained to me, I also observed that western Finland was bilingual and bicultural, so I just happen to fit that mold perfectly. For example, the city where my friend Vesa lives is called Turku in Finnish and Abo in Swedish. (photo of a Finnish train bound for Turku/Abo). My ancestors are from Tornio and Kemi, right on the border with Sweden.

So I went from having a family name and history that I thought meant nothing, to this, in a matter of minutes.

All Kinds (of Beautiful)

2007-11-02T09:01:00.001-05:00

Today is Katie's birthday. And as I was driving to work, I started playing Dan Wilson's wonderful new CD "Free Life". The timing couldn't have been more perfect: thinking about Katie, driving past the beautiful shimmering water toward the Minneapolis skyline (Dan lives just up the chain of lakes from us), and listening to "All Kinds". The song is lovely, and says a lot of the same things I would say about Katie and our girls.

A lovely Minneapolis autumn morning...and a great way to start a birthday for my most beautiful wife.

Listen to "All Kinds" on Dan Wilson's MySpace page
Email katielayon at hotmail.com to say happy birthday (37!)

Nearly Halloween

2007-10-28T20:15:00.000-05:00

This evening we got ready for Halloween. It was about as perfect of a fall day as one could hope for, starting with raking leaves, carving pumpkins, eating German food for dinner, and having a campfire with smores.

More photos here.

Tsunamis

2007-10-18T12:09:00.000-05:00

Sarah had a report due this week, and decided to do it about tsunamis. She also decided to do the report in iMovie.

She had never used iMovie before. And except for answering a few minor timing/editing questions for her, all I did was format the final draft for both web and DVD. She spent about one week working on the project.

( note: I spent an entire semester in graduate school taking a digital video course... *sigh* )

After the initial sound effect, the voice track is not very loud, so you may need to crank up your volume setting.

5 Things I Want My Daughters to Know

2007-09-07T21:23:00.000-05:00

My good friend Pastor Eric tagged me to come up with these:

1. You are four of the greatest gifts I have ever been given (the fifth is your mother).

2. I also suspect that you will be the four best gifts I ever had a part in giving to the world. You make me feel very humble about everything else that I do, and have ever done; nothing else matters as much as being your father.

3. I think that you are here to bring much love, joy, laughter, and good will to the world. You do this already, and there is nothing else as important or as precious as that.

4. Being with you teaches me new things about the world, and how it can be seen and experienced. I think I've learned that this is a central part of love, for being with people you love...and who love you...changes your relationship to the world. It is very exciting, and I thank you for this!

5. More than anything, I wish your Grandpa Roger could have met you, and you him. He would have loved being your grandfather.

First Day of School 2007

2007-09-04T21:16:00.000-05:00

Today was Anne's first day in daycare, Emma's first day (of her last year) of preschool, Grace's first day of second grade, and Sarah's first day of fifth grade.

3,560 Miles

2007-09-03T21:35:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we returned from a grand summer odyssey: driving 3,560 miles to destinations in Idaho, Washington, and South Dakota. We were gone two weeks, and it was a fabulous vacation. The map above shows the route in most of its detail (click to enlarge).

A photo slideshow from our trip.

See Grace Canoe!

2007-07-19T10:09:00.000-05:00

Like last year's trip, this year's annual BWCA trip was another family milestone. Last year Sarah went for the first time (at age 8), and this year's trip was Grace's first, just a week before her 7th birthday. My father-in-law Kent also joined us--- I think this was our 6th canoe voyage together!

The weather was mostly fabulous; quite cool, with a bit of rain on Saturday, and then glorious sun and more cool breezes Sunday and Monday.

Grace did a great job canoeing and had a wonderful time, and as with any time that you do something with a child for the first time, it also made it extra special for me...but seeing something through Grace's eyes always does this for me!

A photo slideshow of our trip is here.

Another 26.2

2007-06-19T09:50:00.000-05:00

Saturday I ran my second marathon, and like last year the conditions were extreme. Both the temperature and humidity at the start were in the mid-60s; by the finish, the temperature had climbed to the mid-80s. Not ideal running weather by any means!

Fortunately, I was not one of the 63 people needing IV fluids nor one of the 28 people requiring hospitalization. Instead, I beat last year's time by 6 minutes, finishing in 4:56:49.

More news here on my marathon blog.

In Defense of the Swimsuit Competition

2007-06-11T12:11:00.000-05:00

To the people who argue that modern beauty contests should not include a swinsuit competition, I disagree and present the following evidence:

Rockgardening

2007-06-03T21:04:00.000-05:00

A week ago, we went to visit my mom at the family cabin. It was a fun visit, especially for the girls: they got to pick rocks.

Rocks, you say? Yes, the highlight of this cabin's location is not close proximity to a beautiful lake where you can swim or fish (no such lake within miles). No significant body of water is nearby, in fact; and Silver Creek, which meanders through the property, is just that--- a creek. It's nice to look at, but that's about it.

No, one of the main highlights of this cabin is its close proximity to a gravel pit. Where you can pick rocks.

It's interesting to note that this part of the state is known for its agates, which are essentially a poor-man's gemstone. They can be very pretty. And they can be found quite easily, with just a bit of hunting and poking around this gravel pit.

So that's usually what I do (and I once found one with a rough outline of the state of MN in it: the state agate?). But our girls seem just as happy to pick up any old rocks, as long as they're sizable and smooth, so that they can paint them.

A few days later, their newest crop of rocks have become a new rock garden next to their playhouse in our backyard. And I have to say, the rocks do provide a nice alternative to agates. While they do not have the sensuous layers of silica, they possess a certain nature that is both quaint and mystical:

Belated Birthday Post

2007-04-23T09:37:00.000-05:00

Anne turned one on April 4. It was quite a cake-fest, as these two photos attest.

Note that when Katie is not busy trying to save lives at the hospital, she is busy trying to fatten us up with her delicious cakes. Lately she has been into using fondant, which is frosting that can be rolled out, and is what gives this cake its smooth appearance.

Which Annie then demonstrates is not meant to be cherished for long!

Next Stop: Havana

2007-03-26T10:57:00.000-05:00

We recently vacationed in Key West for the first time, and found it to be a fabulous place. Nearly everyone went (Anne got to stay with Grandma Marilyn and Grandpa Kent instead). Now that I'm finally taking some time to go through photos and get some printed, here's a classic, corny tourist shot of us standing at the southernmost point of the U.S.

Mind the Gap

2007-02-06T21:34:00.000-06:00

Grace lost a major tooth today. Wow, what a picture!

Three-Year-Old Clarity Trumps Hazy Early-Morning Parenting

2007-01-29T09:23:00.000-06:00

On the drive to Emma's school today:

Emma: Dad, I need a tissue. Can you give me a tissue?

Me: I'm sorry Emma, I don't have any up here. You knew your nose was running...you should have brought one with you.

Emma: Yeah.

Me: Maybe you can just wipe it on your mitten. It's kind of yucky, but sometimes you just have to do that when you don't have a tissue. It will dry up and be fine.

Emma: Ok.

The dilemma appears to pass, and then it is quiet for several minutes...

...interrupted by the sound of Emma loudly blowing her nose.

Me: Emma, did you just blow your nose into your mitten?

Emma: [laughing] No! I blew it on my mitten!

Note to self: You can't be explicit enough about directions to a three-year-old. That, and they appear to revel in their acute attention to prepositions.

My Blog Gets a Soundtrack!

2007-01-23T22:51:00.000-06:00

So here's an interesting story. I heard and read great things about Tim O'Reagan's new album (formerly, drummer for The Jayhawks), and finally got around to buying the CD. Lo and behold...track 8 is called "Girl/World"!

Well, he didn't get the spelling quite right, but I still say that he was awfully nice to write and record a theme song for my blog. Thanks Tim! (and yes, I do love the album). A snippet of the song is below:

Is This a Good Idea?

2007-01-02T22:23:00.000-06:00

After a few years of periodically climbing REI's indoor pinnacle and one YMCA climbing camp last summer, we decided to enroll Sarah in a serious climbing camp at Vertical Endeavors during Christmas break. It was two days of technical climbing and belaying training.

It was thrilling to watch, and she absolutely loves it. On the other hand, seeing her cling to a wall 4 stories above a concrete floor, with another 9-year-old belaying her, I couldn't help but begin to wonder whether encouraging this is really a good idea?...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2006-12-27T16:41:00.000-06:00

2006 was a landmark year for our family, due in large part to the birth of our fourth daughter Anne Marit on April 4. We now have the same number of children as many of our grandparents had two generations ago, something we never would have imagined when we got married in 1994! It feels large—like a farm family should, we once would have thought. But in our cozy Minneapolis home, it also feels wonderful…yet big enough, that’s for sure. So don’t anticipate a fifth child from us: Anne has the special designation of being our final child! And she is doing very well—she is an especially happy and good-natured baby, though she was also rather challenging in that she refused to nurse from a bottle until she was eight months old. (!) A sign of independence, or perhaps a sophisticated preference for only what is authentic? Who knows…we admit, it’s hard to spin that to the positive…it was a trying eight months indeed!

Our next oldest, Emma, turned 3 on March 31, so she is fast approaching four at the end of 2006. She is in many ways the most mysterious of our four girls. She can be shy one moment and exuberant the next. Her cryptic pronouncements (her speech is still rather unclear) make for interesting stories and conversation. And she is undeniably sweet most of the time, even though she has recently been going through some Terrible Three moments this fall (a belated Terrible Twos?). In spite of this, Emma also had a great year, and it’s hard to believe that after this school year she will have only one more year of pre-school before starting kindergarten in fall 2008! She also started swimming lessons this year, so it can be a busy pool at the YMCA with all of the Layon girls in it at once.

Grace, who turned 6 on July 21, had some dramatic moments in 2006. She finished kindergarten last May, started to loose her baby teeth, learned to ride her bike without training wheels in August, and has recently been growing like a weed (a full inch during one six-week period this fall!). Her reading has also taken huge strides—it is so thrilling to have her read to us at bedtime now! She is also our most spontaneous child: very theatrical, and with a powerful and lyrical voice. At this point, we should mention that our home could often be mistaken for a theater school—there is nearly always singing, acting, or other role-playing events taking place. Grace is often leading such creative excursions; she even fancies herself a conductor, and was seen trying to direct a string quartet at our church this fall (mercifully, they didn’t appear to be distracted by her waving arms).

And Sarah, who turned 9 on November 17, is in fourth grade at our neighborhood school. She is a crossing guard, takes piano and flute lessons, and recently participated for the second year in her school’s “Kids on Broadway” production for 3-5 graders. She had a brief solo part in Hairspray, and was also an ensemble singer for other musical selections including songs from Wicked, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, West Side Story, and Singing in the Rain. In August, Sarah also completed her second children’s triathlon, and in November she graduated to a new multi-geared bike with 24” wheels. Somehow she also had some time to play soccer (as did Grace), and sing in choir at church. It’s safe to say that she lives life richly, and is also growing up faster than we had ever imagined children could!

Of course, keeping up with all of this has also meant a busy year for us, too. Our very favorite jobs (as tiring as they are!) are being parents to our girls. The job descriptions include many tasks: washing, driving, packing lunches, giving baths, helping with homework, overseeing music rehearsals, and tackling a pile of laundry that seems to never, ever work its way down to being completely gone (are there clothes at the very bottom that have been dirty for several months, if not years?) And in addition to that, we also each continue to pursue careers; Kris as a web designer (and adjunct design instructor) and at the University of Minnesota, and Katie is an emergency physician at Fairview Southdale Hospital. And to help keep things balanced, Katie works 60%, which helps a great deal with keeping up with many of the domestic tasks listed above—she certainly deserves most of the credit for keeping our house in order, children on time, tummies full, and pantry stocked!

Finally, in addition to the everyday victories of family life, Kris set a huge goal for 2006 and met it: to run and finish Grandma’s Marathon. Starting last winter he trained three times per week, and successfully crossed the finish line of Grandma’s on June 17, 2006, with a time of 5 hours and 2 minutes. It was a big day, made even more exciting by the challenging race conditions (hot and humid), it being the 30th anniversary of the race, and it also being Sharon’s (Kris’s mom’s) birthday!

So it’s been a very blessed year for our family, and we hope that your year has been a good one as well. May your 2007 be filled with good health, peace, and opportunities to see each other and share good cheer.

Sincerely,

Kris & Katie (and Sarah, Grace, Emma, and Anne)

P.S. - For some photos from 2006, please visit our photo site at pbase.com.

Annie in NYC

2006-12-19T13:51:00.000-06:00

Katie had a medical conference in New York last week and I wanted to go along, so we left the older girls in care of their grandparents and took Annie along to the Big Apple.

I will get around to posting more photos later, but here are two. The trip was great, though it was cut a half-day short due to us not feeling well on Sunday morning. =(

She Drinks

2006-11-21T08:42:00.000-06:00

Okay, first apologies...because I'm sure my readership is in the millions, so there must be many uphappy readers out there who haven't had *anything interesting* to read online since last summer...

So what, exactly, does it take to get me back into the blogging hotseat?

Anne finally drank from a bottle last night!

Please remember: she is nearly eight months old.

I can't tell you how great it felt to be able to feed my own daughter. It was amazing.

Gracie Rides Her Bike!

2006-08-26T21:40:00.000-05:00

It's a big first...Grace conquers her bike without training wheels, and thus it's an occasion to add video to this entry!

And please note that the jet engine sounds are from airplanes flying overhead...not from Grace and her bike. =)

BWCA 2006

2006-08-21T14:16:00.000-05:00

Sarah went on her first canoe trip this summer with Kent and I. We left July 27 and returned on July 30, and spent our entire time on Lake Saganaga due to the forest fire some miles to the south and west. Typically we would paddle from lake to lake, starting at Seagull Lake, but the fire remained enough of a threat that I did not want to canoe in its direction, so we headed away from it. Because we start on the eastern side of the BWCA to begin with, this didn't allow us to go eastward any farther without going into Canada. (which we still did, but only a few yards and very unofficially!)

A selection of photos from this year's trip can be viewed here.

Sarah's Second Triathlon

2006-08-20T19:42:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Sarah was in her second Miracle Kids Triathlon, held each August in Chanhassen. The children who participate, aged 7-17, race for other children who have cancer and are unable to compete in such events. Sarah raced for a boy named Jesse and did well, finishing in 25 minutes (100 yard swim, 3 mile bike, 0.5 mile run).

Sarah also raised some money for the Miracles of Mitch Foundation, which was founded by a 10-year-old boy, Mitch Chepokas, who died of cancer in 2003. Shortly before that, however, he asked his parents to start this foundation for the benefit of other families with children who have cancer.

It is a very nice, well-staged, and awe-inspiring event. And I should also mention that last year's triathlon, Sarah's first, motivated me to run my first marathon this past June!

Fragments from a Weekend in Chicago

2006-08-16T21:34:00.000-05:00

A few interesting details from our family trip to Chicago last weekend:

Upon checking into our hotel, Sarah proudly announced, "I just figured something out, all by myself! Chicago's time zone is exactly ten minutes ahead of ours...look at the clock!"

Yes, we finally broke down and visited American Girl Place and yes, it is just as exhausting as you might imagine!

Millennium Park is fabulous...check out the Anish Kapoor and Jaume Plensa sculptures.

Okay, okay...so it took us 6 years to visit Millennium Park! We're busy! =)

Annie's Baptism

2006-07-24T21:38:00.000-05:00

Anne was baptized on Sunday at our church, and it was a wonderful day--- easily the most fun baptism I've ever attended. For starters, Monroe Crossing, a bluegrass band that visits our church every summer, played at the service. It couldn't have been more perfect! What will now go down in our family history as our only "bluegrass baptism" was a toe-tapping great time, and their version of "Jesus Loves Me" (prefaced by a brief acknowledgement of the baptism) was a beautiful way to conclude that portion of the service.

Afterwards, we had over 50 people over to our house for a brunch to celebrate Annie and her special event. It was a perfect Minnesota summer day--- sunny, sweltering, and to top it off, it was also the final day of the Tour de France.

5:02:38

2006-06-18T22:40:00.000-05:00

I ran (and finished) my first marathon! And it was on my mom's birthday. I finished in 5:02:38, which was about 30 minutes slower than I had hoped. But it was hot, humid, and sunny, so I'm quite happy given the challenging conditions.

I suppose this topic falls somewhat outside the theme of this blog. On the other hand, to run Grandma's Marathon (grandmothers are girls...), and with my mom in attendance as well as Katie and the four girls, it's still somewhat topical. In fact, the highlight was having three generations of the girls in my family all there--- very special. (note: Katie's mom also made it to town, but due to cellular network outages, we weren't able to meet until well after the race)

Some photos from this great day:

Titties (and Titty Tats)

2006-05-31T09:56:00.000-05:00

Every now and then, your children help you re-learn the value of something you otherwise just take for granted.

Like consonants, for example.

Emma has a knack for being able to speak entire paragraphs without using hardly any consonants. In fact, at age 3, we're starting to get mildly concerned and might have her checked out by a speech therapist. But in the mean time, we have the interesting challenge of trying to figure out what she's talking about.

Lately, she's been extremely interested in cats...or kitties. Or, in her case, titties. It's an interesting situation, as she's *always* talking about titties. And heck, she's even using consonants this time...just not the right ones!

So if anyone hears Emma's titty talk, please don't blush or criticize...she's just talking cats.

And making me yearn for the day that she picks up a few other consonants in her bag of tricks. Because for goodness sake, they're pretty important after all.