Leah Kay Sweeting

On February 4th, 2009 at 1:06 PM, we welcomed Leah Kay Sweeting into the world. She is our third girl, and we couldn’t be happier to have her join our family.

KayeLynne is doing great. She said this was her most perfect labor and delivery. We came in at 9:00 AM, a pitosin IV was started, her water was broken, and by 1:00 PM, she was ready to deliver. It took just 6 minutes and a couple pushes, and the baby was out.

It took us a little while to come to a final decision on her first name, but her middle name was always going to be Kay, in memory of my mom who passed away in June of last year.

Salt Lake Temple Letterpress Print

A friend of mine has created this unique and beautiful letterpress print of the Salt Lake Temple, using characters from 3 different typefaces.

This letterpress poster was handcrafted character by character over the course of roughly 100 hours. Characters from the Bickham Script Pro, Engravers MT, and Epic typeface families form the edifice featured in the artwork, the Salt Lake Temple. Each poster is printed on Crane Lettra Pearl and letterpressed by Bryce Knudson of Bjørn Letterpress in Provo, Utah.

It will be available December 15th for $75, but will probably sell out quickly. Read more about the process here.

New haircuts for the girls

Dancing around the world

This video just makes me smile. I’d love to take a year off work to do this.
Update: If you like the song, here is the MP3 from Amazon.com.

Things you may or may not know about Brian

1. I am an only child. Something fairly uncommon in Utah.
2. I love TV. You’ve got to be pretty good if you want to stump me on obscure television/movie quotes.
3. Politically, I’m a centrist, with conservative leanings.  I don’t consider myself a member of any political party.  I vote for the person I think will do the best job.
4. I grew up listening to country and hair bands, but I now only listen to those genres when I’m nostalgic for my youth.
5. Self-righteousness and bigotry are behaviors that really bother me. I believe we are all God’s children, and He loves us equally.
6. I have career ADHD.  I haven’t stayed at a job for longer than 3 years, and I can’t understand why someone would want to work at the same place for more than 10 years. Maybe I just haven’t found the right job yet.
7. I’ve had the following job titles:
   • Yard maintenance worker
   • Pizza chef
   • Gas station attendant
   • Computer salesperson
   • Webmaster
   • Associate Quality Assurance Engineer
   • Application Engineer
   • Web Developer
   • Senior Interaction Designer
8. My favorite desert is Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cake with cream cheese frosting.
9. My favorite food is Pizza (especially chicken alfredo pizza).
10. My favorite drink is water.
11. I love British comedies.
12. I love architecture and interior design, and I think most homes (including the one I live in now) use space very inefficiently.
13. I lived in the same house for the first 18 years of my life.
14. I believe everyone should work to support themselves through college.  It may take longer, and you may go without, but it’s worth it, especially if you can get a job working in the industry you want to make a career out of.
15. I believe everyone should spend at least a semester abroad.  I never did this, and I still kick myself for it.
16. I use the internet for everything I can. Even for things that are simpler to do with a pencil and paper. My favorite use is for reference: Google, Wikipedia, IMDB.
17. When I was young and carried cash, I hated having crumpled bills, so I would get them damp and press them in a book for nice crisp bills.  I haven’t done this since I was a teenager.
18. I have a metallic silver vest with speakers in it that you can connect a music player to.  I bought this in 1988.
19. The first cassette tape I ever bought was Def Leppard Hysteria.
20. The first CDs I ever bought (all three simultaneously) were M.C. Hammer – U Can’t Touch This, Vanilla Ice – To the Extreme, and Bon Jovi – Young Guns II Soundtrack.
21. I love Hitchcock movies.
22. I hate snow and the cold (unless I’m recreating in it).
23. I still haven’t decided what I want to be when I grow up.
24. My favorite gadgets are my Mac, TiVo, and iPhone.
25. I love beautiful typography and design.  I can easily become hung up on bad design and when people use ugly typefaces, especially when that person is trying to sell me something.
26. I’ve never been outside the United States. Something that I need to change very soon.
27. I like German and Japanese automobiles MUCH better than American automobiles.
28. I’d rather buy something cheap and replace it, than something expensive and touted to last for a long time.
29. I hate meetings. 95% of the time I’ve spent in them are a complete waste of time.
30. Related to that last one, I hate PowerPoint presentations. 95% of them are a complete waste of time too.
31. I love talk radio, except for “conservative” talk radio. I’ll take NPR over Limbaugh and Hannity any day.
32. I love a great story. Especially true stories.
33. I hate having dirty hands.
34. I hate clutter, but I’m also lazy when it comes to keeping things organized. It’s a paradox.
35. Pee Wee’s Playhouse was my favorite TV show as a kid.
36. For interior design, my style is modern (Design Within Reach, Crate & Barrel), KayeLynne’s is rustic/cozy (Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn), but we are able to find middle ground.
37. I always want the latest video game console, but then I rarely play it.
38. I’m MUCH more likely to buy, use, or want something from a company who cares about great user experience. Some companies that do this: Apple, Google, Netflix, TiVo, IKEA, JetBlue.
39. I used to watch a lot of sports on TV when I was younger, especially basketball, but now I hardly watch any sports.  Maybe if we ever have a boy, I’ll start again.
40. I very rarely buy DVD’s.  My mom bought a ton of VHS tapes, and now they are all obsolete.  I think HD video on demand is the future of movies and tv.
41. I consider myself an early adopter of technology:
    • I started a blog in 2000.
    • We got our first DVR in 2001.
    • I got rid of all of my CD’s after ripping them into iTunes around 2003, and have only bought digital music since.
    • I started subscribing to blogs using an RSS reader in 2003.
    • I’ve been subscribing to Netflix since 2003.
    • I’ve been subscribing to podcasts since 2004.
    • I started watching TV shows online in early 2007, before Hulu and the networks offered their shows online.
42. My 30th birthday was the first one where I felt old.
43. I like skim milk.
44. My favorite ice cream is Extreme Moose Tracks.
45. I’m not handy when it comes to building or repairing things (much to KayeLynne’s chagrin).
46. I’ve seen every episode of The Simpsons, M*A*S*H, and Seinfeld at least half a dozen times.
47. It’s commonly a test of wills between KayeLynne and I, when it comes to loading/unloading the dishwasher, and taking the garbage out when it’s full, neither of us like to do it.
48. When I wear contact lenses I leave them in for weeks at a time, day and night.
49. I never had a cavity until I was 27. So far I’ve had two.
50. I wish I was motivated to work out every day.

Happy Halloween

A Family Portrait by Maya

Maya captures the essence of our family in her latest work. She even made sure the bun in the oven and the dog were included.

Hiking at Zion National Park

We spent Friday hiking in Zion. The girls were troopers for the 4½ hours that we spent on the different trails. Finally Elin proclaimed that she had been “walking for hourk, and hourk”. (She can’t quite say her S’s, so she substitutes them with K’s and G’s). Unfortunately, I forgot the charger for our camera, so as luck would have it our battery was dead after two pictures. Fortunately the iPhone was a fairly decent backup camera.

Days of Autumn

Days of Autumn – The Big Picture – Boston.com

It’s so tempting to link to every post on the Boston Globe’s site: “The Big Picture“

The first snow of Fall 2008

Maya and Elin were super excited to see snow on the ground this morning.  They didn’t waste any time getting ready to go out and play in it.  Maya made sure her little sister was bundled up right. Poor Elin couldn’t see too well, but at least she was warm.

It’s a girl…Again

Today we had an ultrasound and it looks like it’s girl #3 for us this February.  Everything is looking good and it’s been pretty smooth sailing for KayeLynne so far.

Dog at Large

We left our golden retriever, Dax, at home overnight while we went to Fillmore for the 4th of July.  When we returned on the the next day he was no where to be found. Someone must have opened the gate and let him out. Since the animal shelter was closed for the weekend, we did what we could. Signs were posted, the area was canvased, neighbors were interrogated.

Maya, who normally has little to do with Dax, was utterly distraught. “I said five prayers to ask Jesus to help us find Dax and for him not to be hungry”, she cried.

This morning I checked the shelter and sure enough, there was Dax, convicted of being a “Dog at Large”. He seemed somewhat hardened.  Now he is adjusting to “life on the outside”.  I just hope he learned his lesson.  I surely did…after paying $80 to the animal shelter, and another $200 to Saratoga Springs city for the fine. I questioned for a moment how bad we wanted him back.  Maybe I can round up the rest of the dogs in the neighborhood and charge admission to a “Scared Straight” program.

Update:
Turns out our suspicions that someone let him out were totally false.  Dax has become a jumper.  He found a part of our backyard, where the ground is a little higher on the inside, making our six foot fence a 5½ foot fence.  I watched him jump over it.  Even a thorny rose bush landing on the other side didn’t deter him.  I’ll be borrowing my neighbor’s shock collar…this dog’s got to learn a lesson.

Mary Kay: 1946-2008

Mary Kay Sweeting Chynoweth passed away June 6, 2008, surrounded by her loved ones, after a valiant battle with cancer. Mary Kay was born July 20, 1946 in Fillmore, Utah―the youngest child of Roy and Mary Sweeting.  She married Lynn Chynoweth on December 4, 2004.  Together, they brought much hapiness to each other’s lives. Family and friends were central to Mary Kay’s life, and the source of her happiness. She was a devoted daughter, wife, mother, and friend.  She reached out in love and charity to others, and her smile, laughter, and outgoing personality will never be forgotten.

Survived by her husband, Lynn Chynoweth, Richfield, Utah; step-son, Kim (Stephanie) Chynoweth, Richfield, Utah; step-son, Blaine (Terri) Chyonweth, Stansbury Park, Utah; son, Brian (KayeLynne) Sweeting, Lehi, Utah; sister, Melba Teeples, Delta, Utah; brother, Frank (Kay) Sweeting, Grantsville, Utah; 10 step-grandchildren and 2 grandchildren. Mary Kay was preceded in death by her parents Roy and Mary Sweeting; and her brothers John and George Sweeting.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 14, 2008, at 11:00 a.m. in the Fillmore 4th Ward, 290 East 500 South Fillmore, Utah. Friends and family may visit Saturday morning from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. prior to the services. Interment will be at 2:00 p.m. in the Richfield City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions be made to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation – http://huntsmancancerfoundation.org. Special thanks to the many health care professionals who assisted and cared for Mary Kay’s needs through her illness.

This obituary ran in the following papers/services on Wednesday, June 11, 2008:
Salt Lake Tribune, Millard County Chronicle Progress, Richfield Reaper, Metcalf Mortuary

Hospice-tality

My mom has been undergoing treatments for cancer for about a year and half. Initially it was discovered in her lungs and liver, and since then it has spread to other areas of her body and most recently to her brain. This month she has been receiving radiation treatments, but on Wednesday when we met with her doctor, it was pretty clear that the treatments are not being effective. We decided to end all of her treatments, and she is now staying with us under hospice care. We are just trying to make her comfortable and as happy as possible for the remaining time she has left.

I’m so grateful to KayeLynne for being willing to take on this challenge, since my mom will need someone here 24 hours a day. Maya is also being a great helper…she loves taking care of people when they’re sick. I’ll be home in the evenings and trying to work from home as much as I can.

Do you want some waffles with your butter?

Maya decided to make waffles for herself and Elin while Brian and I were working in the yard.

The Ocho

Yesterday marked our 8th anniversary. It is hard to believe that it’s been 8 years…where did the time go? We didn’t really do anything yesterday, but we did get a chance to talk last night because the girls actually went to bed at a decent time for a change. It’s something small, but it feels like we don’t get a chance to just talk very often. It was fun. So in honor of our 8th, I’d like to list 8 things I love about KayeLynne.

1. She is a great Mom and our girls absolutely adore her.
2. She likes to live adventurously, even though we don’t seem to have many opportunities to do so.
3. She is a great friend to her friends and very thoughtful.
4. She magnifies her church calling, and supports me in mine.
5. We are equally opinionated about design matters (and most of the time our opinions are the same).
6. She was raised to know how to work.
7. She has the best smile and laugh of anyone I know.
8. She is totally hot.

The Civic has been replaced

We’ve finally replaced our dead Civic with a nice, yet reasonably priced, 2005 Nissan Altima. Brian was leaning toward a Scion xB, and I wanted an older Camry, but I thought the Scion looked weird, and Brian thought the older Camry looked like a grandma car. In the end, we both could agree that the Altima strikes the perfect balance for us. We are just glad to have it over with, buying a car can be time-consuming and stressful, especially with two little girls in tow.

Breakfast with Elin

Breakfast with Elin: A very short video of Elin eating breakfast. Shot with a Canon HG10, edited with iMovie ‘08.

Danny & Annie Perasa: Two in a million

Last night on Radio West, the guest was David Isay of NPR’s Story Corp project. Towards the end of the broadcast, there was a particularly touching story about a New York couple, Danny and Annie Perasa. Listen to their story.

The Civic is No More

This week, our car of 10 years was involved in an accident, and has been laid to rest within the mighty walls of a salvage yard. This car has been a constant throughout our friendship, courtship, and married life.  It has transported us and many good friends faithfully.  Many good times have been experienced within its door pillars, and many good tunes have passed through it’s speaker cones.  It is with sadness that we say “adieu”.