To Laugh or Cry?
Maci let loose her first giggle yesterday. It was so cute we spent most of the day today trying to get her to giggle again. By the time we captured this video she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to laugh or cry!
Discussion with Maci
Mo has achieved the impossible, what I have attempted countless times yet failed. The elusive Jedi Knightess Maci has finally been filmed while discussing important current events. In all my attempts to capture these moments, all I ever came away with was the furrowed brow “nice try Dad” looks.
The Stig?
Some say he can sketch a portrait of Albert Einstein completely from memory, and that he survives solely upon pepperoni pizza. All we know is that he is called E-Bird!
Thanks Uncle Brian & Auntie Ann for the great t-shirts! The boys want to wear them every day!!!
Erik is a creative boy, and loves to draw. He created this portrait of Einstein for a report he did in school.
For those of you who do not know who The Stig is, you really need to check out my favorite BBC show called Top Gear. HERE is a link.
More of Maci
You will have to bear with me for a while, I am a first time Father of a girl and I want to brag about it to everybody (or at least until she becomes a teenager). Of course I think she is beautiful! Everybody agrees with me, right? Well if you don’t now, wait until I use my Jedi mind tricks on you…These aren’t the droids you are looking for, oh wait wrong one. Look at how beautiful she is:
Video of Maci
Most the pictures of Maci so far are of the eyes closed variety. Here is a video of her with her eyes open!
Maci Woods Janke
Mo delivered Maci Monday afternoon @ 12:52 in dramatic fashion. Her placenta unknowingly was partially covering her cervex (partial placenta previa). Mo began hemorrhaging heavily once her water broke and labor began dilating her cervix and tearing the placenta. She was rushed in for a C section, and Maci was delivered without incident. Mo however was in pretty bad shape. She continued to hemorrhage badly in the operating room and for hours afterwards. The bleeding was slowed and eventually stopped, but her hematocrit ( the proportion, by volume, of the blood that consists of red blood cells) eventually dropped to 18% (40% would be a normal reading for Mo). In order to increase her blood volume, which would take months if her body attempted to on its own, she received two units of blood on Tuesday. After the transfusions and some much needed rest Mo looks and feels much better, and is enjoying nursing and cuddling her wee little bundle. Throughout all these happenings Maci has been happy and healthy. She is a very beautiful 19.5 inches tall, and weighs 6 lbs. 11 oz. We really appreciate all the love and support from our family and friends.
Go Utes!!!
We had a great time watching the Utes this season! Henry is still drying out from the Colorado State game, Erik is ticked off that the Utes didn’t score a touchdown against TCU, and my voice has finally recovered from the BYU game! We can’t wait for next year!
Halloween in Canyon Country
Thanks to The Discovery Channel, I have been introduced to punkin’ chunkin’, and have seen it in high definition no less (for those of you that are unfamiliar with this mostly Mid-Western past time;HERE is a link to quell your curiosities). But when I randomly discovered that a punkin’ chuckin’ festival was being held in Moab, Utah on Halloween weekend, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to witness the spectacle first hand (it was a good excuse to go Jeepin’ too!). The Boys & I arrived on Thursday, and had made arrangements to stay in a wee cabin at the Moab Valley RV Resort. The cabin was great, and the park was perfect. We spent every night after dinner swimming in the great pool. Actually we were kicked out of the pool every night trying to push closing time “just a few more minutes…”! We spent all day Friday down in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. There is a great new visitor center that we spent some time exploring. The boys actually became sworn in Junior Park Rangers! We hiked to Road Side Ruin, explored Cave Springs & Cowboy Camp, and hiked the trail that crosses the mesa between the two Squaw Flat campground loops. They have put a hand rail (similar to Angel’s Landing in Zion) at the top. People must have been getting to close to the edge. I know I went way past “to close” countless of times growing up. Of course you can’t make a trip to the Needles without traversing Elephant Hill! It was in the worst shape I have every seen it! It was Wicked! I queried the Ranger regarding the condition of the Hill, He said it was mostly due to having been washed out twice since the last trail maintenance was performed. It was hard work getting over & back, but some great people from Boulder driving tricked out FJ80’s gave me some great spotting help. I haven’t been down to the Needles for about 15 years, even though we have been in and around the Moab area countless times during that same time period. Of course, some things have changed. But all the sights, sounds, and smells that have filled my memories were all confirmed and reinforced in that short day. I hope my next visit is after a much shorter interval! We spent most the day Saturday at the Halloween Festival. They had two “World Champion” punkin’ chunkin’ air cannons, some trebuchets, and a couple catapults. The air cannons were the most amazing thing I have ever seen! The sound they made was incredible, but what was most unbelievable was how far they were hurling those pumpkins! The air cannons were blasting a basketball sized pumpkin 5,500 feet! Over a mile! It was so amazing to watch a pumpkin fly a mile through the air! I know it probably sounds pretty silly, but this is one event that is much more exciting to witness in person than to watch on The Discovery Channel! I hope you have enjoyed this mini travel log, we really enjoyed the adventures. I have included some pictures, including one of the the cannons!
The Fall…
This title has so many meanings. It is one of my favorite times of the year. A chill in the air, the Gambel Oak and Quaking Aspens setting the mountains ablaze with their reds and yellows. The anticipation of the holidays, and what joys and new traditions they may bring. But today it justly describes the events in South Bend, Indiana. The Utes fall has been swift, just like the leaves from my giant Maple trees! I found a couple Utes fans buried beneath the leaf pile in my front yard. They were in great spirits! Perhaps it is a great Fall season after all…
Talese Janke Turner
I have created a memorial page for all of the many friends and family who loved Talese to share their thoughts, & memories of her.
Talese Janke Turner Memorial Page
Talese, we love & miss you!!!