The Gatten Gang

Inaugural Excitement--the pics!

2009-01-21T09:16:00.000-08:00

A (sort of) Golden Ticket!!

Section 12 was the lower left part of the orange area above. Essentially, we were on the lawn of the Capitol. We weren't ridiculously close, but you felt like you might be when there were so many people behind you!!

To say the least, it was a teensy bit crowded on the Metro...

Nate with Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungee.

This is how close we were--we had better seats than Jaime Foxx!!

And Linda Carter!

But Halle was there before us.

And Forrest had better seats than us--section 10.

But we were better off than a lot.

Yes there are literally people holding flags as far as the eye can see.

Can you see Aretha?

Or Obama? The white column in the center of the stage is where all the action took place.

He's a little speck-y (and this pic is very crooked!).

And the ceremony was over. We spent about four hours in 12-14 degree weather. Brr!

My favorite moment of the day!

President Uchtdorf and Elder Ballard, both Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These are church celebs, if we have such a thing--way cooler for us than anyone else we saw or heard that day (sorry O).

One last shot, from the orchestra pit directly under the podium.

Inaugural Excitement

2009-01-20T18:37:00.000-08:00

For most of you that know us well, the Gattens are pretty big "Rs". But when you live in DC, sometimes you have to cross party lines & celebrate w/your friends across the aisle. So we did! Not without help though--many many thanks to Akiko for manning the home front--it was really nice to know the kids were having fun & it wasn't costing us a mint to be out of the house w/out them. We owe ya!

The day was cold, the Metro crowded, but the spirit that was in the hearts of the attendees was strong. Crowds were singing on the Metro, chanting occasionally--generally having a good time. Everyone was chatty and smiling and we were all friendly, something you don't really see in a big city. We were lucky enough to have decent tickets to the swearing in ceremony and escaped the crowds. I actually felt pretty bad when the line for the blue & silver tickets snaked around worse than the line for Space Mountain at Disney....and we walked right through security. We left our house at 720 and were in our seats by 915. Our section was at the foot at the Capitol, and our seats ended up being towards the front of the section, about 1/4 of the way back.

On our way to our seats (hooray for seats!!), I saw a tall dude who looked familiar & nudged Nate--who's that? Turns out that Tony Dungee, former coach of Super Bowl Champs the Indy Colts, is a really nice guy who let our group snap a few pics w/him. We were in our seats when Jaime Foxx went by--didn't have my camera out :( but then I heard that Halle Berry was sitting 20 rows ahead of us and I decided to become a celeb stalker!! On my way up there I ran into Lynda Carter aka Wonderwoman, and then found Halle. A supernice woman motioned for me to hand her my camera when the crowd around Halle was a bit thick--she took a really great shot for me (to be posted later--the camera went to a ball).

So then I was hooked & wandered around trying to see what/who I could see. I ran into some friends of ours from DC that used to live in NY & now live in Chicago--the Daleys, which was fun & then I tried to find Alicia Keyes but didn't. I did see Forrest Whittaker though.

The ceremony was good, the crowds didn't boo Bush--surprise there--and my feet got really really cold. I've decided feeling them was overrated. Obama's speech was good, but the prayer that wrapped it all up was the icing on the ceremonial cake. He prayed that the races would be kind to one another w/admonitions like "yellow, let it mellow" and "white, get it right" to which everyone cheered, laughed and amened. It was a hoot.

BUT THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY DAY WAS---on the way out we ran into the head of the Church's National Affairs office, with none other than President Uchtdorf and Elder Ballard (fyi: numbers 3& 8 in leadership of a church of 15 million--not bad, after seeing the newest leader of our country be sworn in.). I've not met any of the Twelve Apostles in person (okay, I saw Pres Hinckley speak and President Monson too a few years back, but not handshaking, picture-taking met) and it was AWESOME! I took their picture in front of the Capitol (and almost didn't give President Uchtdorf his camera back hee hee) and then Nate and I got our picture with them. Elder Ballard apologized that he put his hat back on for our picture, but it was so cold we didn't mind. President Uchtdorf asked where we were from, and Nate managed to talk to him, but I was speechless--regrettably now, of course. But it was an unexpected delight and I was thrilled to talk to my children about it when we got home.

When my camera's back from the ball, I'll post my pics!

2009-01-02T19:54:00.001-08:00

Soooo... I just updated my reading list, and I realize just where all my time is going. Eh--you love what you love!!

2009-01-02T19:08:00.000-08:00

I'd like to say the holidays have me behind on my blogging. But that wouldn't really be true. It's life (and the fun trips I took over the past few months--hee hee)... Here's an update--

Thanksgiving--Went on a cruise to the Caribbean w/my folks, my older brother Cory and younger bro Rob and his girlfriend Amanda. Super fun!!

The kids were super excited to see the ship...

And we were super excited to finally get on it & sail away!

My mom & me :)

Cory, Nate & Dad.

We had a great time at all of our stops--Roatan, Honduras (top), for snorkeling, a random island in Belize for beaching. There was a water trampoline at our little cay that the kids had dreamt about for weeks before we left. The loved it. Cache collected a million seashells & Zach fell in love with strong Hawaiian punch, thanks to him & Grandma hitting the bar regularly. What a mustache!! Jay was brave enough to go snorkeling, and took to it like a fish. No hesitation about sticking his face in the water. Not a lot to see there, but his next opportunity was where there was lots of fish and he went crazy. He's generally not the brave one, so that was really fun for he & I to share.

Cozumel, Mexico (top), was AWESOME because my parents watched the kids and Nate & I went diving. No pictures of the cool fishies we saw--rays, barracuda, turtles, lobsters, etc--sorry. Drift diving along a crazy steep drop off was something else. That whole abyss thing--wow. I learned what it really means to swim against the current--and I don't recommend.

The Bahamas were pretty--and the notion of the "ship's private island" was cute, until we realized everyone from our ship (all 2800 of us) was going to be on the same beach. Not so cute. But we made the most of it :) --Jay was having fun being a goofball, away from the crowds.

More to pics to come, when less bloggers are blogging...

You never know what the Lord has in store for you...

2008-10-08T18:06:00.000-07:00

When I was blog-stalking (instead of doing my dishes & laundry), I read an interesting entry on Andrea Schultz's blog about a friend of hers who had passed away--young, vibrant mother of four young children who left this world v. unexpectedly. Andrea had the link to her blog, which was more than a little surreal to read, and I found myself needing to learn more about this amazing woman. So I found one of her sister's blogs--wow. If you have a minute, see Ginger's blog--her final entry is ...I can't put it into words really. Then see her sister's blog to get the back story. If you need a little reassurance that the Lord knows each of his children and guides their lives each day--these will give you a fat dose, I promise.

www.jasondgingerd.blogspot.com

www.cottons.blogspot.com

Bollywood, part II

2008-10-03T19:25:00.001-07:00

So Jenny (my date) and I stepped a little outside of our comfort zone, and dressed to the nines for the wedding/anniversary celebration. Sudha offered us some of her traditional clothes when I mentioned I was bringing Jenny. It was very kind of her, but I so didn't think I could talk Jenny into it (she's a little preppy). Needless to say, these were not outfits you'd find at Gap. To her credit, she was totally enthusiastic (maybe even more than me!!) and got way into it. We were a little nervous when we pulled up to the reception (we felt a teensy bit out of place in Georgetown on a Sat night), but then we just went for it. And it was great!!

I'm wearing an embroidered silk tunic over pants, and Jenny has a skirt, matching top and a long layering top. Both were beautifully made, with great attention to detail. The embroidery on my tunic was made with gold thread, sequins and beading. Jenny's "vest" was a metallic lace, with beading and embroidery. We decided to wait until after the drive to put on the shoulder-scarves that went w/our outfits. You can see mine over the lamp!

Sudha was excited to see us, and we fit right in. The other members of our ward that were there were surprised at our bold fashion choices and more than a little jealous!

The Bride & Groom

Neha's sari was encrusted (literally) with jewels, metal embroidery, the works. I whispered it her ear "Is your dress heavy?" Her reply was one of an exhausted woman, "Oh my goodness, it is so heavy!!" in her delightful accent.

The evening was wonderful. I can't remember being so entertained at a wedding. There were a series of performances by friends and family members where they danced and lip-synched to music, acting out the story of Neha & Kart's courtship and engagement. The songs were in Indian, so I couldn't tell you much of the story. But it was beautiful!

The food was all Indian. I had fun trying different things, Jenny not so much. But she may have been proved the smarter woman; my stomach was not happy the next day. Much grumbling!

Then the dancing began. It was amazing and intimidating--these folks could bust a move, even the men my dad's age! These were the cutest sisters; I think they were six and eight. Adorable! And could they dance!

We were having a great time, laughing about I don't remember what. But this is generally what happens w/Jenny and me. We get a little giddy and act tipsy.

Then we got just plain goofy.

I couldn't resist this shot of my hennaed hand and the embroidery.

Bollywood in DC

2008-09-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

So my friend Sudha (from Church) sent us an invite to her son's wedding last year, which was in India. Needless to say, we didn't make it. This summer, they were kind enough to invite us to the state-side festivities: the "anniversary party". I think it's a great idea--have a far-flung wedding, then invite all the friends & family that couldn't make it to a huge party a year later. As a bride, you'd actually enjoy it!

Then Sudha invited to me to a ceremony that's traditionally held the night before the wedding, called Mehndi. The women all get together & have henna applied to the palms of their hands, and the bride's designs stretch from fingertip to elbow. The bride's feet and calves can be decorated too, but since this was not the real wedding, they didn't go that far. It was fun to meet the bride and groom (Neha and Kart), and some of their friends and family.

The henna goes on like frosting from little tubes, and you have to leave it on for six hours before you wash it off. It takes awhile to set, so everyone was walking around the suite with their hands in "arrest" mode. All of the bride's family kept offering to feed her; it was really cute. The henna artist did the backs of my hands because she thought it would last longer there. So a little non-traditional, but I loved looking at them. My neighbor had gone to India for her sister's wedding & warned me her henna stayed for months (!). Luckily, the state-side version is watered down. Mine lasted a little more than a week. It might have lasted longer, but I was paranoid of it breaking up in the night and staining my sheets, so I scraped it off with a butter knife before I went to bed. It hurt!!

Sudha and her d-i-l Neha.

Sudha's palms are hennaed v. the backs of my hands. The black is the dye; when it comes off, the markings are brown.

Fair Time

2008-09-28T12:57:00.001-07:00

Somehow, we've never made it to the Montgomery County Fair. Where I grew up, the fair is HUGE--it's where my parents catch up w/all their friends, old and new, and you could spend hours going through each building of homemade goods, 4H projects and vendors. At this fair, I couldn't even find! the projects building. Only the veggie competition barn. And since they had been sitting out all week in our lovely humid summer weather, even the prize-winning pumpkin was looking a little worse for wear.

So we went to see what we could see--Akiko and me, and our peeps. We rode the shuttle from the entrance to the animal barns. And when I say "shuttle" what I really mean is tractor pulling a trailer w/some seats rigged on it. Interesting, to say the least. The kids loved it of course!

We went through one "exotic" animal barn. A sow w/piglets, alpacas, goats, mini-horses, sheep, and some chicks. I would have taken more (read: some) pictures, but I had a hard time keeping Cache from climbing into the animal pens (he's mastered climbing chain-link fence--scary!!).

We decided to grab some lunch, but didn't make it past the tractor area. I think we were there for half an hour! Even Ako's girls were way into it--who knew?!

Watch out Grandpa--I'll be ready to cut your hay next summer!

Someone's having a little too much fun. Farming isn't all flashy chrome & glamour Zach!

The Big Daddy. Mia wanted to ride it too, and I might have had to push her mother up into the cab via her rear. Might have, I say...

These guys were just too cute. They all plopped down on the pavement to watch a (good, but over-ego'ed) magician. l-r: Cache, Mia & Zach.

Then we went to see the chickens (lots of crowing from some crazy roosters!) but crapped out before we made it to the bunny area. We rode the "shuttle" back and had just loaded the car when the heavens opened. Opened!! We were luckier than some; just before the weather changed, we saw one poor girl w/a toddler on her hip who couldn't find her car. We couldn't help but feel sorry for her and the families we met on the way out that had just gotten to the fair. It rained crazy-hard, and for better than half an hour!

August

2008-09-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

Amazing--I'm catching up! Albeit slowly.

This summer, Emma & Jay jetted to the West for time with each set of grandparents. Emma was in UT w/the Gattens, going to Cousin Camp for the first time. (Cousin Camp is when all the cousins, 8 and up, spend a week w/Grandma & Grandpa Gatten. There's usually a big adventure--dino dig, river rafting, dude ranch--it's impressive.) This year there were 9 cousins total (they've lost a few to summer jobs) and they went on a Pioneer Trek, hit a rodeo somewhere in Northern Utah, tubed/rafted down the Provo River and went to Temple Square. Loads of fun.

Jay, on the other hand, went to California and visited my folks. They rode horses, 4-wheelers, went fishing, etc. All the fun stuff you can't do in the burbs! Jay had two pet kittens that slept in his room; he even got to name them: Spot and Stripe. Then they loaded up, drove to Utah, picked up Emma and went to Bear Lake. They rode bikes all over, cooked over the campfire (inc. smores), went swimming AND jetskiing in the lake. Then they made friends w/a family that had a ski boat and went speed-tubing.

While they were having all these adventures, I was enjoying my two little boys. After a hectic summer (what other kind of summer can you have w/4 kids, I wonder?), it was nice to really chill and take it easy. Nate and the older kids were gone for nearly three weeks, so it was a nice stretch.

We spent one long weekend at the beach (Bethany Beach, DE) with our good friends the Huguelys--Scott, Jenny, Michael & Nicholas. They have been kind enough to have us at Tootsie & Pop's beach house (Scott's parents, who we love!) for quite a few summers now; it's always a blast. It was fun to have all our boys playing side by side. It wasn't always peaceful, but they were always busy! So much for relaxing beach reading--I think Jenny and I each read one People magazine apiece. But they were good ones!

Scott was nice enough to carry Zach out into the waves. After Cache and I ate it once, I was a little nervous about packing a heavier kid out there.

Fun at the beach isn't limited to the sand and surf; you've got to hit the boardwalk too! One afternoon we headed north, to Rehobeth. They have a great old-school boardwalk amusement park called Funland; the rides start at 30 cents. It's a blast for kids this age.

The boys loved the motor boats. The bells were cute. Not cute: Nick trailing his fingers in the festerous boat pool. Nothing we could do about it though!

Michael and Zach spent some time sizing up this car ride. Wish I had given it the same consideration. My stomach isn't what it used to be!! The boys rode w/Jenny and screamed and laughed the whole way. Cache & I shared a car; we didn't have as much fun. I was ready to get off...and then it went backwards. Blech. But we survived!!

Am I going to toss my cookies??

Blogging whaaat???

2008-09-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

Phooey. Life got away from me--AGAIN. I'm starting to see a trend here... I only have 6 posts to catch up on. That should only take a few minutes, right?

Here's the nutshell for the month of August.

1--Went to Bethany Beach DE w/Scott, Jenny & their boys. FUN!

2--Hit Montgomery County Fair--my boys love tractors!!

3--Went to Mehndi for my friend Sudha's son's wedding (yes that's MY hand)

4--Dressed to the nines for said wedding--Jenny was such a good sport.

5--School's back in--hooray!!

The real stories await--but I've got to go to bed. Which begs the Q--do I really have time for this? Eh. Showering's overrated, right??

"Twister's Comin" and Hen-zilla

2008-07-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

We went to Homestead Farm on Tuesday, and when we got there, it was surprisingly cool and breezy. But breezy became windy as a (thankfully brief) storm blew in. We were in the peach orchard when the first drops came down, and if I didn't know better, I'd think Jay had been watching a lot of doomsday tv. He ran between the trees screaming "WE HAVE TO FIND SHELTER!!!

We eventually did hide out in the store, but then it cleared up enough for us to wander around the animal pens and have a picnic. Joining us on our adventure was: my friend Akiko and her girls, Michael Huguely (spending the morning with us while his mom was in NYC), and our faithful sitter Jeni, who found all the good peaches.

Everything's coming up roses now.

Our farm animal tour was fun, including the cutest goat I'd ever seen--it was pitch black. For me to say a goat was even remotely cute is bizarre--I don't care for them at all. They have weird pupils. Really!!

The highlight was this over-plumed chicken. Emma dubbed her "Henzilla!"

Bonding

2008-07-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, our good friends the Lattins had us over to dinner. Even though they haven't lived here for many years (3/4?--I've blocked it out) we have stayed in touch & visited each other from time to time. So our kids think of "Dr. Grant" and "Miss Ako" as members of our "heart family" (people we capital-L love, but aren't related to). But since their kids are smaller, we have to work on the reverse. Mia and I mostly communicate with giggles and smiles, and I am "Annette-o-san" (which, Nate learned, is a sign of respect). So Nate's been stepping up his game so Mia will warm up to him (jealous, dear?). Just recently he graduated to "Natosan"--we're so proud!!

Note the highly-coveted beverage cooler. My kids were entranced.

Meg is such a cutie! We like her mom too.

The Curls Are No More!!

2008-07-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

Sooooo... I made a CRITICAL error last Friday. I was combing Cachie's hair, and noticed just how long it was. "Fun to put in a ponytail," I thought. And it was. So cute!! But the err occurred when I took pictures AND showed it to a few friends and my husband. The haircut occurred within 24 hours.

Here's a few BEFORE...

And after.

DC Adventures

2008-07-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

Secret Spots in DC: Library of Congress (beautiful paintings and architecture) and Supreme Court's Spiral Staircase (v. cool).

Crab Carnage!! Great dinner at the Bethesda Crab House.

My niece Megan is adorable, even when she's covered in crab juice.

Oren, Amy & Jacob Gatten (Layton UT)

The Hinckleys (Columbus IN) and Nate's folks (Kaysville UT)

Ka-Blooey/Happy Bday USA

2008-07-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

We had a great spot to watch the fireworks--thanks to my nephews & b-i-l Nate who endured the rain that afternoon. Our neighbors were the best--2 dudes high as kites--who particularly enjoyed tripping on the glow necklaces Sheri brought for everyone. I may have twirled mine around a time or two just to entertain them ;)

Some of us handled the late night better than others!

More Adventures

2008-07-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

Almost the whole Gatten family was here for the 4th/E's baptism. We had fun seeing the sites with them, swimming in their pool, jumping on their hotel beds, and watching the 4th of July fireworks on the National Mall.

Cache loves his Aunt Sheri! But Aunt Sheri & Grandma DO NOT love the Metro. They had to get seats & ride facing forward or else they'd get sick. Nate's mom is just about to blow chunks. Also, that's Nate, Cache and me with our cute nephew Colton--off to the Y is just a few short weeks!

Bringing Things Up To Speed

2008-07-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

So I'm a little behind, but we've had some fun and exciting adventures lately that I can't bear to leave out. First and foremost: Emma was baptized on July 5th (Grandpa Gatten's birthday). Lots of family & friends were there, and it was a very special day for her. She was esp. excited about her cake: purple & pink flowers, her name was on it, AND it was 2 flavors. Funny Story re: the cake--Michelle was so sweet to pick it up, along with all the other refreshments. Long story short, she thought she paid for the cake...but didn't. We totally ate stolen cake! At church!! (fyi: I've since made reparations to the bakery counter at Giant.)

Shots: the proud grandparents, family, parents, & good friends, Ben & Jeni Johnson.

Leaving Our Mark

2008-07-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

As a few of you have seen, our backyard has undergone a bit of a facelift (long overdue!) and the final pieces are finally falling into place. One morning as we were heading out, the cement truck pulled into our driveway to pour the concrete pad for our backyard basketball court. I thought we were going to miss our chance, but our nice contractor got one corner ready so the kids could make hand prints.

Note my death grip on Cache and his cementy hands as I mark initials and the year!

It Begins...

2008-06-05T19:29:00.000-07:00

So here I go!! I know you've all been thinking either: a) Annette will never get to it, or b) if we keep up the full-court press, she'll eventually crack! So I've caved, but I'm excited about this new adventure--here goes...