Happy Birthday!

Posted by Jordan

Yesterday, Naivie turned two years old!

McLain and Sheri brought Ben over for a little party, and our good friends Jake and Kate Neeley brought their little boy Clayton. We played with balloons, chased bubbles around the living room, had cake and ice cream, and opened presents. It was a total toddler riot.

I have to brag on Jaicee for a moment: This was her FIRST birthday cake. (Grandmas made cakes last year). Both of our moms always made fun theme cakes when we were growing up. Jaicee wanted to continue the tradition, and make a Nemo cake for Naivie. (Naivie LOVES Finding Nemo).

With the standard our mothers had set, Jaicee was pretty nervous about it turning out right. Even when it was done, she wasn't fully satisfied that it looked professional, but myself and the rest of us at the party were extremely impressed! It looks exactly like Nemo--And she didn't even have a pattern to work from! GOOD JOB JAICEE!!! It was an awesome birthday cake!

I'm so proud.

BUBBLES!

Naive was certainly queen for the day. She got a booster seat from Grandma Ross (so now she can sit at the table), a doll from Krista, some new pajamas and a big fuzzy pillow from us, a cool spinning globe toy thingy from the Berkleys, some flowers from Clayton, and she still has one more waiting in Moab from Grandma Knutson...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NAIVIE!!!

Couch Detectives

Posted by Jaicee

You would be surprised to know that Jordan and I have recently become detectives. We never knew we had the talent until just a few nights ago. Thanks to our neighbors, the Binghams (some of our favorite people in the world), we've been borrowing episodes of "Monk" on DVD lately, and have gotten hooked!

Jordan and I don't have TV in our house (We have a TV, but it's only hooked up to the DVD player). We haven't had TV since we were married, except for a few months in our home just before we left for Russia. Even then, we didn't watch a lot. It hasn't been until recently that we have had a little extra free time in the evenings and the need to divert our attention from the economic crisis that surrounds us... and neighbors who have every episode of every television series ever made on DVD.

For those of you who are not acquainted with Monk, it's a show about a homicide detective who suffers from severe OCD, germaphobia, and neurosis... he became this way when his wife was killed in a car bomb several years before. But the great thing is that he is the awesomest detective and can solve the toughest cases because he is so neurotic. He notices the tiniest details that no one else does. It's so hilarious to watch him and his nurse/assistant (whom he can't function without) try to solve the cases despite his issues. But he always does... right around thirty-five minutes into each episode.

So, a few nights ago we were watching after the kids had been put to bed, and within the first minute of the show, Jordan yells, "I've solved the case!"
"...What?!" I yell back.
"No really, I've solved the case." Knowing that we have never once been able to solve the cases before Monk did, and that it was only a minute into the episode, I just stared at him, unbelieving.

But the fact was, he did! By the end of the show, he had nailed every fact, except one which I had the pleasure of solving a little later in the show, but still before Monk. It was a momentous occaison! There was great pride in the Knutson household that evening...

...the evening we discovered we were couch detectives.

The Least Celebrated National Holiday

Posted by Jordan

About two weeks ago, my brother called to remind me that Saturday the 24th was a national holiday. I racked my brain, but had no idea what he was talking about. I was matter-of-factly informed that it is Neil Diamond's birthday.

Oh, THAT national holiday!

I was also told that we would be celebrating with a small party in his honor. And party we did. McLain and Sheri even made a guitar-shaped birthday cake:

We watched the Jazz Singer while eating barbecued, bacon-wrapped shrimp. Yeah, we know Neil Diamond is Jewish, and our grilled delicacy is far from kosher, but we like bacon. And shrimp. And barbecue.

So, for the sake of having an excuse to hang out with my brother and eat cake and barbecued meats...

Happy Birthday Neil.