It's been quite a week

It is Sunday afternoon and I just finished eating one of the best home-cooked meals of my life. Rachel decided to try her hand at the Italian cuisine, and she pulled it off spectacularly! We had a great farfalle pasta with a tomato-and-goat-cheese side and bread dipped in seasoned olive oil...and it was all made from scratch. I am surely a lucky man.

Anyway, it has been quite the week for us. As always, I am busy in school (right now, my dentures class is taking more than it's fair share of my time) and Rachel is doing a million things at once. One of the things that takes a lot of her time is going to the dentist. She literally spends more time at the dentist office than she does at work. The latest news from all this dental work is that she is getting an implant for her front tooth. Right now she has a removable front tooth thing that she will wear for a couple of weeks before the whole implant process starts. It's sort of funny because sometimes she takes it out to eat and stuff, an people seem to find this pretty shocking! To all of you shocked people out there, fear not...the removable tooth is only a temporary thing.

Also, we got a new "toy" this week that we are pretty excited about. So, we had this really, really old DVD player that we got at a garage sell when we first got married. Seriously, it was like one of the first DVD players ever made. The problem was that it was starting to die on us, and it wouldn't play all of our DVDs (something with the formatting). Anyway, we decided it was time that we get a new one. As it turned out, we were at some friend's home a couple of weeks ago and they told us about a new technology called Clearplay. It is amazing! It is a DVD player that is programed to edit movies. You can rent movies from Blockbuster, or RedBox, or the Library (our favorite) and the DVD player does all the rest. You can change the settings to whatever level of editing you want in 14 different categories (violence, nudity, language, etc.). The DVD player has a program in it that plays the DVD in its edited form, but it doesn't change the actual disk (that way, the movie-rental place doesn't have a fit). It can do this for over 3500 movies, and they are constantly adding more. In fact, we have yet to find a movie that it can't edit.

So, we are now the proud owners of a Clearplay DVD player. It is great because we can now watch movies without having to worry about any "bad parts" popping up. Also, it is now possible to watch a lot of movies that we have always wanted to see but wouldn't because of an R rating. Right after we got it we watched Air Force One (rated R), and with the Clearplay filtering it was transformed into a PG or mild PG-13. Anyway, we are excited because we watch a lot of movies on account of not having any TV stations that work.

On a different note, our sweet little Eva was pretty sick all week. Maybe it was from the toxic green algae at the lake last week- maybe it is from kids that we are babysitting. Anyway, she was miserable all week. Saturday we finally saw a doctor, and it turns out that she had an ear infection, a cold, and a viral disease known as Roseola. Poor girl. She is starting to feel better now, but it has been a hard week.

Also on Saturday I went on a run. Well, not just a run- I was attempting to do a marathon (26 miles). I haven't really trained or anything (actually, I haven't run at all for a couple of months), but I am in pretty good shape so I thought I'd give it a shot anyway. I was feeling good and I made it as far as mile 16 when I felt something pop in the back of my knee- not the best news when you still have 10 miles to go. I ran a couple more miles, but started feeling this gross grinding sensation in that leg and I was nearly collapsing when I would put weight on it. So I stopped. I was actually pretty disappointed because I still felt pretty good (besides the stupid knee), but I didn't want to do any lasting damage. I guess the moral to the story is that mind-over-matter only goes so far, and then physics kicks in and it doesn't matter that you are ignoring the pain because even if you are trying to keep going there are physical forces that just can't be beat. Actually, that is sort of a dismal thought. Ignore it. Maybe the real moral of the story is that even if you are in pretty good shape you ought to train before attempting to run a marathon on a dirt trail.

Here's our sweet sick Evelyn. One good thing about her being sick is that she became very cuddly (usually, she is too interested in the world around her to spend time cuddling).

Here's me running toward the beginning of the "marathon." Shown below is Evelyn, who helped Rachel along the way to provide "aid stations" every once in a while (wherever the trail crossed the road). The cute PJs that she is wearing were a present that we received this week from my parents. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Autumn time is comming to Cleveland and it is beautiful! It has that Autumn time "feel" in the air that is charged with energy and fun, and the leaves are starting to change colors. The temperature has dropped just enough to warrant a sweatshirt for evening walks. It probably goes without saying now that this is my absolute favorite time of year.

We have had a great week to go along with this great season. On Tuesday evening Rachel and I went to watch the Cleveland Indians play ball. Neither of us are huge baseball fans, but CADA (the dental student wive's organization) had a great deal on tickets and we figured that we had to see at least one game if we were going to claim this place as our home. Go Tribe! Actually, we had a lot of fun watching the game and hanging out with friends. We're not about to buy season tickets, but I think that we will definately come to a few more games while we are here in Cleveland.

On Friday night we had some friends (Laurie and Jim) come over to our house for dinner and games. They are first year dental students here and it was fun to get to know them. For those who don't know, the demographics of the incomming dental class took a total 180 degree turn from previous years. There are only 6 families with children and 4 LDS students (I think) this year. In my class there are about 30 LDS students, and more than that many families with kids. Anyway, I don't know what that had to do with anything- just sort of an FYI.

On Saturday we went kayaking with our friends Scott and Kate. They just got a new play boat and we went out to a nearby lake to play around and practice rolling. It felt so good to get back in my boat, and I am excited that someone else that lives here in into that sort of thing. It has been over a year since my boat was on the water! We are going to have to do some rivers with them before everything dries up for the winter.

Here we are at the ball game with our friends, the Cowdens.

The lake was a fun place to hang out with the Homers. Unfortunately, we think that it contained "toxic algae," and we had a ranger lady tell us that we were tresspassing (but she let us stay there anyway).

Evelyn liked the lake also and squealed like a little pig (a cute little pig) the whole time she was in the water.

Here's Evelyn helping us to shred some paper...

...and here is a cute picture of her after she fell asleep.

This video is sure to make you smile. If you are having a bad day, watch this and it will make you happy!

A week without pictures

"February 17, 1983-
Logan turned 6 months old Monday. He weighs 16 lbs. 5 oz. now is still 26" long. He rolls all over the room and he's always screeching. We should have named him Tarzan. He's just happy though so we can't complain. We love him so much. He really is such a happy baby and he's so cute!"

That was a journal entry that my mom wrote about me when I was Eva's age. The cool thing is that Evelyn is exactly the same (actually she is one ounce lighter). I always knew that she was a daddy's girl!

Here in Cleveland we have finally been able to set a schedule that works pretty well for us. I usually wake up around 5:30 and get to school by 6. I then study for 2 hours before school starts. This makes it so that I don't have to study as much in the afternoons and on the weekends, and I am usually able to be home before 5:00 every day and not have to worry any more about school. It works well for us, since I get up early anyway, and it gives us time together in the afternoon. It also means that I can take Eva if Rachel has to go to work. Anyway, that is pretty much how the weekdays go in the Hazard home.

This weekend we were supposed to have a ward campout, but it was cancelled on account of rain. Instead we had a ward movie night with lots of good food. Everyone laid out blankets in the cultural hall of the church and we watched Curious George. The next morning there was a pancake breakfast. Really, it worked out great, especially considering the short amount of time that was given to put it all together.

Also, the scheduled campout motivated us to finally finish up the cornhole game that we have been making. All we had to do was sew beanbags, but for some reason we have not gotten around to it yet. Since we were planning to bring the game to the campout, it gave us a reason to finally complete the project.

On Saturday night some friends (The Homers) invited us over to their house for some delicious pecan pie and games. We babysit their little girl quite a bit and it is sort of surprising that we haven't gotten together before this. Anyway, we had a great time and we are looking forward to hanging out with them more, especially since they just got a new whitewater kayak to play with.

Just as a side note, Evelyn is the proud owner of a brand new front tooth (her first one). It has obviously been hurting her as it was coming in, but it finally broke through to give her a little reprieve from the constant pain and Tylenol- at least until the next one comes.

This is the only picture we have this week. These are the cornhole boards and bean-bags that we made (and my beautiful, unused kayak gathering dust in the back).

Normal Week

This week has been just a normal week for that Hazards. We had some Wal-mart trips (what would we do without Wal-mart?), dental visits (this is a normal occurrence as well), a few interpreting appointments, and some lazy nights at home together.

On Thursday night CADA had the annual welcome dinner for new student wives. CADA is an organization set up for dentist's spouses. I am the secretary again this year and I am excited for a new year! We have some fun events planned; "A Toothy Affair," elementary school presentations, our annual carnival, date nights, and many other fun things.

Sunday night we had a fun family night activity. We decided to bake and decorate sugar cookies. We have never done this before and have heard that sugar cookies can be quite finicky to bake. We made two cookie sheets and the second sheet turned out the best. The frosting was the difficult part. It held its shape really well for a few minutes, but then melted down into blobs. We will definitely be experimenting more in the future... The distant future. The cookies were great, but I think I am sugared out for the time being.

These are the cute kids that we babysit. Austin and Sala are so much fun to have around! Whenever Evelyn sees either of them she bursts into giggles! She gets a kick out of seeing kids her own size. Evelyn is turning out to be pretty musical! She loves the piano and the guitar and will play each and sing to herself for a good long time before getting tired. Also, this week she learned a new sound that she freely incorporates into her songs. It sounds like this: Ba Baaaa Ba Ba Baaaa Ba. She can't just talk, she has to be singing or squealing.

Here are some of the cookies we made. We have a ways to go before we can open shop. Rachel made the top ones and the bottom middle. I made the car and the boy.

Labor Day Road Trip!

Labor day was created in 1882 as the Central Labor Union sought to create 'a day off for the working citizens.'

As Logan and I celebrated Labor day this year we realized that neither of us knew the reason we had this liberating three day break. Logan shared with me that when he was younger he thought the day was to celebrate all women who have ever given birth (that is a fantastic reason for a holiday). I thought it had to do with people who work (labor), but I wasn't sure. Wikipedia to the rescue! We now know the true reason for our 3 day vacation.

As I finished this post, I talked to Logan and found out he had just finished writing about this week as well. I have gone through and added some of the things he wrote about. The italicized portions are his perspective. This is a very long post, but I enjoy having both of our perspectives for our journal.

We have had another fun filled week. LOTS of homework and studying for both of us, and a lot of play time for the weekend. We started our weekend at the beach reading together and watching the Cleveland air show. As the time neared for the Blue Angels to fly we decided to move downtown for a better view. The Blue Angels definitely did not disappoint. We had a great view of the action. We were also lucky enough to run into Crystal, Tyler and sweet little Emersyn to enjoy the show together.

The Blue Angels were there (at the air show) and they flew incredibly close to each other as they maintained perfect formation. It was spectacular, and it is no wonder that stunt pilots, like those that fly the jets for the Blue Angels, have a 10% on-the-job mortality rate. Why is it that watching other people risk their lives is so entertaining? Well, it is, and the air show was very cool.

That night we had a welcome dinner with Psi-O (a fun fraternity we belong to). Logan and I played a few rounds of cornhole (this is a beanbag throwing game that is VERY popular and VERY expensive to buy). Logan spent some time researching cornhole, then he built us our very own cornhole game. We are now in the process of making the beanbags (OK fine, this is my contribution to the game and I am severely slacking).

On Sunday morning we drove to Niagara Falls and spent the entire day hiking, viewing the falls, spending time in the Falls Discovery Center, and picnicking in the park. The falls were spectacular. The end to the perfect day was spent laying out near the colorfully lit falls and watching fireworks.

I was expecting the falls to be a pretty place, but with the beauty being obscured by throngs of people and overwhelming commercialism. What I didn’t realize was how cool the falls would be despite these distractions. I have never seen such a display of power in a river, and I have seen a lot of rivers! It was amazing to watch, hear and feel the thunder of the water as it went over the falls.

Also, we went to Whirlpool State Park, which is about three miles from the falls. It is a surprisingly quiet place and we were able to find relative seclusion for a picnic dinner. The park overlooks the Whirlpool Rapids in the Niagara Gorge- basically just a wave train- but BIG. Really Big!

After the fireworks we started our drive to Palmyra New York. We spent all of Monday exploring the church history sites in Palmyra. Just driving through the town thinking about the events that occur ed there, the spirit was very strong. We visited the Smith farm and spent some time in the beautiful Sacred Grove. No one knows the actually location of Joseph's prayer, but that makes it even more enchanting because it could have been anywhere. We then went over to the Hill Cumorah where Joseph received the plates. We watched a very well done movie about Joseph Smith, then we hiked up the path to the top of the hill. What a beautiful place.

We started out in the morning by going to the Sacred Grove. It was a beautiful place that had a peaceful feeling about it. You know- the kind of place where you feel like you shouldn't’t talk too loud. And then when you stop and realize the sacred events that took place in the area it becomes a very spiritual experience.

We went next to the Hill Cumorah, were we watched the Joseph Smith movie. It was really amazing to be there, in the very place where all of these things happened. For me it conferred an even greater sense of reality on things that I already knew and believed. It was somehow easier to picture the young Joseph as he discovered the plates, or to understand his confusion and desperation as he tried to tell his story to others who would not believe. I definitely left with a greater sense of gratitude for the sacrifices that Joseph Smith- and all of the early saints for that matter- made for the sake of the gospel truth. It makes me feel very blessed to have been born into a time and a place where I can live according to what I believe.

The most educational place we visited was the printing press where the original Book of Mormon was published. This was definitely a highlight because we learned so many cool things about how books used to be printed. I would never have been patient enough to go through that long process.

After the Hill Cumorah, we went to the Grandin Press, which was probably the most educational part of the whole trip. We learned all about how the printing process worked back in the early 19th century, and we even got our own printed copy of part of the Book of Mormon. I’ve often thought about the sacrifices involved with the obtaining and translation of the Book of Mormon, but I never realized the time, energy, and money that was required for the printing and binding process. It was a major hurdle, and it is nothing short of miraculous that it was able to be printed at all. It really goes to show that the Lord will provide a way for the truth to move forward.

Finally, we went to the Whitmer farm, where the church was officially organized. Again, it was amazing to think of the early saints gathering in this little log home and hearing the prophet talk about how the church would fill the earth and then going out and facing the trials they did because of their testimonies. Again, it makes me very thankful for what I have.

Evelyn was a perfect traveler! I think the highlight of her trip was 'captaining' the shopping cart (pictures below). This is her new favorite thing.

Here we are at the Cleveland Air Show. Evelyn did NOT like it when the airplanes flew over us. I think they scared her.

Here are a few pictures of as at Niagara Falls.

Cool tree fungus at the Sacred Grove

Rachel decided that she found "the spot" because there is a pillar of light.

After watching the olympics, someone told us to start training Evelyn to be a gymnist. Well, here's the best we can do for now.
Here we are at the top of the hill Cumorah. By the way, the hill Cumorah would make a killer sleding hill in the winter! (Am I the only one who thinks this way?)

This is Evelyn's new favorite thing. She just giggles the whole time she is up there. It's pretty cute and it makes a lot of people smile.