Hardy Worth Your Time

davehardy shared an Instagram photo with you

2011-05-20T14:23:00.001-07:00

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"Michael Roe @ Barton Church, May 19, 2011"

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The Instagram Team

davehardy shared an Instagram photo with you

2011-04-19T20:28:00.001-07:00

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"Jocelyn at 12 weeks."

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davehardy shared an Instagram photo with you

2011-04-08T12:06:00.001-07:00

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"Jocelyn at about 1 month. "

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The Instagram Team

How to golf without a club

2010-01-02T19:32:00.000-08:00

Dean has taken notice over the past year that his Daddy and Papa Ron both like to golf. How does a two-year-old, aspiring golfer practice when he doesn't have clubs? Observe...

Cheers!

Red Pepper

2009-08-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

Dean and I just got in from our very first red pepper off our own plant. He insisted on eating most of it. He is very excited about growing his own food and then eating it, but then again, when in his life has not been excited about food! Enjoy.

Blog "Dump" Time...

2009-07-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

...that is, it's time to dump a bunch of photos on the blog because we're terribly behind. I'm pretty sure we're at the point where people have forgotten we even have a blog, but for the faithful who keep checking back, you've hit pay dirt. Enjoy!

Dean really enjoys washing the car. His babysitter let him help her wash their car the first time. Let's just say it's a good thing he had a spare change of clothes with him!

As a protective measure, we took off his shirt the first time he had berry pie. There's no use making messes you can't clean up, right?

Some things never change. Dean still LOVES reading books. In this photo, his Great Grandma Sarah is reading Aladdin to him.

Doesn't he look cool in Daddy's shades?

But not so cool he can't give his Mommy a kiss. What a nice guy!

More reading, this time with Grandpa.

The first time we took him to the park to go on the swings, he had a really hard time leaving. I almost forgot how much fun swings are.

Mommy had to help him go down the big slide. Between you and me, I think she would have slid down by herself...

Dean is fascinated by animals. We bought a membership to the Zoo this year, so it's an easy family outing. (It's also tax deductible, dollar for dollar, so why would we not buy a membership?)

This was a great find. A friend of ours tipped us off that the local community center was trying to offload their kid stuff for free. One of the items was this HUGE castle. Big thanks to Sarah on this one... the thing is several hundred dollars brand new.

A shot from another perspective. Dean asks every day if he can go outside to play on his castle. Great fun!

More reading, this time with Mommy.

For 4th of July weekend, we were in Central Oregon, enjoying the warm weather. Dean got his first chance to go swimming, which was a lot of fun for all of us. He was also really excited to try out his Spider Man board shorts.
The pool had miniature life jackets, so I strapped one on Dean and helped him learn to float on his back. Check out the video!

He even figured out that he needs to kick (though I simulated the movement so he would get the idea).

Cheers!

Dean's Improved Counting Skills (caught on video!)

2009-04-25T20:22:00.000-07:00

Wow! I was trying to get some footage of Dean "counting," and ended up with this. This is his first time counting from 2 to 10 (I have to start him with 1) all by himself!

What a smart boy!

Cheers!

Trekkie Training (continued)

2009-04-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

He's made progress...

Cheers!

Dino's "New Math"

2009-04-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

I overheard Dean counting the pieces in one of his puzzles...

"Two, eee, foe, fie, sick, nie, TEN! YAAAAY!"

Spring Break at the Beach: Year Two

2009-04-04T14:49:00.001-07:00

It was our second year spending Spring Break in Seaside with Beka's family (the Thomas side). We had a great time and came back with all kinds of photos. Dean was old enough to enjoy the beach, interaction with his cousins, and plenty of attention from grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

Enjoy the photos!

The second day we were there, we went down to the beach after dinner and the weather was wonderful. There was no wind and it was almost warm enough to not wear a coat. Dean and Beka looked especially "cool" in their sunglasses.

I think this will replace our current family photo on the blog. What a great shot of Dean smiling!

The next few photos were some great, "artistic" shots I took while the sun was setting.

I especially like this one!

Here's Beka and her sisters Jennifer and Christina

Dean and his uncle Greg found a sand dollar further down the beach. At one point, Dean decided he'd see if it was edible. Fortunately, it didn't break.

Dean enjoyed his first experience with wet sand. It was fun to watch him try to figure it out... not so fun to clean up the mess afterward.

As I mentioned above, Dean enjoyed playing with his cousins. Dean and Joel played with blocks on several occasions, though it took Dean some time to figure out that it wasn't fun for other kids when he knocked down their "towers" (even though it's great fun at home).

The "family shot" circa 2009

Ah yes... what fun to have kids gang up on me to try to tickle me (not really). Aliya and Emma did their best to overpower me, and even Dean got in on the action. I'm glad they enjoyed themselves... and no one got hurt.

Dean spent a lot of time being excited that one of his "papas" were around.

Cheers!

Trekkie Training

2009-01-05T12:43:00.000-08:00

Need I say more?

Cheers!

Arctic Blast - Part 3

2008-12-23T16:26:00.000-08:00

After the snow stopped around dusk last night, I was struck by how peaceful it was outside and tried to capture it with some long-exposure photographs.

This is a neighbor's house (I've always liked that house) taken from our driveway. The blue glow of dusk, combined with the snow is amazing!

This is our house (Christmas tree through the window), taken from across the street.

The street we live on... by this time, the sky was dark.

Cheers!

Arctic Blast - Part 2

2008-12-22T14:10:00.001-08:00

Here are some new photos from "out Sandy way." All of these were taken from inside through the windows, but they don't look too bad. We have significantly more snow than in the photos from the post from last night (probably about 12 inches more).

This photo is of our backyard. As you can see, the arborvitae are seriously leaning under the weight of the ice and snow. I don't look forward to this spring when I have talk to the landlord of that property and try to convince him to trim those... yikes!

I just cleared that car off yesterday! As you can see, the mailbox pole is slowly being buried, as is the Japanese maple.

The snow on our deck is piling up. We're taking bets new as to whether or not the snow will reach the rail.

The Chinese cherry tree is leaning under the weight of the ice and snow, too.

With the arborvitae leaning down, we can see chimneys for three houses from our bedroom window now. Those trees in the background are magnificent!

Here's my "artsy" photo... actually, Beka's "artsy" photo. Nicely done, Bek!

One more photo of the maple in the backyard with ice and snow, and the neighbor's fence in the background.

Cheers!

Arctic Blast - Photos

2008-12-21T16:37:00.000-08:00

As the snow started to really pile up, we noticed that the lights along our yard were submerged. When we plugged them in, this was the result.

Here's a long exposure shot I took of some lights on a tree in our front yard. I do like the snow!

What I don't like is the freezing rain and ice. In an attempt to make sure we don't have a layer of ice on our car too thick to penetrate (in case we are actually be able to get out on Christmas to be with our families), I started it up and chiseled the ice off with a scraper. I had no idea it would be so thick...

...half an inch thick, to be exact!

Cheers! (and stay warm)

Some Videos from the Past Few Months

2008-12-20T19:18:00.000-08:00

Dean loves rocking chairs. This one is at Grandma's house. It's an antique rocking chair that was given to her by her dear friend, Sal.

As I mentioned in a prior book, Dean loves his books! He also likes to say "WOW" when he sees things he likes. Combine the two and you get this incredibly cute video.

Dean learned about a month or so ago that he not only has a nose, but knows where to find it!

Dean likes his drum, and recently figured out how it "works." He especially likes drumming along with music (though his rhythm needs work yet). How appropriate that we'd have a "little drummer boy" emerge around Christmas time...

This is a common occurence around our house. Dean will often approach us with a book in his hand, eager for us to read to him.

It sounds like he's saying "no," but he's really saying "snow." He's been very excited about the winter weather we've had lately.

Cheers!

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

2008-12-18T16:21:00.000-08:00

Beka and I have enjoyed several "snow days" off from work this week, today being the first with a substantial amount of snow. Dean has been very excited about it, and enthusiastically says "SNOW!" when he sees it falling outside (Beka taught him that this morning). Enjoy the photos!

From earlier today when it was snowing hard.

Preparing for a trek in the snow...

Beka let Dean eat some snow, but he wasn't quite sure about it.

Afterward, he gave mommy a nice, cold kiss.

Playing in the snow is a family affair!

After we came inside, I let Dean wear my gloves to keep his hands warm. What huge hands!

Merry Christmas...
...and Cheers!

Thanksgiving and the Beginning of the Christmas Season

2008-12-18T14:11:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Central Oregon again this year with Beka's dad, and had a great time relaxing, watching football, and eating lots of good food.

We also visited Sun River to see the gingerbread houses on display for a competition they hold every year. It was fun to see Sun River again this year as they do a great job decorating for Christmas. When we used to stay in Sun River, it was often the first real taste of the coming holiday season, which is always a welcome sight... this is easily my favorite time of year.

Dean really enjoyed spending time with his Grandpa Ron. He calls him "umpa" which is very entertaining to hear.

We also visited the High Desert Museum. They have an area that's made to look like a pioneer settlement, complete with saw mill, people in costume, and animals. As many of you know, Dean loves to tell people what various animals say, including chickens. When he saw his first real, live chicken, he was enthralled! He got especially excited when he heard them "talking," so he spent the rest of the time making chicken noises. What fun!

I thought this was a pretty good photograph... a profile of three generations.

Dean also loves reading books, even more than he likes to play with toys, if you can believe that. He likes to read them by himself, but if your lap is empty, he prefers someone else to read to him. Who wouldn't?!

A week or so after we got back from Thanksgiving break, the three of us went to get our Christmas tree. It was a great day for it with no rain at all (which we were afraid we would have to contend with). We picked the shortest tree we've had for the past four years, and it looks really nice in the house. The front room doesn't look as cramped as years past, and it was A LOT easier to put up.

Dean loves the Christmas tree! Whenever he sees it with the lights on, he says, "WOW!" We wonder if he thinks Christmas trees are called "wows" since he says it for every Christmas tree he sees now. He's such a cute little boy.

We hope your Christmas season is happy and filled with the love God showed us when He sent His son on that very first Christmas night!

From the Hardy family, Merry Christmas!

Happy Halloween

2008-11-11T14:04:00.000-08:00

Halloween was a lot of fun with Dean this year. He wasn't old enough to go trick-or-treating, but he did enjoy the pumpkins. A few days before Halloween, we went to the pumpkin patch.

Dean was fascinated by all of the pumpkins, so we followed him as he wandered through the patch in wide-eyed amazement.

At one point, he sat down right in the middle of four large pumpkins and had a hard time getting out. With his orange shirt on, he looked like he fit right in!

Once we found the right pumpkins, we loaded them into a wheelbarrow, along with Dean, and looked around the place. Liepold Farms does a great job with their harvest-time festivities.

Dean really enjoyed riding around with the pumpkins in the wheelbarrow...

...and he really enjoyed his own miniature pumpkin, too.

We thought about getting Dean a Yoda costume for Halloween, but he got a Superman outfit for his birthday, complete with cape. He looked really cute in it!

Maybe we'll get the Yoda costume next year.

Happy Halloween! (a week or so late)

Cheers!

The birthday party

2008-11-10T13:51:00.001-08:00

I know, this post is a month (or more) overdue, but better late than never, right?

Dean's first birthday was a lot of fun in spite of the fact that Beka and I both woke up sick with terrible colds. We were able to push through the day, however, and still throw Dean a fun party with almost all our family and friends. Enjoy the photos!

On the morning of Dean's birthday, we let him open up a present from Dr. Kutz and Laurie as a practice run. They gave him a copy of his favorite book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. He did a pretty good job ripping through the paper.

Once we arrived at Connie's house, Dean showed off by sitting in Grandma's little rocking chair (which he refused to do on previous occasions). He even got the rocking motion down pretty well.

When it was time for presents, Dean was a little more reserved than the practice run we'd had with him that morning. Fortunately, he had help and managed to unearth all of his gifts from their wrappings. Everyone was very generous! Dean enjoys his new toys, books, and clothes.

When it was time for cake, we stripped him down into just a white onesie, figuring any nice clothes would get ruined pretty quickly.

Because he loves food so much, we figured he'd tear right into the cupcake, but he was pretty hesitant to even touch it with his hands. He started at it for a bit, and even tried to bend over and eat it with just his mouth (which wasn't very successful).

Finally,Grandpa Ron come over and helped him get started.

Once he got the idea, he had no problem enjoying chocolate for the first time.

Once he was about done, he was very thirsty. Grandpa gave him a drink, which he accepted enthusiastically.

Happy Birthday Dean!

2008-09-25T14:23:00.000-07:00

Dean turned 1 year old yesterday and, as many of you know, he's happier than ever. Over the past month, the smiley little guy has gone from taking a couple steps here and there to walking almost everywhere he goes! See what I mean...

on 9/2

on 9/25

It's amazing how quickly this past year has gone for us. In spite of the obvious frustrations that happen, Dean has been a true blessing and we thank God for him every day.

Happy Birthday Dean! Mommy and Daddy love you more than you know.

Cheers!

Summer Fun with Family and Friends

2008-09-01T11:59:00.001-07:00

Evidence of a mild summer. This picture was taken on the last day of July and Dean needed a coat and hat for our walk that day.

Here Dean is showing off his only two teeth. The only way I can get him to open his mouth wide enough to see them is by offering food.

One day while working in the kitchen I had forgotten to close the gate. I heard it close only to find Dean had gone on the other side and closed it himself, as if to keep me out! This little boy knows how to get into mischief.

No, this is not one of Dave's weird doubling photos; this is Dean with his cousin Desmond. We were amazed to see how similar they look, especially around the eyes.

Desmond chewing on a washcloth between bites.

Dean and Desmond playing in the rainforest jungle.

This is our friend Reese with Dean playing with the magnets on the fridge.

A few weeks ago was the Multnomah company picnic and Dave's boss's son, Aidan decided to spend part of the day touring the zoo with us. Here he is feeding the lorakeets some juice. We had a very fun day.

Below are some pictures of Dean's first swimming adventure. Dean also took his first solo steps that afternoon and although he's not completely walking on his own yet, he has taken steps a few other times. It won't be long now before he is walking and climbing into literally everything.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more exciting news in Dean's world. I will continue to try to post at least once a month, but I do go back to work half time this week.

Dean's Skills

2008-08-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

We're long overdue for a new post, so here it is. We hope to have some photos up soon, but until then, here are some videos we took of Dean. He is quite active and continues to learn new things all the time.

Here's Dean dancing to some Mike Roe music (of the 77s)...

...giving his Mommy a kiss...

...clapping and giving "fives".

He also waves hello and goodbye to people, uses sign language to say "more" when he wants more food, and can tell us what a cow, chicken, and tiger say. He's an impressive little guy!

Cheers!

Good Times with Dean and Daddy (as chronicled by Mommy)

2008-07-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

Beka is out of town this week for training in AVID (a specialized program she is teaching at school next year). That being the case, Dean and I are on our own! Needless to say, I will have my hands full, but two of Dean's grandmas will help take care of him while I'm at work. They're both looking forward to spending some extra time with Dean, I'm sure.

Here are some photos of Dean and I, taken by Beka over the past couple weeks. As you can see, he continues to grow and learn new things. It has been a true joy to help him along!

Beka, if you get a chance to check the blog while you're away, enjoy the photos. We love you very much!

I had to include this one, even though it doesn't really fit the "Dean and Daddy" theme. Gotta love that smile!

One day this past month, I realized that Dean and I both had "star" shirts on. Beka HAD to get a picture of that.

We love to tickle Dean. Whether or not he likes it... well, who knows. Come to think of it, does ANYONE like being tickled? I mean, sure, it causes laughter, but I don't know if that really means you're having fun. Anyway...

Shortly after we had some landscaping done in our yard (please notice the lack of weeds and shrubbery in the background), I decided to try giving Dean a ride on my shoulders. He absolutely loved it, though he had a grip on my hair much of the time.

Beka did some garage-saling a few weeks ago and found this little play yard for Dean. He isn't climbing or walking enough to play on it on his own, but he is thrilled when we help him slide.

This is Dean is his cool, new "surfer" jammies (notice the shark, palm trees, and setting sun)

"Look, no hands!"
That's right, Dean is doing a great job learning to stand on his own. He can usually last about 10-15 seconds, though Grandpa John got him to stand for almost 30!

Cheers!

Visit with Aunties and Grandpa

2008-06-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

Dean is now officially on the move! He started really crawling this last week or so and there is no stopping him. Notice the mischievous glint in his eye, like a cat on prowl.

Auntie Em is always so excited to see Dean. They had a great time together.

Aunt Rachel took a stab at feeding Dean on this visit. I thought this picture was quite cute, since they are making the same face. I noticed that in all the pictures I have of Dean and Rachel, they are making the same face every time. I wonder... who is copying whom?

Grandpa Ron decided it was time for Dean to try a fortune cookie, after he taunted him with it for quite some time. Notice the video below. It was pretty hilarious!

This was a very sweet photo Dave took of Dean and I the other morning. Dean usually has his morning bottle and snuggles with me in bed in the morning. This particular day I guess we were both still tired. Dave worked his Photoshop magic so I look a little better in the morning! Pretty cool effects Dave. Thanks for protecting my vanity.

Aunt Rachel feeding Dean

Grandpa Ron taunting Dean with a fortune cookie.

Enjoy the new pictures and videos!

It's been far too long...

2008-05-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted any pictures, so I thought I'd better get on it. I should have Mother's Day pictures on here, but I didn't really take many pictures that day. Sorry. My first mother's day was wonderful. Dave and Dean really spoiled me and I was able to spend the day with all of Dave's family, since my mom was out of town. We had a great time. Enjoy the pictures.

Dean and Reese (Wade and Sarah's daughter) This was taken the day that Reese's new sister Eileen was born, but of course, I don't have any pictures of Eily. Maybe I'll get a picture of all three of them soon.

Dave decided this toy looked best on Dean's head, giving him the title, King Dean.

Dean's first picture with Grandpa Hardy

I just thought the hat looked too cute to not take a picture.

Here we have "farmer Dean" in his overall shorts and no shirt. This was taken out on our front lawn on one of those 90 degree days we had last week. Dean likes to be outside. There's always new things to see.

Okay, now for the video that I tried to post last time...

Dean's New Tub - He loves having extra bath water around him to splash around in.

Are your plastics safe?

2008-04-22T17:13:00.000-07:00

To all my friends, especially those with kids...

I normally do not send out this kind of message, but I felt it important to encourage everyone to check out your plastics in your home, especially water bottles and baby bottles. It has been found that plastics with a 3, 6, or 7 are not safe for the ways we typically use them (microwave, dishwasher, multiple uses). Please take the time to check out the attachments and decide for yourself. I just want everyone to be safe

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21839940 ("How safe are plastic bottles?" a video from the Today show.)
http://www.iatp.org/ (check out the facts sheets on smart plastics)
http://www.iatp.org/iatp/publications.cfm?accountID=421&refID=102296 (common Q & A) Take special note of the info. on baby bottles.
http://www.iatp.org/iatp/publications.cfm?accountID=421&refID=102202

I hope you all find this information useful. Feel free to pass it on.

Take care and be safe,
Beka

New Discoveries...

2008-04-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

Dean is now beginning to take much more notice of the things around him. He leans forward when he see something new that peaks his interest. So even just from this morning I have some "firsts" for pictures. He is so much fun right now. Dave and I enjoy greeting him together every morning because it produces the biggest smile. He loves to have both his mommy and daddy's full attention.

Here's Dean's new bath tub. We haven't tried it with water yet, but he thought it was pretty fun to sit in.

After I got Dean up from his nap yesterday, he started leaning out of my arms for something. It was his Tigger (given to him by Grandma Hardy). The Tigger is in honor of the boy who loves to bounce:) Tigger and Dean had a splendid first encounter.

Dean giving Tigger a kiss. How sweet!

Ok, sorry. There were supposed to be two more videos in this post, but the internet is not cooperating right now. You will just have to check back later for adorable videos of Dean feeding himself for the first time.

Cheers!

Just a few more random photos...

2008-04-20T09:02:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dean
Check out those cool red Converse! Thanks Auntie Biz!

Uncle Brian with Dean and cousin Desmond

Happy Boy!

This photo was taken after I had my first day of working since Dean has been born. I was very tired. Dean and I were happy to see each other and snuggle after a long day. Thankfully, I don't have to go back to working full time and I don't have to go back to work until next fall, when I will return only half time.

Daddy and Dean, my two favorite boys.

Here's Dean sporting his Gordon Russell T-bird shirt. This is my school's mascot. Several of the teachers I work with had this shirt made for Dean. We love it! I just wish he was going to be able to wear it longer. He is growing out of clothes so quickly right now!

Family Beach Trip

2008-04-10T14:17:00.001-07:00

Over Spring Break, my mom and John rented a home in Seaside and invited all of us kids and our families to join them for a few days of fun and relaxation. It was a busy house with 8 adults and 7 kids. We were only missing my brother, Kevin. It's amazing how quickly a small family can grow! Below are some pictures we took at the beach, but you'd never know it, since I didn't capture any with the ocean or sand. We had every kind of weather imaginable at the beach, so it was a typical Oregon coast visit. There was even SNOW! Snow in the passes, snow on the beach, and as the last picture shows, snow the day we came home to our house.

Okay really, who wouldn't want to be so flexible they could eat their own toes? Mmmm... toes!

We had a big birthday celebration for Jordanne, William, and Jen (featured below) too.

Here is Dean's first experience with a balloon. He thought it was great. He enjoys playing with Daddy.

Ah yes, nothing like snow on the ground on March 30th. We've had some pretty crazy weather here this year. I am so ready for spring. As for Dave, when we had this snow he wanted to get out the Christmas music again!

A Few Random Photos

2008-04-05T09:29:00.000-07:00

Above you will find Dean sporting his new shades! Isn't he a cool baby?

Okay, not so cool looking here. Pondering his dinner with a messy face.

This is a video of Dean shaking his head back and forth. He often does this before he is going to give his mommy a kiss or put something in his mouth. I love to watch him do this! It's so cute. So for those of you who have not witnessed this in person... Enjoy the video.

Here is a video of Dean practicing his consonant sounds, but he really doesn't know what he is saying yet!

As Dave would say... Cheers!

Japanese Gardens

2008-03-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

"Two posts in one day?" you ask. Yes. We have to make up for time lost since our last post. And besides, these are hot off the press from our visit to the Japanese Gardens today. The Sandy Public Library has "cultural passes" to several places like the Japanese Gardens, Chinese Gardens, Children's Museum, etc. Since we'd never been, we thought it was time to take advantage of this free public service. Enjoy the photos!

Here's Dean and Beka just inside the gate. He's happy to have a fresh pair of clothes on after he tried to drink his bottle while riding in his stroller up the bumpy hill to the gardens... he was a tad wet. His new coat from Grandma Connie came in handy. (Thanks grandma!)

Dean likes to spend time with his "DaDa" (which isn't a "consonant sound" at all, but a "word" I taught him to say). This picture was taken in front of the pavilion where special events are held. You probably can't tell from the photo, but it's a very cool traditional Japanese building, complete with sliding doors. It also has a great view of Mt. Hood and downtown Portland.

Here's me trying to look casual for a photo. This little spot was off the beaten path (it was a rock path instead) and was right next to a large pond with Koi. In fact, you might recognize the stone structure in the left hand side of the photo from another one further down the page...

This was a "moon bridge" (I think that's what it was called, though I'm not sure why). Great photo op of a beautiful woman with a handsome child... and some killer "perspective" photography.

Here's Beka getting ready to check out the koi. I'm glad this picture came out on the first try since she was in and out of there pretty quickly. I was taking the photo from across the pond and couldn't tell she was getting dizzy from looking down into the water. She left in a hurry because she didn't want to fall in! (Where have I seen that statue before...)

Some final thoughts:
1. If you have any infant children, do yourself a favor and don't bring a stroller to the Japanese Gardens. It was a real pain trying to roll that thing around on narrow, uneven stone paths with lots of stairs, making sure to dodge people who wanted to get by. Aside from that, it's a great place to visit!

2. One of the reasons I wanted to go was to get ideas for our yard. While it was inspiring to see how cool our yard could look someday, don't plan on seeing any major changes in the near future. We're waiting for Dean to get old enough so we can make him do the yard work for us :) Beka had a good idea while we were there; we may turn our entire backyard into a large pond with some stone embankments and trees around the outside edge. Very little weeding. Neighbors might get upset, however, when it rains a lot (as it does in Oregon) and the pond overflows into their yards. Oh well, it was a good idea.

Cheers!

Half a Year's Experience

2008-03-22T20:30:00.000-07:00

Below you will find pictures of some of Dean's latest achievements. He will be 6 months old on Tuesday, March 25, and I'm happy to say we are all still alive and well.

An oldie but a goodie, "messing the pants" (an action shot)

Hangin' with "Da da"
(Dave recently taught him this consonant sound, but I don't think he knows what it means yet.)

For those of you who think Dean doesn't smile here are a few examples... above we have the "tongue smile."

Notice here that Dean is standing without any parental support!

Dean is sitting unsupported, although he still has a rather frog-like pose.

Dean has started solids and I think he likes it. This was during his first feeding of homemade sweet potatoes. (Yes, as a stay at home mom I have time to make baby food.)

Mmmm... sweet potatoes.

We're thinking he is trying to learn how to crawl, but he hasn't figured out that his knees need to stay on the floor for that. Instead, he is doing some serious military style push-ups.

Brand new photos?!?!

2008-02-09T21:48:00.000-08:00

That's right! Taken just this afternoon. As you can see, Dean is getting bigger all the time. Enjoy!

Dean loves his Mommy (as he should)

He looks a little off-balance here, but Dean enjoys spending time on his feet. All he needs is someone to hold him steady!

He's still getting used to it, but he's learning to sit up with the help of this little blue chair (thanks Wade and Sarah)

Cheers!

Rolling Over

2008-01-15T10:00:00.001-08:00

If you scroll through these pictures fast enough, it's almost like you were there:) Dean can now roll over from his tummy to both the left and the right. It's amazing the little things that can excite you as a parent!

2008-01-02T13:24:00.001-08:00

Here are some photos of Dean from 2 to 3 months. Enjoy!

Dean had some "professional" photos taken at 2 months old. Here's one of our favorite shots.

Dean loves his Mommy!

Bath time is still one of Dean's favorite times, and the bathroom one of his favorite places. He loves all the bright lights, the white noise, the warm water, and the hair dryer.

Thanksgiving at Grandpa Ron's was a good time. Dean's Aunt Rachel got to hold him, and he was even well-behaved!

On our way back from Thanksgiving in Central Oregon, we stopped at Timberline Lodge for some lunch. The view was amazing, the food was great, and we were all excited to see the snow.

Like I said before, Dean loves bath time.

Dean continues to develop new facial expressions. I haven't seen this one since this photo, but it is sure cute!

In the past month, Dean has started waving his hands and kicking his feet when he's happy. Sometimes, he catches a glimpse of his hands and starts staring at them.

Also new this past month, Dean has taken a keen interest in certain toys. In fact, he seems to take notice that there's a lot of interesting stuff around him to look at. This is a big change from the little boy who hardly acknowledged anything other than people's faces and bright lights.

For Christmas, Dean got a play mat that he loves. There are lots of little toys that hang over the mat, each one functioning a bit differently. In this picture, he's looking at the "little boy in the mirror." They smile at each other quite a bit.

Cheers!

"Christmastime is here... happiness and cheer..."

2008-01-02T13:01:00.000-08:00

Christmas flew by this year, but not before we had a chance to experience the joys of the season. Things started off with a bang when we went to get our tree... in the snow! It was a great time and one of the highlights of Christmas 2007 we will always remember.

Dean loved the tree and lights (which is a no-brainer, considering he's quite the "light" enthusiast). He also enjoyed the Christmas music being played pretty much all the time. In all of the Christmases I remember over the years, Christmas music and decorations have always been a big part of the celebration, as it will be for Dean, I'm sure!

Something else I enjoyed about Christmas this year was having a child of my own to help me understand the implication of God sending His Son for the purpose of dying on our behalf... the thought is huge! When I look at Dean, I can't imagine making that kind of choice. It makes me that much more grateful for the gift God has given us! And for that I say, Merry Christmas to everyone!

Enjoy the photos.

Dean stayed nice and warm bundled up against Mom

There was so much snow on the ground, we had a hard time finding our way back to the trees we liked. Once we settled on one, we drew an "H" in the snow in front of the row that contained our tree. We knew right where to send the guy with the chainsaw!

The place where we've purchased our tree for the past three years is just up Hwy 26 a few miles from our house. The mountain scenery is amazing!

Dean and Mom resting after putting lights on the tree

Beka made a Bailey's and white chocolate cheesecake for the folks at Bible study

Dean posing with Dad in front of the tree

Like I said, Dean loves those lights!

Cheers!

... and Happy New Year, too.

Six Weeks, Seven Weeks, Smiles All Around

2007-11-17T18:02:00.000-08:00

As of last Tuesday (11/13/07), Dean is now seven weeks old! As you can see from the pictures below, he's been full of smiles, which has been great fun for Beka and I. He also continues to be very vocal, trying to "talk" to us when we ask him questions. On the sleep front, we have enjoyed 7-8 hours of uninterrupted slumber for about the past week... PRAISE THE LORD!

Enjoy the photos of Halloween, Beka's birthday, our nephew's birthday, and of course, DEAN!

Daddy's little Halloween pumpkin!

Beka's birthday

Dave's brother Brian and his son Nolen

Coos and smiles

First smiles... ending with annoyance at the camera

Smiling at Daddy

Cheers!

Five Weeks

2007-10-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

We are still adjusting in the Hardy household. He is still sleeping in 5-hour stints every night, which we are VERY thankful for. Praise God! However, he has started getting quite a bit more fussy and gassy during the day. This can be a bit of a drain for Beka and I (especially Beka when she is at home alone with him).

Aside from that, however, Dean has been a joy! Just this past week, he started "talking" in response to my questions. Obviously, he doesn't speak English yet, but it's very cute hearing him try to mimic verbal communication. We also discovered that his legs are strong enough to support his weight! I'm not sure how common this is, but it is amazing to see him keep himself up while we hold his arms for balance. It makes me wonder if he'll be early learning to stand and walk.

Since we were behind a few weeks, I thought I'd post a few extra entries to fill the gaps. I hope you enjoy these highlights.

Like most babies, Dean is quite cute when he's sleeping... and it's really cool when he holds your hand

Dean 's favorite room in the house seems to be the bathroom. Maybe it's the lights, the white noise coming from the fan, or the warm and humid air after everyone has showered

I guess this is one of our first family portraits

We're continually amazed at how well he holds up his head!
Yes... this is another bathroom shot

I was working from home the other day and happened across this great photo opportunity. It makes me sleepy just looking at it

The star of the show

Cheers!

Four Weeks

2007-10-30T20:43:00.001-07:00

Sometimes he looks a bit worried

Check out that profile!

This is a common pose that's very entertaining... he likes to stretch out his neck, open his eyes really wide, and look straight ahead

"Kissy face" version 2

This would be the point where he's ready for me to put the camera away

Cheers!

Three Weeks

2007-10-30T20:37:00.001-07:00

Dean's first walk in the park

This kid is strong! He was doing this at just under three weeks!

A happier moment after eating

For those who haven't seen it yet... the "kissy face"

Cheers!

Two Weeks Old

2007-10-09T18:08:00.002-07:00

Dean is two weeks old and as cute as ever! He still manages to sleep well at night, but has developed some "fussy" days here and there... seems to happen if we let him get too hungry or too tired (there's a delicate balance there). I can't say I blame him.

The question is... who does he look like: his mom or his dad? Any thoughts? The answer to that question may very well be answered in the next blog posting. Stay tuned.

Without further adieu, here are the latest photos from the second week of Dean's life. Enjoy...

A great picture of Dean. You can almost see his blue eyes.

Dean likes to stare at people, especially his mom and dad.
And yes, I do have a fu manchu (that's what strange hours of wakefulness will do to you).

We thought Dean looked pretty cute in his sailor outfit.

With some modification, this picture became pretty interesting to look at. We discovered that Dean is fascinated by the fireplace. It must be the combination of warmth and color. Don't worry, we'll exercise extreme caution as he gets older.

Last, but not least, Dean does a great Mr. Bean impersonation.
THAT'S MY BOY!

Cheers!

One Week Old

2007-10-02T14:13:00.001-07:00

Dean is now one week old and doing very well. He's gained some weight and continues to do what he does best: eat, sleep, pee, and poop. We've been blessed, however, as he lets us sleep anywhere from 6 to 8 hours a night. With the exception of last night, he's only woken us up only once each night. What a good baby!

And now for the real reason you've checked the blog today... NEW PICTURES! These were taken over the course of three days after we brought him home (except the last photo which was taken at the hospital). Enjoy...

Dean likes to open his eyes really wide so his forehead gets wrinkled

This is Dean's "thoughtful" face, but he looks more like he's ready to punch someone out

Dean likes to cozy up in his pillow to take naps and hang out

Dean and his mom

We're not quite sure what he's doing here... probably yawning, maybe trying to "talk"

Cheers!

The Arrival

2007-09-26T16:14:00.000-07:00

Enjoy the photos!

Dean Howard Hardy9/25/07 @ 7:41 am
7 lbs 14oz
20.5" long

Mother and baby are doing great! Dean is perfectly healthy and Beka is recovering beautifully.

Getting to know Dean has been a great joy. So far, he's been very mild-mannered, able to sooth himself if he gets fussy. Way to go Dean! (Let's hope he keeps that up)

The Hardy family

Cheers!

Still waiting... but staying "busy"

2007-09-20T16:00:00.001-07:00

For those of you who've mentioned that we haven't had a recent post for awhile, here are some pictures of Beka to make up for lost ground.

Beka relaxing (waiting), going through clothes, and posing for the camera.

Beka reading, looking at baby toys, and posing for the camera (again).

In case you haven't figured it out (or in case you thought I may have 3 pregnant wives who look a lot alike), I've been doing a lot of work at home lately. These are examples of some of the latest Photoshop tricks I've added to my repertoire.

On a more important note, Beka is obviously still pregnant and quite ready to fill up this "busy" nursery. We visited the doctor yet again yesterday. We've set a date for induction next week in case nothing happens before. Beka is of course still hoping to go into labor on her own before then, so please pray to that end. Hopefully, the next post will include pictures of Dean.

Cheers!

36 Weeks

2007-08-19T21:50:00.000-07:00

For those of you craving a new photo, this one was taken this evening (8/19) in the nursery.

Cheers!

Hurricane Dean

2007-08-17T08:21:00.000-07:00

Let's start with a bit of family history...

To this day, my parents claim I was dropped off by aliens in a sort of "baby exchange" program. The proof? The night I was born, there were several UFO sightings over Hood River (the town I was born in). Also, a storm called Hurricane David was making headlines during the summer of 1979. Clearly, all signs point to alien activity. As the story goes, they were supposed to pick me up on my 18th (or 21st) birthday, but a Y3K catastrophe on my home planet prevented this. No joke!

Now, fast-forward twenty-eight years. Beka and I are eagerly anticipating the arrival of our first child, Dean. Imagine my surprise when my dad gave me this bit of news.

Cheers!

32 Weeks

2007-08-02T22:47:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been waiting, here is the newest "profile" shot of Beka and Dean. This photo is over a week old, but you get the idea. He's punching and kicking as much as ever, which is very entertaining for me (though it gets a bit uncomfortable for Beka at times).

We started our childbirth classes a couple weeks ago. It has been educational to say the least. We also toured the hospital, which was fun. Now I know where it'll all happen. I was excited to see CD players in the room and to hear them encourage people to play music during labor. Unfortunately, I don't think Beka will be too keen on Chinese rock... oh well. They do say to play music the baby has already heard (because he can hear the stuff we're listening to now). I guess that means we'll be listening to Boston!

As many of you know, we recently finished painting our living room. The vaulted ceiling over the staircases posed quite a challenge, but it's done and it looks great! You can see a little bit of it in the background of this photo. We're also getting closer to having the baby room set up. There's plenty of furniture to build and things to organize. When we're finished, our house will be quite clean and a lot of clutter gone... for a little while. We'll see what having a baby does to the "clutter factor."

Cheers!

5th Anniversary Vacation

2007-07-19T12:07:00.001-07:00

Ok, so it's been a while since our last post. What can I say... it's been busy! The Lord continues to bless us in many ways as we eagerly anticipating the arrival of Dean. In preparation, we've been working hard to make sure our project list is as close to done as possible. In fact, I spent the last few days of our vacation (last week) painting the family room and entryway of our house. It's looking much better and I hope to finish the job by tomorrow night! On top of that, we've been getting the nursery ready, including a crib and changing table we found for a great deal at Baby Depot.

The first half of our vacation last week--before the painting started--was a blast! We kicked things off with a day trip to the Portland Classical Chinese Garden and saw some amazing Chinese architecture, foliage, and bonsai trees. I never would have thought such an oasis existed in the midst of downtown Portland (notice the tall buildings in the background of the photo). They even have a Tao of Tea in the garden which we visited for a mid-afternoon snack and some great loose-leaf tea (Beka opted for the mango nectar).

On Monday, we left for Newport and stayed a night at the Sylvia Beach Hotel, a bed and breakfast with various rooms themed after different authors. It was a very relaxing time and we'd love to go back and spend a few days doing nothing but reading (someday). Then we drove to Ashland for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and saw two plays: The Taming of the Shrew and Romeo and Juliet. Both were incredibly entertaining and well worth the trip. It'll probably be our last vacation for a little while considering the new addition to the family, but that's a whole new adventure in and of itself.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:3

28 weeks down 12 to go

2007-06-23T17:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I've currently hit the 28 week mark, which means I am beginning my 3rd trimester. It's sometimes hard to believe I'm going to get even bigger! I just noticed this morning that if I am standing up straight I can no longer see my toes. How sad, since they are a pretty red.

The baby boy is as active as ever. He is regularly kicking, punching, and stretching. So far it hasn't kept me awake much at night, but I have a feeling that will be changing soon as he gets stronger.

School is now out and I've moved out of my classroom. That was a bit sad, but I'm so thankful that I don't have to be on my feet all day during the end of my pregnancy. We just bought an air conditioner, so in the heat of the summer expect to find me with my feet up reading the last Harry Potter book. I'm so glad the series is ending before the baby arrives. I doubt I'll have much reading time with a baby.

Finally, the announcement many of you have been waiting for.... the name! We have come to a decision, and although we reserve the right to change our minds, no more input is necessary (unless of course you like the name we have chosen). The new addition to our family will be known as:

Dean Howard Hardy

Flash Mob

2007-06-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

This has to be one of the funniest videos I've seen. The idea (for those who have never heard of a flash mob) is the same as a "flash flood"... but with people. Enjoy!

Random ramblings on the LOST finale

2007-05-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

SPOILER WARNING!!!
If you haven't seen the episode yet, don't read this (that means YOU, Dad).

First off, let me just say... GREAT episode! I've been thinking a lot about it since we saw it last night. Feel free to comment on any/all of these thoughts/observations.

Beka and I suspected from the beginning that it was a "flash-forward," but didn't think that was the case when Jack said, "Go up and get my father. If I'm more drunk than he is, you can fire me!"
And what's up with Patchy... why can't that guy DIE???
I'm sad about Charlie.
The body count of "others" was pretty high... goodbye Tom (a.k.a. Mr. Friendly... a.k.a. Zeke... a.k.a. Beardy...)
I suspect the funeral was for Locke, but who knows. Some say it was Michael's (since it was held in an African-American neighborhood), but I don't buy it. Others say it could be Sawyer's, but I doubt that, too. Here's a screen cap of the paper clipping Jack had.
I don't think that was really Walt. Either it was the "smoke monster" or Jacob. Clearly, the island itself doesn't want to be found, either.
Hurley really came through in spite of people saying he couldn't help.
I've never seen anyone break another person's neck with their hands tied behind their back, using only their legs. Way to go, Sayid!
My biggest question is this: can we accept the events in the "flash-forward" as being fact, or was it someone's premonition of what could happen (like Locke or something)? I'm thinking it's fact, but that's kind of a bummer.
I felt truly sad that they got off the island once I saw what it did to Jack. Is everyone else as miserable as he is? What happened between then and now that made it so terrible to leave?

Further thoughts? Agree? Disagree? Don't care? Tell me about it.

Once again, it was a great episode. Let's just say I'm less than thrilled we have to wait until next January to see more. We'll have a 4-month-old by that time!!!

Cheers!

Mother's day... a few days late

2007-05-21T19:34:00.001-07:00

We now have a digital camera (which I think I mentioned in a previous post), but didn't have any decent software to prepare our pictures for blogging (Picasa doesn't count, folks). That said, here's the first "graphically-enhanced" post.

A little over a week ago, Beka and I were able to spend time with our moms on Mother's Day. The holiday seemed a bit more special, however, since it applied to Beka as well. It's not that we've been craving yet another holiday that features gifts, but the idea that we can celebrate holidays for parents is a whole new concept.

For those of you who have been waiting, Beka's first "pregnant" photo makes its debut here. Enjoy...

Beka and Connie

The Hardy Clan

Cheers!

Beka's Superhero Results

2007-05-06T21:43:00.000-07:00

Dave decided that I too need to take the Superhero test. So here are the results! I am destined to be Wonder Woman, who knew? I guess that will be a good superhero to be for motherhood.

Your results:
You are Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman		75%
Green Lantern		70%
Supergirl		70%
The Flash		50%
Superman		50%
Batman		45%
Iron Man		45%
Robin		35%
Spider-Man		35%
Hulk		35%
Catwoman		25%

You are a beautiful princess
with great strength of character.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

Kicking it at Babies R Us

2007-05-02T15:23:00.000-07:00

Over the past week, Beka has been feeling increased activity from the baby. At one point, as she was getting ready in the morning, she could actually see what looked like repeated kicking (and rapid-fire at that). I suppose it could have been punching, elbowing, or head butting, but at the rate she described, I would guess it was kicking. Whatever it was, he's as active as ever.

After the ultrasound last week, the due date has been revised to September 16 (three days earlier than the original due date of the 19th), so mark your calendars. They estimated the weight to be about 13 ounces, which seems pretty big for being around 20 weeks old.

A necessary part of this whole process is figuring out what "baby accessories" we need. I'm not too keen on walking down aisles and aisles of baby paraphernalia, but I've been a sport. This past weekend, we started our registry at Babies R Us, but could only take so much before it was time to go. Needless to say, we have some reading to do before we choose many of the necessary items. I just have to look at it like a game... the whole thing is a racket and it's our job to decipher the good investments from the waste.

"Block out the bad, harness the good..."

Supersonic Ultrasound

2007-04-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

Those of you who thought the last post was baby news, I apologize for the false alarm. THIS posting is the latest baby news.

I took work off early today so Beka and I could go in for her scheduled ultrasound. It was a pretty cool experience! I was expecting to have to really "search" to see anything on the monitor, but it was VERY detailed (it wasn't 3D or anything, but everything was quite clear). I saw eyes, femurs, hands, elbows, knees, a skull, feet, a spine... oh yeah, and we found out it's a boy.

Now that we know, we just have to finalize a name. As many of you know, we were originally pretty set on the name Korben, but stinkin' Western Baptist College had to go and change their name to Corban College (different spelling, but it sounds the same). Originally it didn't bother us because we've had that name picked out for 8 or 9 years. However, we saw "Corban College" printed out the other day and it hit us... now we're not sure if we want to use the name or not.

At any rate, we're willing to accept name suggestions, but I can't promise any actual consideration will be given (especially suggestions like Herbert, Percy, Garth, Wii, or Jeep). For all we know, we may end up with Korben, back where we started.

Besides, I'll always see Corban as "the school formally known as Western Baptist."

To finish things off, here are some ultrasound photos.

Cheers!

Supervillain and Superhero results

2007-04-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

I took the supervillain personality test. I could have told you the results of this one myself, but I thought I'd make it "official"

Your results:
You are The Joker

The Clown Prince of Crime. You are a brilliant mastermind but are criminally insane. You love to joke around while accomplishing the task at hand.

Click here to take the Super Villain Personality Test

I took the superhero personality test, too (thanks Davin).

Your results:
You are Superman

You are mild-mannered, good,
strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

I guess I'll stick with being a goodguy.

Cheers!

Tae Soo Do black belt test #1

2007-04-18T09:27:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I had my first Tae Soo Do black belt test last Thursday. It went very well and I'm clear to move on to test #2 next month. Training for black belt testing has been an exercise in endurance, precision, and polishing technique. It's amazing how similar martial arts training is to the Christian walk; Paul knew what he was talking about when he likened it to running a race in 1 Corinthians and 2 Timothy. My involvement in Tae Soo Do has helped me learn what it means to endure discomfort for a short time, anticipating the results of my labor. It has also helped me to, gradually, be more confident outside my comfort zone, knowing that when I am weak, Christ makes me strong.

The videos below are speed drills. I had to create three sequences of 20 strikes/blocks and execute each of them in under five seconds. Enjoy! (compliments of my parents and the Studers)

First post

2007-04-05T13:25:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are eagerly anticipating the first post on our brand new blog, here's the rundown on the "big stuff" going on in the Hardy household.

1. As of yesterday, Beka is now 16 weeks along. I took her shopping last night so she could have some clothes that fit. Thanks to Old Navy, now she does.

2. One week from today, I will take the first of four tests for my black belt in Tae Soo Do. Between now and then, I'll be practicing almost every day, attempting to streamline and perfect what I've learned in over two years of TSD.

3. As many of you know, Spring Break is hardly a break for us. For the past three years, we've taken on indoor painting jobs in our home. This year, we stripped all of the wallpaper and painted in the family room, dining room, and kitchen. We'll try to get some pictures up soon, but it looks much, much better than before.

Stay tuned for more exciting news that's "Hardy worth your time."