Halloween a day early

Yesterday Crew enjoyed his first Halloween experiences. Spook allies, skeletons, pirates, witches, fairies, more balloons than he knew what to do with, and his first dum dum. Melaleuca puts on a trick or treat throughout the office for employees children. Grandma Sloot and some of Crews cousins were all part of the action.

Adventures in San Diego

Other than the fires, Crew got to experience the beach. Which didn't excite him like I thought it would. The water was pretty cold, he was a little weirded out by the sand but the sounds of the ocean put him right to sleep. He was able to meet lots of new family members and enjoy a couple of warm days in the sun. He's moving right along with his walking and starting to jabber more and more each day.

Evacuated

It was quite the weekend to be vacationing in San Diego. We got out of church Sunday around noon when we noticed the ashed blowing around and how heavy the smoke was. My grandma lives in Scripts Ranch which didn't get evacuated until Monday around two. We had just finished eating lunch and the phone rang with a message from the fire department saying that there was an immediate mandatory evacuation. A few short minutes after that the fire department was driving threw the neighborhood sending the message over a loud speaker. Our plane was to leave around 7 that night so we loaded the car and decided we would just arrive at the airport early and wait. It was pretty scary watching everyone pack their cars not knowing if their house was going to be there when they returned. The picture is of us getting ready to leave the house. As you can imagine it was a stressful time for my grandparents. What normally would have been a 20 min drive to the airport turned into 2 hours. The view of the fires from the plane was an incredible and sad one. And i'm happy to report my grandparents were able to go back into their home yesterday.

First Hair Cut

Monday night Dev and I decided to finally attempt to cut Crews hair. Surprisingly enough he sat rather still and even let us use the buzzers. The top got cut shorter than we would have liked I can no longer put it in a mo hawk, but we were just happy to get the job done.

Crew's First Steps

1..2,3,4...5!

Walking is fascinating. I love walking down charming streets. Especially the street that I saw in Boise this weekend. I enjoy walking from building to building at my job, as well as at school. I heard that walking for the human race is more of a constant balancing act on the verge of failure with every step as opposed to a peaceful walk down a perfectly planned street lined with trees that I tend to envision. Walking is our fundamental mode of transportation and it defines our lives. Crew is currently experimenting with Walking!

On Sunday during church I took him outside to stretch his legs and calm him down. I placed him on the grass. Crew stood there for a minute clapping his hands and smiling ear to ear. Then he decided that he had enough and wanted to sit down. First Crew placed both hands onto the ground (he was in a four point stance). He didn't like how the grass felt on his hands so he stood back up! Then Crew decided that the only way he could save himself from the prickly Kentucky blue grass was to come to Daddy! Then with arms waving, a tongue exposed, a smirk, and a look of determination Crew took FIVE steps until he fell into my arms! Since Sunday Crew has been taking five steps at a time! Crew I know right now that walking feels like a constant balancing act that is on the verge of failure but soon you wont be able to imagine a life without walking!

Jackson Hole

Crew took his first trip to Jackson Hole, WY on Tuesday with his grandma and aunts. Uncle Jairus lives up there so we decided to visit him and enjoy a beautiful day. Crew loved playing in the leaves.

Congrats Dev!

Several members of my family participated in our own Biggest Loser contest. The boys in one category and girls in another. After a 24lb loss Dev took home the $1000 prize for the boys. Way to go hunny. And after a 25lb loss for me i was beat by just 0.8%. It was a great experience and were both feeling great and enjoying new healthy habits. Over the weekend Crew also enjoyed his first snow encounter of the year.

Cell Phone Pictures

Rachel and I decided one day that we needed to get the pictures that we had of Crew off our Cell phones and onto a computer and eventually backed up. As you will see these pictures are priceless.

Crew on the way home from the Hospital


First week at home.


First Month at Home


Classic Foot in mouth!


This picture was taken sometime before we left for St. George.

Devin's Ten

10. I will not use a public toilet to defecate. This crazy personal policy of mine goes further than public toilets but to other people's homes. Over the years I have had to leave friends houses early, left from the library sooner than planned or have driven home from work because of this crazy mindset. I didn't realize how real this problem was until I noticed I hated traveling because I was too far away from home base.

9. I once let Rachel dress me up as a mouse for Halloween. This was extremely humiliating. Not only was I a mouse for Halloween but it was night before my last high school football game. I really think my Halloween costume affected my play on the field.

8. Shotguns. Shooting shotguns is a great Idahoan activity. I love it. I love the atmosphere and the sport that is involved when shooting real pigeons or clay pigeons. Being out on the farm in the morning, afternoon, or evening shooting pigeons off a barn is priceless.

7. I will not eat prunes! Adam can recall the time when Grandma Belnap introduced us to prunes. I ate them like candy. To make a long story short my cousin David and Adam wanted to know why I just sat on the porch instead of playing football. Well the dietary fiber worked extremely fast and I pooped my pants so I wasn't really excited to run around the yard.

6. Books. I enjoy reading books. My favorite books so far this year have been: Suburban Nation, The rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream. Traditional Construction Patterns. The Tipping Point. Total Money Makeover and others. If the book is about architecture, city planning, construction, Project Management or anything that applies to my life I will love it. Someday I will have to squeeze in the Harry Potter series or at least the movies.

5. I love New Urbanism. I am very aware of the "built" physical environment that surrounds me. I just wish others had the same passion for making our cites memorable, stunning and remarkable.

4. Morris. I have only had one dog my entire life. His name was Morris. Morris was a birthday gift from Rachel the first summer we were married. Morris was a great dog. We went running, fishing, and walking together all the time. I know Morris was just a "Walmart" dog at first but right before he went missing he was "Best in Show." Uncle Mark in response to your rhetorical question you posed many years ago, I do like dog shows!

3. Sudi Africa (South Africa). I was told that once you experience the sunset in Africa you will never be the same. Africa is incredible and I will always go back as much as possible for the rest of my life. I have a dream to build thousands of homes, schools and other buildings at my expense or the charitable organization that I establish.

2. Crew Grant Belnap. This little boy will be one in November. He has taught me so much. I love Crew with all my heart. I have dreamed about my boys for years. Crew in just 10 months has already surpassed all of those dreams. I can't wait for what the future holds for us (Fishing, sports, homework, girlfriends, good times, bad times, and the best of times). Crew your Daddy love you forever.

1. Rachel Lynn Robinson Belnap. Rachel completes me. She can get me to wear mouse ears, vacuum, excel in the classroom, and in the gospel. Rachel simply makes me want to be a getter man. You are my best friend. I love you. You are the most incredible mother and person. The love and compassion that you have for others is unprecedented. You are beautiful inside and out. Since the day I saw you in that keyboarding class at Skyline I was madly in love with you. I am still and forever and ever will be madly in love with you.