The Murphy Family

Where does the time go?

2011-06-11T13:51:00.005-06:00

It's been almost 4 months since our last post, so it seems to be about the right time to blog again. Since having a second child, I simultaneously feel like I have all the time in the world and like I have absolutely no time to do anything. Does anyone know what I mean? I'll be home with the girls all day and not have anything planned, so I think to myself, "I'll probably have a little bit of

Becoming a father for the second time

2011-02-18T22:06:00.014-07:00

Becoming a father for the second time, it’s hard to explain. It was a bit like watching Bollywood remake of The Sixth Sense. I knew what was going to happen, all the elements were the same (we got a baby in the end—or in Megan’s case, out of her end), but it’s a different setting, different people, and more fun. That analogy obviously has its limits, however, as Bollywood seems to make everything

Trying to keep you happy.

2011-01-31T00:13:00.001-07:00

Dear Readers of Our Blog, I promise I have not forgotten about our blog. I remember how to get to it and I remember how to post. I remember that there are a few people around the globe who really want to get updates about the Murphy family and see pictures of our darling daughters. I remember all of these things and have wanted to post several times the past six weeks. The problem is that we

What A Morning...

2010-12-20T13:32:00.002-07:00

After four and a half hours of labor and three minutes of pushing, I had a baby this morning. Five hours later, we were sitting on the couch at home eating In'n'Out while our dog sniffed Miss Serafina to get acquainted. What an unbelievable morning!Serafina Fern MurphyDecember 20, 20105 pounds 14 ounces20 inchesSean posted a lot of pictures on facebook, so you can check those out until I get some

Pregnancy Recap at 35 1/2 Weeks

2010-11-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

In the past, my blogging time has typically been while Matilda is napping in the afternoon, but for the past several months, I have found myself needing a nap even more than her during this time, so my blogging has suffered. One of the reasons that I have been needing the afternoon naps is because I tend to wake up anywhere between 3 and 6 AM and can't fall back asleep due to Baby Girl also

Summer Fun in Oregon!

2010-09-14T12:19:00.001-06:00

Due to the many, many things that keep us in Utah, we don't get to visit Oregon nearly as much as I would like. The past two Thanksgivings and Christmases have been spent in dear old Provo, and that won't be changing this year with a baby due on Christmas Day (my midwife changed my due date back). Because of this, I like to take somewhat "extended" vacations to McMinnville during the summer. I

Bangs

2010-09-07T11:41:00.000-06:00

Just in case American rap is a little too racy for you, I wanted to introduce you to some wholesome Sudanese-Australian rap. Enjoy!

Floored

2010-08-31T17:18:00.000-06:00

Over two years ago, when we first saw the house that we eventually bought, we fell in love with it. I am still in love with our little 111 year old house. The bathroom, although very small, has a big clawfoot bathtub that, again, I love. The previous owners had bath mats that covered the whole floor and we just never thought to look under them to see what the floor was like...and then we moved in

No More Back to School

2010-08-27T00:23:00.000-06:00

For almost twenty years, I never realized the importance of "back to school" days in the resetting of my yearly life-cycle. As I am sure many people would agree, it feels even more absolute as a new beginning than New Years Day, and so the absence of the event is making me feel a bit incomplete. I use to LOVE back to school shopping, and I don't mean clothes shopping, although that was nice too.

I'm Making a Comeback

2010-06-15T17:36:00.000-06:00

My last post was about my upcoming dance concert, which is now long past, so I think a couple pictures are overdue. I'm so happy that I was able to be a part of such a wonderful piece during my last semester at BYU. Giving our wonderful choreographer, Marin, some flowers for being awesome Ready to go onstage Random dancing shot Now rewinding back a couple of months to the end of December. Sean

Faculty Works Concert

2010-02-26T15:33:00.000-07:00

This weekend marks my last performing opportunity at BYU (for real this time). The concert is the Contemporary Faculty Works Concert and it is tonight and tomorrow night at 7:30. I auditioned for the show back in September, which seems so long ago, and now it is finally here! The contemporary division of the dance department decided to have this concert available for any faculty member who would

Potty Talk

2010-02-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, Matilda has been talking a lot lately and actually enunciates several words pretty well. She is sick with a little cold right now and didn't sleep very well on Friday night (which meant Sean and I didn't sleep at all, and I had a 7 AM rehearsal in the morning, blah), and since she was so sad and miserable on Saturday, we gave her a bath even though she had had one

A Very Merry Un-Birthday

2010-02-12T00:31:00.000-07:00

As of today at 11:18 AM, Matilda is officially 18 months old. It really is crazy how fast time goes once you have a child. Her doctor's appointment isn't until next week so I'll be sure to post all of her stats then, but don't expect her to be much over 18 lbs, maybe 19. She is our pint-sized bundle of joy! Since I never posted anything about her first birthday, I am posting some pictures from

RIP Eggplant

2010-02-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we lost a dear member of our family. She has been on many adventures with us. She was present for our first kiss. All of my closest family and friends have had the pleasure of meeting her. She was a dependable protector who held our safety at the top of her priorities. She was my 1994 Acura Integra. She didn't actually die. She is actually still going strong with only 120,000 miles on

Hale will freeze over...tomorrow.

2010-01-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the third benefit race that Sean has directed at Hale Center Theater Orem. This is the 2nd Annual Hale Freezes Over 5k & 10k Race/Walk! Of course, we always want more runners to sign up (which you can do here), but what we really NEED are more volunteers! For the last race, Sean and I were at the theater until 3 AM the night before putting together the race packets and getting

Graovsko Horo and Sopsko Kopanica Success!

2010-01-20T22:56:00.000-07:00

This semester, I am the TA (teacher's assistant) for Dance 370, which is the advanced world dance class at BYU. As mentioned in previous posts, I absolutely adore world dance. My dream job would be to be on the world dance faculty at BYU, but unfortunately BYU is in Utah and I am not too keen on sticking around here for the rest of my life. I wish that I could travel the world and learn every

It's Cookie Time!*

2009-12-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

One month of every year, I look past my bias against baking (which exists merely because I'm not very good at it) and I enter a world of sugary chewiness where I just happen to be Mistress of All. Ok, that is an overstatement. What I mean is I bake a lot of Christmas cookies. And I mean a lot. As soon as I finish this post, I will be heading into the kitchen to make my favorite Christmas

To Mac and Back

2009-12-10T13:23:00.001-07:00

Our little family went to McMinnville over the weekend to see my family. I couldn't leave until Saturday morning, but Sean and Matilda went out Thursday night so my parents could have more time with the girl. I was there for a whopping 48 hours, but I had some good times visiting with my family and seeing people from my home ward. Here are a few highlights: 1. My Dad. When Sean and Tilly walked

December 3rd = Baby Day

2009-12-03T22:41:00.001-07:00

L-R: Janneke, Kathy, Gretchen, Sarah, Megan This picture was taken in August of 2006 when our folk dance team was on our way to Nauvoo, Illinois to perform for two weeks. Janneke and Gretchen were already married, but the rest of us were all married within two years. These girls are some of my best friends, so we always have fun recreating this picture when we get together. It is amazing how

The Goose is Getting Fat

2009-12-03T12:22:00.000-07:00

On Sunday night, I stayed up until 1:00 AM writing a new post about some things that I have been thankful for lately. What started out as a few thoughts about some events from the past few years of my life, and how I have overcome them, turned into a lengthy, journal-like personal essay. I was reluctant to post it because it delved into some very intimate emotional territory, so I have decided to

Paris, Je T'aime...

2009-11-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

I have an intense desire to go back soon.

2009-11-19T00:27:00.000-07:00

Why don't my pictures stay centered when I publish them? I format them centered, I promise! Anyone who can fix my problem will get a prize. It will most likely be candy or ice cream (if you are in Utah).

A Literary Halloween

2009-11-19T00:22:00.001-07:00

It is late, Sean is in Florida, I am cold, I have a stats test to study for all day tomorrow, so what do I decide to do? Blog. It has never been in my nature to do a sensible thing like go to bed when I should. On a side note, for those who knew me before I got married when I seldom went to bed before 1 AM, I am usually in bed by 11 now, although I try to go to bed by 10. It helps to have a baby

Graduation Agitation.

2009-11-18T18:01:00.000-07:00

It has been close to two weeks since my last post, which is much longer than I was hoping to go. The problem is I keep getting ideas of subjects I would like to write about and then I get overwhelmed by so much writing, similar to how I react to cleaning my entire house. The solution to this predicament is the same as for cleaning: just take care of one thing at a time and eventually I will be

The Re"may"nder of May. Ha.

2009-11-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

You would think that the rest of May would have been boring compared to our trip to New York, but it is truly the most spectacular of months with bountiful occasions for celebration. The day after we got home from NY was Mother's Day, and Matilda (and Sean) surprised me with a bracelet I admired from the window of a jewelers in Huntington. They got me something extra special because it was my

New York State of Mind

2009-11-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of January, Sean's older sister, Erinn, moved to Huntington, New York, located on Long Island. She works for Ikea and hardly ever has time off to come home to Utah, so we went out there to visit. Trip Highlights: Spending time with Erinn. She introduced us to her new town and was able to spend a lot of time being a wonderful aunt to Matilda. Sean and I spent three days in

One more thing.

2009-10-21T11:36:00.002-06:00

When I posted about April, I completely forgot about the most exciting event! I have seen it on the West Coast (Portland) and Sean has seen it on the East Coast (New York), but finally we were able to meet in the middle(ish) and see it together. On April 26th, we went to Wicked at the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City! We love love love this show, and it was even better watching it from the SIXTH

April showers bring...not a whole lot for the Murphy's.

2009-10-14T22:41:00.001-06:00

April wasn't the most exciting month for us. Sean kept going to work and I kept going to school. In fact, Winter Semester 2009 was my last full-time semester, which is exciting, but also sad because I love my dance friends and teachers, and especially because I love Brigham Young University and learning. Education is one of the most important things in my life, which is perhaps why I am more

Highway to Hale

2009-10-09T18:03:00.001-06:00

I promise I will write about April soon (all of our pictures are on Sean's laptop so I don't have access to them when I have freetime during the day), but right now I want to invite everyone in Utah to run/walk in Highway to Hale! It is a 10k and 5k race/walk (I will be walking) that benefits the Hale Center Foundation for the Arts and Education, and Sean just happens to be the race director.

Hannah and the Chocolate Milk

2009-10-04T23:10:00.005-06:00

I just remembered my favorite quote from my dance classes this week. On Monday, we were in a circle practicing our plies and tondus when little red-headed Hannah started rubbing her leotard-clad belly and said,"My tummy is full of chocolate milk and it looks funny."I laughed very hard on the inside.

My Turn.

2009-10-04T12:25:00.018-06:00

Hi, my name is Megan and this is my first time contributing to this or any other blog.... Frankly, I am kind of nervous about it and I don't even know why. Perhaps it is because Sean is such an engaging writer that he can write a forever-long post and keep you entertained the entire time, while I have always been more of a math and science person and tend to do the bare minimum to get a good

Why I Run

2009-02-24T15:09:00.003-07:00

Last year I lost 33 lbs in 5 months. For those of you who would say that I did not have 33 lbs to lose, take a look at my pictures from March of last year. Yikes. By the way, this post is long. You have been warned. No complaining or making "humorous" comments about how long it is because I warned you. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here. There's a monster at the end of this book. Please

The Obligatory Video Montage

2009-02-13T08:13:00.003-07:00

As you were reading yesterday's blog, I bet you were wondering, "Where's the montage of Matilda pictures and videos with cheesy music?" Your answer lies herein. The music is "Have a Little Faith in Me" by John Hiatt. I admit that I had not heard the song before watching this episode of The Office. The video is called "Happy Six Moths, Matilda!" Listen carefully to the words and how they

Two Hundred Sixty-Four Thousand, Nine-Sixty Minutes

2009-02-12T13:10:00.008-07:00

Hey. It has been a while. You want to know why? That is none of your business. You really want to know? My, you are pushy today. Just realize that I have no o-BLOG-ation (ba-dum-CHING) to you, or to tell the truth. But thus said, here we go.One day, I went out to pick up the paper. Nothing unusual so far. I was wearing my Freudian slippers (a 2007 Christmas present from the wife) and

Hasselhoff Sings the National Anthem

2009-01-09T15:32:00.003-07:00

I just remembered that I have a video of one of our nation's greatest heroes glorifying Francis Scott Key's greatest work. P.S. I think he's just trying to create some momentum for "Baywatch: The Musical".

Pooping on the Craps

2009-01-09T14:18:00.007-07:00

This is why I never kept a journal. I want to write details, commentary, tangents, and witty remakes about everything that happens while at the same time pontificating the precise and pointless philosophies which underlie each action. So when I do not write about something immediately after it happens, I get behind and say to myself, "If I haven't done it today and the world did not end, then

When You're Smiling

2008-12-16T18:06:00.003-07:00

It would seem as though I prefer videos to just posting a plethora of pictures. (I know, people overuse "plethora" to the point where it has become cliche, but I'm still using it for the sake of alliteration.) At least for now I prefer videos. I may change my opinion later, or tomorrow, or whenever. You people should know by now that you get no guarantees from this guy.So yeah, just one more

Fat Bottomed Girl

2008-12-15T00:29:00.006-07:00

We just had Matilda's four-month checkup on Friday, December 12. One would never think that such a chunk of a baby could have come from my petite little wife, but it is true--we have a heifer child. We are practicing telling her that it is okay to be portly, since obesity is undeniably her density. (<--Intentional spelling error for comedic effect. Geez, do I really have to spoon-feed you

I meant to briefly (not boxerly) mention Halloween and move on, but then this happened. Maybe I'll post about Thanksgiving by Easter.

2008-11-13T16:55:00.007-07:00

First things first. Here are some pictures of my daughter, Matilda, of whom I am the world's biggest acolyte. Even when that girl just don't want to be sleeping, I cannot help but smile at her. Most of the time she will smile back, too! And I tell you what, one of my favorite things has become going to see her in the morning. Often she will wake up and just coo and goo and fart, but not

The Saturday Muffin Adventure

2008-11-02T23:25:00.004-07:00

We did not have the ingredients for pancakes on Saturday, November 1, 2008.So I made muffins instead.But what does one do when one has just a little bit of extra mix left over--not enough for another batch but too much to throw away?One uses the mix and then employs equations to figure out how much more oil, water, and egg to add.But what happens when the extra batter does not fit in the muffin

Sun Valley and Oregon

2008-10-31T13:02:00.007-06:00

Sorry for all of you who have had to look at my ugly drawing of Sarah Palin for so long. I have been busy posting and responding about all matters politico on my blog. And for those of you who I offend with my blatantly pro-Obama and anti-McCain writings, let not your heart be troubled. I am done. I participated in early voting today and cast my vote for Senator Barack Obama. Next Tuesday,

If you plan on voting McCain/Palin...

2008-10-21T18:05:00.004-06:00

...and want my highly valued opinion on the issue, please visit my personal blog at http://seanpatrickmurphy.wordpress.com.Thank you, my friend. That is all.P.S. And thanks also to Camie for her dedication and for letting me know about this site. Hopefully my addition, pictured below, will make the cut.

Just to See Matilda Smile

2008-10-16T12:58:00.005-06:00

Matilda turned two months old on Sunday! And on Monday, as a birthday present, we decided to paint her room. It was not a bad color, at least if you do not mind a nice masking tape color, but we decided to freshen things up anyway. I have painted quite a few rooms in my life, including the bathroom in our former apartment, but never have I attempted to tackle a room with a 14 foot ceiling. Boo

Rolling Matilda

2008-10-08T11:44:00.002-06:00

For all you nay-sayers out there, not only did our Matilda roll over TWO DAYS IN A ROW, not only did she roll TWICE this morning, but she also rolled to BOTH SIDES! Don't believe me? Check out the video.WARNING: Since it was very early in the morning as I filmed and I was still in my robe, you may see a moment of man-thigh. I'd apologize, but they are just so darn sexy.

Let Me See That Tilly Roll!

2008-10-07T14:04:00.003-06:00

So after reading another chapter of Harry Potter and downing a 4 oz bottle (supplemental to feeding with Megan) at 6 AM this morning, Matilda was just being about as pleasant as a plywood peacock (which is very pleasant for those of you who don't know). She was doing a great job of holding her head up and looking around, staring at me for extended periods of time, and smiling. Since our last

Matilda in Living Color

2008-10-02T11:53:00.003-06:00

I just realized that I have not yet taken advantage of the little "add video" button. Since many of you have not yet had the opportunity to see a video of our little Tilly, today will be the day that said advantage will be taken of. Enjoy! You're stupid if you don't. P.S. It says 30 September 2008 because that is when I made this. That is not when she was born. That kind of thing should

Saturday Morning Pancakes (cont.)

2008-10-01T16:08:00.005-06:00

I have found that Google's Reader doesn't like it when I go back and edit prior posts, so I will simply start a new entry. Va bene?Every Saturday since the birth of the beloved hot tub of my gene pool, I have gotten up early (around noon) and made pancakes for Megan and I. It may seem unfair that Matilda cannot participate, but don't worry, I shake up a little Bisquick in one of her bottles.

Saturday Morning Pancakes

2008-09-30T17:47:00.003-06:00

This post will be about Saturday morning pancakes. I will write it tonight at our internet-less home, then post it tomorrow morning. For now, enjoy a few pictures of Matilda.Playing in the Bumbo Babysitter. She doesn't like it much. Maybe once she actually fits in it she'll like it more.Cross-eyed on the couch. Nothing more to say.She likes to fall asleep while I read her Harry Potter in

Blame it on Aida

2008-09-18T15:10:00.001-06:00

These last couple weeks have been filled with preparations for Aida, which opens next Tuesday, September 23rd, at the Hale Center Theater Orem. For those of you who don't know, the Hale Center Foundation for the Arts and Education, of which HCTO is a part, is my employer. My official title is Director of Advancement, and as such I am in charge of all the marketing, advertising, special events,

Separate and Unequal

2008-09-18T14:41:00.002-06:00

So the time has come to part ways. I keep feeling the urge to express my opinion about how I really don't like Palin (lipstick, anyone?) or McCain. I want to talk about how stupid people bother me. I want to make humorous references to poo. I want to go off on whatever tangents I feel like. I don't think I would, but if I ever felt like writing incendiary commentaries, I would like to do so

Silly Tilly

2008-09-05T16:11:00.005-06:00

All parents know that babies are capable of some pretty good faces. I'm glad to find out that ours is no exception. My question is this: Are all babies so gassy? I mean she got a bum deal (pun intended) on the gassy genes from ol' mum and pops, but seriously, she rivals me sometimes. Lots of good stories for any unfortunate suitors that may try and date my daughter. And to that end, I've

Tilly the Weed and Wallpaper Mayhem

2008-08-26T14:44:00.010-06:00

Chapter 1: Masochistic Nurses and Weed-like Growth I wanted to stab their heels with ice picks and make them bleed all over sheets of paper. Hasn’t my daughter suffered enough coming into this world? Do we really need to prick her heels every time she exposes them? Next time, I think I’ll use luggage locks to make her baby booties irremovable, except that would probably just exacerbate the

Matilda Rose Murphy - Born 08.12.08 - Revised, Updated, and Complete

2008-08-18T14:49:00.006-06:00

You know what my problem is? I'm a perfectionist. Sometimes I don't feel like I can or should write until I have the time to make it something truly worth reading; something that will edify, inspire, educate, or at least entertain those whose eyes glance over it. This has resulted in a drastic decline of those who frequent this blog because with all that has been going on lately, for me to

Pearls Before Sean

2008-06-10T14:11:00.003-06:00

I really enjoy Pearls Before Swine. As you can tell by the above comic from May 12, 2008, it is partially responsible for my recent dearth of posts. I apologize sincerely for any pain, suffering, or other emotional discomfort this may have caused you. More regular blogs will appear shortly, but it's just an illusion. They're really longly.

Ode To Ye Cell

2008-04-23T19:41:00.003-06:00

So a friend recently asked me to help them come up with a poem about a cell. This is what I came up with. I'm actually pretty proud of it.Ode To Ye Cell You little cell, modicum of matter, invisible to the naked eye.Insignificant? No. You still matter, to me, myself, and I.You see, without you I could not see.There’d be no life, no dogs, no treeTo built a fort, or use

Sean's Half Blogathon

2008-04-23T18:43:00.005-06:00

I enjoy ideas. They are like little dew drops from Heaven. No, wait, stop the horses and hold your presses. That expression is a bit cliché. Ideas are more like, forgive me for saying so, but they’re a lot like poop. You take in all sorts of food and “food-like substances” (for you Pollan-philes), including a veritable smorgasbord of preservatives, additives, and bona fide nutrients and

What is it?

2008-04-09T11:15:00.007-06:00

I can see what's happ'ning.What?And they don't have a clue.Who?We fell in love, and here's the bottom line: Our family's growing from two.Okay, that was dumb. But I do not apologize because that's what you'll get when you log the blog of the Irish dog (translation: when you access my web log).Welp, as promised here I am updating our blog. Now that we've made it known that we have a blog and our

What is a Blog?

2007-09-13T17:30:00.000-06:00

I don't really even know where to start with these things. I know that "blog" stands for "Web log" but I just haven't been able to catch the concept or appeal. In theory the best way to understand the chicken pox would be to suffer through them yourself, so here I go, having a sleepover with the most infected kid in school--Blogger.com. Avast mateys! This is my maiden voyage to Bloggerland!