Spring fashion, Family &Friends, and the Utah Symphony

So if you have read any of our family's previous posts...you can see that Nate is good at keeping me on my toes with current events, names of things and places, and...fashion.

This is the REAL me and the pink pants (that I never wore, and I'm never going to wear actually :))

I have to say that the styles of 2012 (in America...since Europe's about 10 years ahead of us), don't really match up very well with my personality. Call me crazy, but I'm not big into neon and weird designs. I think if I wore those pants, I'd feel like a piece of bubble gum walking around. I expect people to notice me, even without neon :). When I walk through Forever 21, or Gap, or Nordstrom, or even Macy's, I feel like I'm taking a stroll through the 70's again. Why can't I just buy a normal piece of clothing for a reasonable price? :)

Don't get me wrong...I don't have anything against anybody who loves that kind of thing...in fact I'm kind of drawn to them (literally), but it's just not really my personality to go out on a limb like that. I prefer the classy, conservatice styles...the ones that don't go out of style...you know, like Classical music, and red bricked houses, and wood, and Honda's, oh, and let's not forget Jane Austen, or old Europe. Call me Goeorge Banks. You know...nothing extravagant, just sophisticated :). For that reason...Nate enjoys teasing me once in a while. :)

On the brighter side however (no pun intended) he has given me strong encouragement (not verbal..rather through example) to live up life a little more than I thought was possible. Notice the title of our blog 'in all things love'. Well, it comes from a saying that was commonly known among the Czech's early Protestants Moravian Brethren, and is also what we commonly refer to as 'our family moto'. You've probaby heard it before. The complete phrase is:

In essentials unity
In nonessential liberty
In all things love.

Let's just say that the middle phrase 'In nonessentials liberty'... is not taken lightly in this family...especially by my Nate. In fact we should probably make that the name of this blog. He is serious about life when he needs to be, but he is also lighthearted and knows how to make a good joke..especially when he senses too much seriousness where seriousness is not helpful. This includes things like wanting to sing the BYU 'Rise up and shout song' at his funeral, and someday wanting to write the "PERFECT FAMILY CHRISTMAS CARD"...full on with the 'American Smile', the perfect house, the perfect car, and the perfect family in perfect clothes. Let's just say that he lives up to the family name of Freeman. So while Im known as the strong 'conservative' in the family when it comes to fashion, vacations, music, and more, I love his free loving soul. Perhaps every marriage needs a little of both.

Now that we've got that behind us....

Last night we had a great time at the Utah Symphony's 'John Williams Concert'. It is part of a rewards program for my students, so when students pratice one hundred days (as four of them had), they earn a free concert and a treat. This time they got a 'Symphony' bar. Funny how children can be even more excited about candy, than a concert. We had a great time last night! Another highlight was running into our friends Bob and Jacobie Hoopes, who set up Nate and I on our first date, and Nate's highschool friend Suzi who just got into medical school at Temple University in Pennsylvania (Congratulations Suzi!). It was such a fun evening, and the conductor did a great job including orchestral excerpts from other composers such as Gustav Holst, Gabriel Faure, and Antonin Dvorak who had influenced John Williams work.

Four of my students and their parents at the John Williams Utah Symphony Concert

Afterwards Nate and I went out for a night out on the town. Even though it wasn't a weekend, our babysitter Aunika (who had also been my doula) was so sweet to encourage us to have fun that night. We strolled through City Creek and around Temple Square. We ended up at an Italian shop in our neighborhood 'Dolcetti', and got some gelato and a yummy scone.

We ran into a photographer from the Salt Lake Tribune, and he was so nice and took this picture for us

Fountains designed by the same guy who designed the fountains in front of the Bellagio in Las Vegas

Italian goods on display in the window at Dolcetti. Nate loves everything Italian ever since he spent those two summers in Italy



So what's the difference between icecream and gelato?
That's what i asked...and they said that gelato has less fat, and less air..so there you go! That's why they serve you such small portions and charge you so much for them :). 



Nate and I shared the "large" cup you see..that looks like a dot on the table. I'm not big into the "all you can eat American style", but I know a theif when I see one :). Maybe I can blame this one on small business being taxed out of their minds. There is the pragmatist coming out of me again (thank you Dad!). I had to remind myself to enjoy the ambiance of it all!

orange cranberry...mmm! I think I will make those sometime at home

These are just a few of the things we have loved about living in Salt Lake City. Perhaps the best part of the evening was just strolling through Temple Square, seeing 'our Temple' lit up, and smelling the beautiful blossoms. For me, it was like heaven! Romantic and a little cheesy? Probably!




Tulips...I love tulips ever since I lived in Holland

It's hard to believe it has only been a little over a year since we were married there on February 5, 2011

Another great part of the week has been having my sister Ramona and her cute kids here from Colorado Springs for the week. Ramona, Shirley, and I (the three youngest of the 11) had a great time shopping and going to lunch. The great part is that we even got my Mom to come...who like me isn't a big shopper, but enjoys her daughters and is interested in what we are interested in. I love that about my Mom!

too cool for school...for now :)

City Creek with the Fam

Ramona and her cuties: David, Marianne, Lydia and Adam (in her tummy)

Here's a little of Mason's life the last few weeks:

In his sunday best and on his blanket of many colors. Yes he is our favorite son!

Wrestling with his little lamb and his bear (which Aunt Jenica just game him). He is drawn to soft, cuddly things.

Fire in Water at City Creek...I thought that was pretty creative (to the intro song on 'Beauty and the Beast').



aha..oh yeah...I made Nate pose with Chubaka (since that what his friends called him in highschool..in his pro tennis days), Indiana Jones, the scary guy from Harry Potter (I'm sorry Alissa....I don't know his name!), and Luke Skywalker after the Utah Symphony Concert.

 


I also got to spend some time with my friends from the Nauvoo Performing Mission in 2005. We had breakfast at Kneaders the Saturday before Easter. These are without a doubt some of my favorite people on earth!

For Alissa's birthday (Nate's sister who just got into BYU Piano Performance program)...we had Mason dance for her...to the chicken dance:

Mason and I got a hugely special treat by getting a visit from our friends, and former Bishop and his wife in Holland...Arto and Femke Hornweg. They even brought him a super cute outfit from Holland. When he wears it, I call him my little Dutch boy. We love them!

There he is...my little Dutch boy!

After our Spring Concert with the Orchestra, Nate and I got to introduce Mason to my violin teacher Vesna Gruppman and her husband Igor. Vesna is one of the greatest teachers on earth, and she loves her students so much that she is almost like a mother to us. So here is Mason with his musical grandmother Vesna Gruppman.

Mason has also been learning how to suck on his toe. It's his new favorite trick.

So I think that is probably a good place to end for now. Those are some of the highlights of our lives this beautiful springtime! Hope you are all well..happy, and finding joy in the journey (as Nate is often reminding me to do). We love our family and we love our friends...and we're learning to love our enemies :)! Go Mitt Romney! Just kidding!

Cheers and so forth from the Free Masons!

Get ready...get set...Spring!

We like spring.  After all, who doesn't appreciate the blooming flowers and the WARMER DAYS?!  Wahoo!   Today we want on a pleasant stroll around the neighborhood and up to the cemetery, which is only four blocks to the north of us.  It's an inside-27th ward-joke that we have 10 presidents of the Church in our ward, which is technically true, as the cemetery is part of our ward boundaries.  We are trying to reactivate them and their families, so hopefully our fellowshipping efforts will pay off.  We love the Avenues, and we've both concluded that we wouldn't mind living here again in the future if the opportunity comes.

A lot has transpired in the last few weeks, the most notable event being that Joanna bought bright clothes!  This thrilled me to no end as I had begged her to buy something to match the spring season, and she did it.  I think it's a sign the Apocalypse will indeed happen in 2012.

Joanna modeling her new pants.  I call her the Pink Pantser now. 
She's even got the new hairstyle going.  Gotta love it.

I still wouldn't classify Joanna as a shopping enthusiast, but that's totally fine with me.  However, she did have a fun time visiting City Creek with her family a few days ago.  As she is the downtown SLC expert of the family, she took it upon herself to give the family a tour of the newest thriving economic area.  She actually made up crazy stuff about most of the tour, but they believed her so that's all that matters.

Joanna teaches violin part time, and taught a master class a couple weeks ago.  I think the term 'master class' is a bit presumptuous, but I guess that's the musical lingo :)  Joanna gets a lot of satisfaction from helping her students progress with their musical talents, and I get a lot of satisfaction from her satisfaction.  I always hoped to marry someone who loves and plays good music, and Joanna certainly fits that category to the letter.  I'm grateful music is part of our lives; it is truly a gift from God.

Mason is growing like a weed, but he's not a weed.  Imagine that!  As of the last appointment, he's the 97th percentile for height, and the 80th percentile for weight!  What does that mean?  It means he will be taller than me by the time he starts junior high.  I still have nightmares of my elementary experiences when our teacher would have us stand in a row according to height and I was always at the end of the line with Rosa Maria Hernandez and Kim Chang.  Looks like Mason won't have that problem thanks to Joanna and her Viking heritage.

Mason in 2040

One of the treats of the last few weeks was attending the Easter concert performed by the Orchestra at Temple Square and some of the newest members of MoTab (btw, I'm campaigning to raise awareness of the fact that MoTab accompanies the OTS, not the other way around.  It's a common misconception).  They sounded marvelous!  The concert really helped set the tone for Easter season.  We're looking forward to a memorable spring and hope you are, too!

The Free Mason

We thought it would be a good day to highlight the member of our Tremendous Trio who is not yet capable of writing his own posts: Mason Nathaniel Freeman.  As I write, he's trying to eat Joanna's knee, which is quite odd, but forgivable at this stage of his life.  Mason and I have spent a lot of valuable time together these past couple weeks due to Joanna's numerous rehearsals and violin lessons.  In those hours of "guy time" we have engaged in various activities including, and limited to, drooling and screaming.  We've also had a few staring contests, and he's able to hold a glare just as long as I can.  Sometimes I ask fellow fathers who have infants what they have concluded about their child's personality at their young tender age.  Let me start with a few pictures that I think reveal a lot about Mason's distinct physiognomy:

Mason's happy face:

Mason's sad face:

Mason's scared face:

Mason's confused face:

We've come to the conclusion that Mason's a sober kid.  However, as I let Joanna know, I won't let him get away with that.  It looks like some of our efforts to help him see that life isn't so bad are paying off: he winked at Joanna earlier today.  In all seriousness (sense the irony), Mason has a very cute laugh and a pretty mild temperament unless his stomach isn't full, but I can completely sympathize with that.  Thank goodness Joanna is a great cook!  Mason also seems to enjoy her milk, and I try to give Joanna reminders to pump milk so I'm not left empty-handed in my hour of need.  I sometimes remind her in a version of song:

Ere you left your room this morning,
Did you think to pump?
For we know that Mase doth savor
Milk of his favorite flavor
That he loves so much

O how pumping rests the weary
Milk can change the night to day
So when time is
Did you think to pump?

Mason is strong, yet I find him to be a sweet, peace-loving person, although the below episode demonstrates that he can have his moments of aggression:

Mason reminds me of a wise, old owl.  When he was born, Joanna asked what I thought of his appearance as I observed him under that super bright light.  The first two things that occurred to me was that he looked healthy and strong, but he looked...old!  I couldn't put my finger on it, but we've had a few people comment since then that he looks old.  So, Joanna and I are learning how to respect our elders during this time as we raise our own version of Benjamin Button:



 
I need to give a quick recap of last week.  One of the highlights was that Joanna was able to attend Legacy Conference, which is an Andersen annual tradition where many wonderful women with connections to the Andersen family meet to strengthen each other spiritually and socially.  I can say that women who come from that line are among the best you'll meet, and I'm grateful to marry a special woman from that line.  Joanna has always enjoyed meeting with those kind, valiant people.  Afterwards, Mom and Dad Jacob watched the little guy while Joanna and I went to Costa Vida...yum!

Work has been busy lately as is always the case towards the end of the financial quarter, and it looks like the chaos will continue as Greece restructures their debt.  But, even with the long hours, we always make time for Freeman family fun.

Closing thoughts...

-Hurray for BYU making the NCAA tournament for the 6th straight year (I think)!  I like our chances against Iona, but they've already exceeded expectations by making it this far.  I'm hoping we'll be able to watch some of the March Madness at work.

-While Joanna and our friend Jacobie (the Freeman family patron saint who set up me and Joanna) were rehearsing for their upcoming concert, Jacobie's husband Bob and I strolled the Gateway with our respective infants in tow. 

Presidents' Week: Thoughts from the mother

Hope you enjoyed the last post. As you can see, Nate provides sufficient humor in our relationship...for the both of us . . . for which I am always grateful. Especially since I tend to get my head up in the clouds too often like a balloon, or down in the dumps and way too serious about life. He's good at keeping me right down the middle...or at least trying to :).

Here's our week (at least my perspective on it):

Monday February 20th: Presidents' Day. It was a beautiful day filled with lots of sunshine. Since it was Presidents' Day, Nate thought it the perfect idea to go to 'Welfare Square' . . . since that is what many of the recent presidents have done on their visits to Salt Lake City and the Church headquarters. Two sister missionaires (one from Sweden and one from Arizona) gave us a wonderful tour. Just last year was the 75th Anniversary of the Church Welfare Program.

In a brief video that they shared at the beginning, they showed how when a disaster happens, they are organized enough to have relief to those people within a week. Incredible! Thousands of pounds of food, clothing, and other supplies. One 90 year old woman made quilts for empoverished families in Guatemala, whose babies were being sent home in newspapers. I love being a member of this Church! I'm always so proud of what good leadership, and charitable hearts and willing hands are able to accomplish. As a recent editor of a famous newspaper said lately . . .  Mitt Romney should use the example of the Church Welfare program, as to how our Country should organize relief systems for others in the world.

When we got to the graineries, the sister missionaries told us when it was built, how, and then reminded us of the story of Joseph in Egypt. They also walked us through the Bishop's Storehouse, Deseret Industries sorting place and store (where they give away 95% of what they receive there to people around the world, the rest goes to the store). 100% of the employees there are recommended there by their Bishops. These are people who are given an opportunity to work and learn skills that could make them more marketable. Then they showed us huge machines that make butter, cheese, and purify milk. They also have a bakery, and the wonderful smell of fresh bread filled the air. The sister missionaries explained to us, that we all have gifts given to us from God that we can share with others. Sometimes it's even just a smile.

Amazingly those graineries were built in 1940 in only 9 Days!

Bishop's Storehouse

Nate if our food storage looked like that, then you might have something to defend! :)

I think the main reason Nate wanted to take Mason here, is because we have plans for Mason to become a future President of the United States. I think he wanted him to get a good idea as to how to give tours to other Presidents who come to our Country :).



They gave us a sample of the milk, cheese, and bread at the end of the tour. I had to take a picture of Nate eating cheese, since I almost never see him doing that (he doesn't usually like eating plain cheese).



That was our Family Home Afternoon, as he calls it, since we both had separate places to go that evening. Nate got to go to a special dinner with Elder Hinckley and Czech delegates, where a former mission president of the CR was given the highest honor the Czechs can give a foreigner. This was done for his work in building relations between the US and CR after the end of the 'Cold War'. I got to spend the evening with my family . . . which I loved. Dad made his famous 'fried chicken', and Mom made her famous biscuits. It was the quintessential Southern American Meal. Afterwards Mom shared some very touching remarks about how inspired our current President is (just kidding Mom!). Actually, she spoke about George Washington and what a great Leader he was. The nieces and nephews did a play about him, which was pretty cute! I got to ride with Jenet, Mike, and little LaDawn which was also so much fun for me.

This week, Mason has been rolling over a lot (a new trick he learned). He uses it when he protests having to go to bed early, while Mom and Dad get to stay up and have fun.

This is a picture of Mason rolled over in his crib. I confess I couldn't help but just love that he did that! Everything seems so adorable at this age.

He has also gotten quite close to the little lamb that we put in his crib

Mason also tried to whistle with me this week. I wish I knew how to upload the video here. Hmm. 

Thoughts from the father

So, I've decided to contribute to this blog, for better or for worse.  I feel it is part of my calling as patriarch of the home (I think they forgot to include that in the Family Proclamation).  I had the pleasure to fulfil one of those roles as patriarch by giving my son Mason a father's blessing as part of his "welcome to Earth" rewards program.  It was a neat experience seeing into our boy's life and getting a peek at God's plan for Him.  He is setting out on an incredible journey, no doubt filled with the ups and downs that we each experience, and we're grateful to be his fellow travelers.

As this is my first post, I thought I should catch up on the many months we've had this blog running.  I'm guessing Joanna informed you that Mason was born, which makes sense since I gave him a blessing.  He has been a pretty good boy, namely in the sleep department, which is foundational to the happiness of his parents.  I am especially grateful for Joanna's sake, as she is the one who wakes up in the nights to help the boy out because I head out early for work. 

Sleep Mason sleep baby! 

Oh, and I also might mention that Joanna and I got married, which is why we also had a baby.  Between Feb. 5 (date of our marriage sealing) and Nov. 12 (Mason's birth--okay you can do the math :)) we partied like CRAZY!  We had fun going on dates just about everyday, including a 2 week date to Europe, which was oodles of fun.  I loved meeting Joanna's friends in the Netherlands, where she studied violin.  Joanna was able to visit my mission country, the Czech Republic, and meet my dear friends there.  We also visited England, France, Switzerland, and Austria.  We both have donated part of our hearts to Europe, in a figurative sense, and are grateful we were able to take that trip.  Thanks to Dan Kim, Bethany Wilkins, Stanislav Juricek, Alex Bararian, and Arto and Femke for helping make our trip memorable and enjoyable. 

Considering Joanna was 7 months pregnant during the trip,
she probably wishes we would have taken the bus more often

Other fun included a family reunion in St. George with the Jacobs, and another trip to St. George to visit grandparents.  We like St. George a lot--who's going to retire down there with us?  The sun is good for the soul!  Actually, during our trip for the reunion I contracted pneumonia (woe is me!) for the 17th time in my blessed life.  I've told Joanna that when I die it will be at the hands of pneumonia, and I hope she puts it on my grave with "I told you so!" on the tombstone.

My deranged, hopeless state

We were set to go to Europe right after that trip.  We were thinking about cancelling it, but after consulting our doctor and literally coming to my senses, we made a last minute decision to go through with the trip.  Thank goodness that worked out!

An uncanny resemblance to Saddam Hussein
post capture

An uncanny resemblance to me

We've had many other occasions/milestones/experiences in this past year.  For starters, I gained about 30 pounds soon after getting married.  Joanna also gained a few pounds, granted she had an excuse, and that motivated us to begin a friendly competition of the Biggest Loser, which I will win.  Coincidentally, I ran into a lady just last week whose mom won the nationwide contest and $100,000 to boot, and I think that's a sign that I've got this contest in the bag.  I try to go to the gym a few times a week and we've got a cool jogging stroller for Joanna and Mason to share, so the game is on!  I went skiing for the first time in my life this winter (I know you're perplexed--15 years living in Utah having never skied?!) and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The scenery at Snowbird, the exhilaration of acceleration, the challenge of keeping balance...I'm looking forward to learning more!  After all, I almost killed a snowboarder on the way down as I was still learning to stop.  It was more difficult than I anticipated.

I'm a quick learner

Joanna and I have become expert connoisseurs in Salt Lake City cuisine, visiting restaurants of the Greek, Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican, and Italian variety.  After all, how can you be CULtured without an appreciation of the CULinary arts :)  Joanna has also cooked some amazing meals here at the Love Lodge, so we might be opening up Joanna's Diner soon.  It might work, because we just learned that the Osmonds lived here in our apartment decades ago.  How cool is that?!

The future performing group at 'Joanna's Diner'

What else did we do with our spare time this past year?  As freelance film critics, we've been watching a lot of the AFI's top 100 films (hurray for Netflix!).  Ever true to our alma mater, we make a point to attend BYU basketball (Jimmermania, anyone?) and football games.  It's always a joy to visit our families in Utah County, go on picnics, play tennis, and attend Utah Symphony concerts. We had a pleasant holiday season, threw snowballs, watched lots of the Republican primary debates, campaigned for Mason to come on 11/11/11 (and failed despite the spicy/garlic food, long walks, etc.), attended the temple, and had a generally wonderful time!  As we say in the Freeman home, we work hard, play hard, and pray hard!  Joanna continues to perform for the Orchestra at Temple Square and teaches violin lessons to her prodigious students every Saturday morning, while Mason and I protect the food storage at home.

Butch Cassidy (me) and the Salt Lake kid (Mason)

For most of my waking hours you'll find me at Goldman Sachs.  I work at the office on Chipeta Way, and it has been a learning experience as I test my toe in the finance industry.  I consider it a privilege to work there with capable, intelligent people who have taught me a lot about the corporate world.  I think it's about as well managed as any company, and I hope to use the professional skills I've developed there throughout my life.  One of the professional skills I've developed in particular is..

...
...
...EATING!

At Goldman, we're definitely a serious business and we work hard, but we eat well, too.  As I developed a reputation for taking that last slice of pizza and never refusing that bagel I love so very, very much, a couple managers took note and placed a bet as to how many Chick Fil A chicken nuggets I could eat in an hour.  Any guesses as to how many I ate?

20?
30?
40?
50?
60?



Nope, I ate 76.  I won $60, so it was worth it.  I had to ask for Joanna's forgiveness as I told her about a year before I wouldn't enter eating contests after I finished that 4 pound burrito at Blue Iguana.  She forgave me.  She's such a sweetheart! 

I also had the opportunity to attend training in New York City for my job, and that was an excellent experience!  It was lots of work, but I loved exploring the city during my offtime.  What a vibrant city!

It's fun to reflect on a year of myriad activities and opportunities to learn.  Hopefully this overly lengthy post will teach me a lesson to write more frequently.  I'll end this post where I started: it was a wonderful day for our family to give Mason his blessing.  To have so many wonderful family and friends in his life both present and not present is the greatest blessing he could have.  Mason--you've got a great life ahead of you, and we'll do our best to help you along the way.  I'll never forget the day you were born.  It was like the world stopped as you came from heaven to earth in Riverton Hospital.  The few days following were among the most peaceful and wonderful of my life, and you've brought a lot of happiness since then.  We have great hopes for you, but our greatest hope is that you will find happiness through following the Savior.  Welcome to the family buddy!