Test


Our God Became Small For Us


Babies Don’t Keep


And That’s Not The Worst Part…

Resume, Rwanada, and the Problem of Good

Women and Water

A God With A Thousand Arms

Pull the Plug, Ben

A Slap To My Obese, Fat Face

How Condescending

Don’t Be Too Sure About That…

I Helped Fund The “Ground Zero Mosque”

Neither Shall They Learn War Any More

Your Sperm Don’t Like Your Nalgene or Canned Green Beans

The Best $90 Billion News Story of the Month (Year?, Decade?)

Raise My Taxes, Too, Mr. President!

Eating to Distraction

No Mother Should Be Afraid

Big Spiders, Alvin Maker, and Ahimsa

I Am The Richest Man In The World

Inception and Lucid Dreaming

Survival of the Fittest, Economically and Biologically

“Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream”

I ate my first banana in college

“We cannot let the terrorists win, we must stay the course!”

The Great Indian Mormon Spaghetti Fight!

We love having a home! It’s been a great joy for all of us. Ben loves having a yard! It’s quite large and it’s fenced, so he can wander to his heart’s desire. And it goes without saying that Steve and I love having our own space!Since we moved into our…


Gardens and Decals and Decks, Oh My!
I know you guys miss Ben, so here are a few recent pics of him in action…

These little bird things wobble if you hit them.
Ben actively trying to open the fireplace doors. Lydia just following him around.

He tried to ride Chewy about 500 times – Chewy is a VERY patient pup.

Up the stairs, down the slide, up the stairs, down the slide…
.

Just turned around to see him sitting there…I wish the pic showed how high he is off the ground…it was quite impressive!


This one is for Grandma and Grandpa E.

I know you guys miss Ben, so here are a few recent pics of him in action…These little bird things wobble if you hit them.Ben actively trying to open the fireplace doors. Lydia just following him around.He tried to ride Chewy about 500 times – Chewy i…


This one is for Grandma and Grandpa E.

Favorite new toy – the stroller! He likes anything and everything with wheels – but unfortunately the folks here at the Ronald McDonald House probably weren’t thrilled to have their wheelchairs pushed around the halls.Hey guys, get me out of this drum!…


Lately…
We are officially under contract on a home! Scheduled to close in just 3 weeks – yikes! We are excited, of course. But now is about the time I start feeling sick about the whole thing – big decisions and me don’t go well together. Anyway, wish us luck!
Here are a couple pictured from the MLS:






Buying a House

We are officially under contract on a home! Scheduled to close in just 3 weeks – yikes! We are excited, of course. But now is about the time I start feeling sick about the whole thing – big decisions and me don’t go well together. Anyway, wish us luck!…


Buying a House

Steve picked out his first toy for Ben and so far it’s been a hit. Now the trick is keeping the pen on the white board and off the couches, walls, etc.He is clearly an artist already:


Dad’s First Toy

One Sunday after Steve and I were first married, a man commented in church that we were obviously newlyweds because we were holding hands throughout our church meetings. I remember commenting to each other about how we always wanted to be inseparable, …


No Longer Newlyweds

Well, we’re two weeks in and I’m quite disappointed to say that my hair is a lot curlier than I would have hoped. I would definitely use larger rollers second time around. That being said, it’s super easy, so chalk up a point for practicality.For those…


Digital Perm – Part II

Just got a pass to the Fairmont Aquatic Center and Ben is loving it! He has no fear…for better or for worse. Despite a HUGE area where he can swim, walk around and play with toys, all he wants to do is travel to the “deep” end (three and a half feet)…


Swimming

I’ve been going on and on about digital perms lately, and, inevitably, I’ve gotten a lot of questions! Here are some Wikipedia excerpts:A digital perm is a perm which uses hot rods with the temperature regulated by a machine, which has a digital displa…


Digital Perm
I’ve been going on and on about digital perms lately, and, inevitably, I’ve gotten a lot of questions! Here are some Wikipedia excerpts:
A digital perm is a perm which uses hot rods with the temperature regulated by a machine, which has a digital display, hence the name….The biggest difference between other perms and a digital perm is the shape and the texture of the wave created by the digital process…Therefore you can create the dry and curly look of the curl iron or the hot curler. ….One’s hair often feels softer, smoother, and shinier after a digital perm than before it…A digital perm makes the hair wavy when it is dry, so you just need to dry it with a blow dryer, and use your hand to make the curl. Styling is very easy, and if you set the curl in the morning, at the end of the day when the wave loosens, you can revive the curl just by curling it with your finger.

The part at the end about the “ease of styling” is what sold me! So last weekend, my mom and I drove to SF, met up with one of my best friends, Rebecca, and took the plunge!

Here are the results two days in:


It will relax a lot over the next few weeks (or so I am told) and will look more like a body wave. Anyway, so far it is insanely easy–this was just out of the shower with no product or styling. Every mom’s dream, right? Let’s just hope it’s cute in 2 weeks…

Digital Perm

Last night, while holding Ben, Steve remarked, “Look what happens when we put the best of the both of us together…we get Ben.” Agreed.Ben, you are our greatest joy, our greatest hope, our greatest love. Thank you for enriching our lives, Little Man.H…


The Best of Us

Thanks for the toys!

Hahahahaha……

Ben’s first drawing

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” -Mother Teresa$30 provides a child 35 dinner meals$50 feeds 11 kids dinner for a week$100 feeds a family of 5 for a weekDonate to the Utah Food Bank here.


In the spirit of Christmas…

“Years ago I preferred clever people. There was a joy in beholding . . . a mind . . . bearing thoughts quickly translated into words, or ideas expressed in a new way. I find now that my taste has changed. Verbal fireworks often bore me. They seem motiv…


Thatcher Family Happenings 2009-11-25 12:57:00

The Magic of Discovering Snow

Still taste-testing everything…


Still taste-testing everything…

The Next Nostradamus?

Four Times the Fun!

Marketing at its most creative….


Banner Ads on Flies

Happy Halloween!

We (finally) went in for Ben’s 1 year checkup. And we found out…HE IS A THATCHER! That’s right: tallish and skinny with a big noggin!Length: 67th percentileWeight: 27th percentileHead: 87th percentileYou are doing great, Kiddo! We love you!


Ben is OFFICIALLY a Thatcher!

Party before Rape Victim

There are a number of wonderful housing projects here in Salt Lake City that are designed to place the homeless in temporary or permanent housing (project-dependent). The idea is that people who are homeless often need to start by getting housing befor…


Giving the Homeless Homes

May and the kids were wonderful enough to drive down from Sacramento to hang out with Ben and me. Some highlights:The Wii won over a lot of hearts. Galla was SERIOUSLY amazing at some penguin balancing game. It was great because half the time she wasn’…


Yay Falkes!

GO, BEN, GO!

Fun in CA – Day 2


Just Doing the Dishes!

Filled with that joy which is unspeakable and full of glory
Last week we took a trip to Wheeler Farm! We went with my friend Mel, and Ben’s friend Tavia. Ben thought the sheep were a gift from heaven…he just kept smiling and laughing at them. Some highlights:




These kids (and their moms!) were tired and sweaty after our adventure. Fortunately Mel treated us to some delightful yogurt from Red Mango. Thanks for a fun day!

Oink! Moo! Baaa!

I have posted before on sex-offender laws, and the issue was reopened for me by an article from the Economist. Below are the high points, though I highly recommend the whole article. Again, our American-style of harsh penalties and zero-tolerance clauses is resulting in not only an unforgiving national culture, but perhaps, and more importantly, [...]


CARE: Self-defeating Sex Offender Laws

I have posted before about school lunch, but here is an opportunity to help!
For the month of September a donation of any amount will not only go towards their Slow Food in School Program, but also gets you member in Slow Food USA (usually $60).
Use this as an opportunity to our schools where too many [...]


HELP: Join Slow Food USA and Help School Lunch

I have posted before about school lunch, but here is an opportunity to help! For the month of September a donation of any amount will not only go towards their Slow Food in School Program, but also gets you member in Slow Food USA (usually $60). Use this as an opportunity to our schools where [...]


HELP: Join Slow Food USA and Help School Lunch

Keep Your Government Hands Off My Internet!!

Since 1976 (when the Supreme Court reversed its 1972 decision to ban the death penalty in the US), there have been “more than a hundred and thirty people on death row have been exonerated.” There are heinous crimes for which I would have a hard time arguing against the death penalty (I doubt you will [...]


CARE: Killing the Innocent

Where’s the $$$

This recent quote from MR: About 10 percent of infants die in their first year of life in Africa — still shockingly high, but considerably lower than the European average less than 100 years ago, let alone 800 years past. And about two thirds of Africans are literate — a level achieved in Spain only [...]


HOPE: Africa – Most Improved Award

Your Local Walmart Doctor’s Office

Pt.2 Your Christians are so unlike your Christ

The Speech I Hope Obama Gives Tomorrow

Don’t Knock Canada Until You’ve Tried It

“I don’t want a black man teaching my children about values”

The (Unlikely) Statistics of Choosing a Spouse (Or Anything Else For That Matter)

Book of Mormon Precepts: Remembering

These Shoes Were Made For Walking

Like I’m important enough to have their attention or worry, but, Aspen Books, if you are upset I am about to post an entire chapter from one of your books (if you’d like to read this wonderful book buy it here or get it from your library) let me know and I’ll pull it down.
You’ve [...]


A Gentle Testimony

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Not Buddy After All…

More deficits, please.

“Don’t believe the strawman,” says the Scarecrow.

They have that on tape?!? Heller Keller

Are Mormon Men Self-Stifling Themselves?

Do we need even more immigrants?

Did you know about Utah’s texting-while-driving law?

Not edited at all, too long, but full of adorable, late summer Ben.


Late Summer Ben

This map represents the percentage of land area needed to completely power the world using solar energy in 2030. As it notes, obviously is wouldn’t be in one large chunk as depicted but could be broken up if placed in comparable areas. This makes me think of a recent Ted talk (if you haven’t checked [...]


HOPE: Going Solar

The Two Minute Prayer

UPDATED: Your Christians are so unlike your Christ

One Amygdala To Rule Them All!

Public Option Vs. Co-Ops

The market has spoken, Mr. Beck.

Has the mighty Obama struck out?

Baby Cages

I rarely, if ever, save a copy of an article to my computer as I trust the great benevolent Internet to store and make searchable anything I would ever need in the future. But I simply cannot take a gamble with something so precious and beautiful and this commencement speech given my David Foster Wallace. [...]


HOPE: Choosing something other than default

It could be worse…

Dropping Our Mormon Defensiveness

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that:
a typical family will spend about $221,000 raising a child through age 17… food and clothing are cheaper now, but housing and health care cost more. Turns out parents get a bulk discount: people with only one child spend 25% more per child than families with two, and by [...]


The $221,000 Child

Book of Mormon Precepts: Prayer

As my new wife and I were poring over boxes of wedding gifts and reading each congratulatory card and note, one in particular stood out. Addressed to me personally, it read:
No one can experience
This sadness as you do.
For your feelings are unique
And very personal to you -
But if you need some comfort
And some help
To see [...]


Marriage Is Easy

Don’t You Jiffy Lube My Health Care!!

Are Atheists More Civil Than Theists?