Dave and Kara

Happy Easter

We just wanted to wish everyone and "eggcellent" Easter (I worked hard on that one)! We had a wonderful day. The people are so nice here, it just amazes us. On Wednesday a couple from church took us out for dinner to "Western Sizzlin". Apparently buffets are the thing to do around here! The place was packed even on a Wednesday evening, it was like nothing I have ever seen before! Our neighbors across the street invited us over for burgers yesterday and we had a great time getting to know them and their little boy. And then we also received an invitation from another couple from church to come over for Easter dinner. It was so nice to be able to have a nice "family" style dinner. We certainly don't get to enjoy that too much being so far away from everyone. When they talk about southern hospitality, it is very evident. I think we could all learn a little bit about hospitality from the people down here.

Enjoy our Easter Sunday picture. Dave hates picture time and really just humorous me every time I ask to take a picture of him. He complained extra hard today about taking a picture I think his face explains his feeling about taking pictures.

Adventures at the Creek

By now I am sure most of you have heard about our adventures at the creek (if you are from New Mexico or Utah it may appear to be more like a lake or river). But if you have not heard, here is an update with lot's of pictures! There is a creek not to far from our house (about a minute's walk) that the dogs think is about the coolest place on the face of the planet! We love going down there because it is very peaceful and the dogs give us lots of laughs.

The first trip we took to the creek we weren't sure exactly what the dogs would do. Sadie loves the water but had never been around enough water that she had to swim in it. Tucker, on the other hand, hates water. Bath time is always entertaining because he looks so pitiful and traumatized. We have tried to get him to play in Sadie's pool that we have and done all we could to get him to like the water. I literally have to drag him to get a bath, no treat has ever been good enough to talk him into bath time!

When we arrived at the creek, Sadie was a little timid, but after a little coaxing, she jumped right in! What we saw after that amazed us both, there went Tucker in after her! We thought for sure we would have to go in after him to save him! The Dog who we once could not get in the water, we now cannot get out! When we go down to the creek he is usually the first to jump in and he will just swim and swim and swim in circles. He also loves to wait at the shore till Sadie comes from fetching a stick and attack her. He then will grab the stick while she is shaking off and take off running with it while Sadie tries to get it back. It is quite entertaining to watch.

Baby Blues

So there I was unpacking another box full of stuff when I came across this beautiful blanket that my Grandmother had crouched for my future baby. I picked it up and just broke down into tears. For the most part I try and stay very positive in my situation, but there are moments when it becomes too hard for me. Lately I have had a lot more of those hard days-days when I want a little one to hold in my arms so bad. It is hard at times to see everyone else's blogs with the pictures of their adorable little kids. I wish I had something of that worth and excitement to share with the world. I know our time will come-it's just hard to wait for something that important and exciting. We have been blessed in so many other ways throughout our marriage, I just hope that our next big blessing is a baby of our own.
I want to thank everyone for their endless prayers and comfort with this struggle in our lives. It is you and my Heavenly Father that keep me going in these times, these times of baby blues.

The Old Mill

Our first weekend in Arkansas we wanted to go and see the sites! I had a pamphlet on the Old Mill and I wanted to photograph it really bad, so that is where we decided to go. It is the most charming place ever along with being absolutely beautiful (I can't wait to go back now that everything is starting to bloom).

I have included slide shows of the images in both color and sepia toned. I couldn't decided which ones I liked better. What is your opinion? Sepia toned or color? Do you have a favorite image?

Although it appears to be very old, it was actually built in 1933. It is shown in the opening scene of the movie "Gone with the Wind" and has been placed on the historical registry.

Here is a little information about it's history:

In 1931, Justin Matthews, developer of the Lakewood neighborhood of North Little Rock, contracted for the construction of a replica of an old, water-powered grist mill dedicated to the memory of Arkansas's pioneers. Neither the stone mill building, nor the general layout is a reproduction of any particular mill, but is a familiar design of early Arkansas, designed to fit the contour of a rough area.

The Mill, completed in 1933, is intended to appear abandoned - absent of doors and windows due to thieves or decay - just as old mills that were in service in the early 1800s had become by the 1930s. The image is that the old gristmill and driving equipment have fallen away or been disconnected from the water wheel; and the water gate on the flume above, although closed, is leaking enough water to turn the old wheel, which is idling away through the years.

Frank Carmean, a German immigrant, worked for Matthews as a builder/architect and designed the basics of the Old Mill. Carmean went on a tour of southwestern states in search of new architectural styles, at which time he "found" Senòr Dionico Rodriguez.Rodriguez, a sculptor and artist, was responsible for all the details of each piece of concrete work made to represent wood, iron or stone, as well as the designing of the foot bridges and rustic seats. Rodriguez's secret techniques were so detailed and exacting that you can identify the species of trees in most of his work. Rodriguez worked without any written plans, but there are unwritten stories that describe how Rodriguez envisioned many of his works. "A black locust tree grew in the soft earth on the bank of the little stream. When it reached a certain height it was blown down, but continued to live. A woodsman who wanted to use the trunk of the tree as a footbridge cut off the limbs and..."

Several of the items found in the Old Mill are actual historic relics including:

* the grist mill itself on the first floor dates back to 1828;

* large mill rocks used for seats bear picking (deepening of furrows on the face to increase their grinding capacity) dates of 1823 and 1840;

* mill rocks on the second floor came from the plantation of Tom Knoble, the grandfather of Tom Pugh, in whose honor the Mill is dedicated;

* two original mile stones moved here from a road laid out more than 150 years ago by Jefferson Davis (who later became President of the Confederacy). Along this road (roughly along the route of present day Arkansas State Highway 22), the Cherokee and Choctaw Indians traveled from the present town of Dardanelle into the Indian territory, now Oklahoma;

* three sections of a wrought iron shaft were cut from the stern wheel of a passenger steamboat which traveled the Arkansas River in the 1800s.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

We want to wish everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day. We hope it is a day of good luck and good laughs! Here in the Eastham Household we certainly believe in the "luck of the Irish"! We have had such good luck in our marriage and want to pass that along to all! Please sit back and enjoy some Irish music, recipes, and history!

St. Patrick's Day History:

St. Patrick is believed to have driven the snakes from Ireland. Once a pagan himself, St. Patrick is one of Christianity's most widely known figures.
The modern secular holiday is based on the original Christian saint's feast day also thought to be the date of the saint's death. In 1737, Irish immigrants to the United States began observing the holiday publicly in Boston and held the first St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City in 1766.
Today, the tradition continues with people from all walks and heritages by wearing green, eating Irish food, and attending parades. St. Patrick's Day is bursting with folklore; from the shamrock to the leprechaun and to pinching those that are not wearing green.

The First Parade

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for thousands of years.
On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink, and feast—on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.
The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in the United States. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March 17, 1762. Along with their music, the parade helped the soldiers to reconnect with their Irish roots, as well as fellow Irishmen serving in the English army.
Over the next thirty-five years, Irish patriotism among American immigrants flourished, prompting the rise of so-called "Irish Aid" societies, like the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick and the Hibernian Society. Each group would hold annual parades featuring bagpipes (which actually first became popular in the Scottish and British armies) and drums.

No Irish Need Apply

Up until the mid-nineteenth century, most Irish immigrants in America were members of the Protestant middle class. When the Great Potato Famine hit Ireland in 1845, close to a million poor, uneducated, Catholic Irish began to pour into America to escape starvation. Despised for their religious beliefs and funny accents by the American Protestant majority, the immigrants had trouble finding even menial jobs. When Irish Americans in the country's cities took to the streets on St. Patrick's Day to celebrate their heritage, newspapers portrayed them in cartoons as drunk, violent monkeys.
However, the Irish soon began to realize that their great numbers endowed them with a political power that had yet to be exploited. They started to organize, and their voting block, known as the "green machine," became an important swing vote for political hopefuls. Suddenly, annual St. Patrick's Day parades became a show of strength for Irish Americans, as well as a must-attend event for a slew of political candidates. In 1948, President Truman attended New York City 's St. Patrick's Day parade, a proud moment for the many Irish whose ancestors had to fight stereotypes and racial prejudice to find acceptance in America.

Wearing of the Green Goes Global

Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Although North America is home to the largest productions, St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated in other locations far from Ireland, including Japan, Singapore, and Russia.
In modern-day Ireland, St. Patrick's Day has traditionally been a religious occasion. In fact, up until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17. Beginning in 1995, however, the Irish government began a national campaign to use St. Patrick's Day as an opportunity to drive tourism and showcase Ireland to the rest of the world. Last year, close to one million people took part in Ireland 's St. Patrick's Festival in Dublin, a multi-day celebration featuring parades, concerts, outdoor theater productions, and fireworks shows.

The Shamrock

In fact the first written mention of this story did not appear until nearly a thousand years after Patrick's death.
The shamrock, which was also called the "seamroy" by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. By the seventeenth century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism. As the English began to seize Irish land and make laws against the use of the Irish language and the practice of Catholicism, many Irish began to wear the shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their heritage and their displeasure with English rule. The Catholics frequently used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity.

The Leprechaun

The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is "lobaircin," meaning "small-bodied fellow." Belief in leprechauns probably stems from Celtic belief in fairies, tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies. Though only minor figures in Celtic folklore, leprechauns were known for their trickery, which they often used to protect their much-fabled treasure.
Leprechauns had nothing to do with St. Patrick or the celebration of St. Patrick's Day, a Catholic holy day. In 1959, Walt Disney released a film called Darby O'Gill & the Little People, which introduced America to a very different sort of leprechaun than the cantankerous little man of Irish folklore. This cheerful, friendly leprechaun is a purely American invention, but has quickly evolved into an easily recognizable symbol of both St. Patrick's Day and Ireland in general.
(All information taken from the following website: http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=mini_home&mini_id=1082 )

Arkansas Weather

We have been in Arkansas for barely a week and a half and we have already had some quick lessons on Arkansas weather. Let me share...
This is a typical Utah snow day. As you can see, the snow must be covering your front door, windows, driveway, and possibly even your entire house before a snow day is initiated.

Here is a typical Arkansas snow day... Yes folks, that's right- all it takes is 2 inches (sometimes less) of the wonderful white stuff on the ground and the entire city shuts down!

Again, just to clarify for everyone- a Utah snow day...

And an Arkansas snow day...

(This picture was taken from our new neighborhood-as you can see there are not too many homes yet, it is very peaceful! If you can spot Dave's red truck, that's our house.) Now when I say the entire city closes down- I am not joking! Dave's company actually sent everyone home from work early.
The night before the storm hit, we went to Sam's club to get a few things (not knowing about the storm) As we sat in our car, in a mess of a parking lot, I observed some of the most crazy people I have ever seen in my life. The entire parking lot was a madhouse. People were honking their horns and cutting people off- it was busy and crowded. I also watched as people made a mad dash for what few shopping carts were being brought in from outside and I saw people fighting to get a cart. I could not for the life of me figure out what was causing Sam's to be so busy. We had arrived right around 5 o'clock, so I figured maybe that was what was causing the rush. Dave and I then received our first Arkansas weather lesson. When there is a snow storm predicted in Arkansas everybody goes into a complete panic and tries to stock up on groceries and supplies (considering everything closes down). We found it to be very entertaining!

The dogs were very happy to play in the snow. It was Tuckers first experience in snow and he had a great time.

Sadie attempted to make a snowman by rolling her round ball all over the yard- but every time the snow would begin to build up on the ball she would knock it off or eat it!

Now onto weather lesson number two! When they say there is a thunderstorm here in Arkansas they really mean a Thunderstorm!!!!

We had our first last night and it was the biggest Thunderstorm I have ever seen in my life! It started around 6:30 and lasted through the entire night! We lost power around 7:30 but we did get it back shortly before bedtime! It was the first time since I was probably a kid that we lost power at night. Dave and I had beautiful Candle lite dinner (Luckily dinner was already on the stove and hot when we lost power)! I had to go searching through all of my boxes in the dark looking for flashlights and candles- but it made it all the more interesting and fun! I wanted to go out an photograph the lightening because it was amazing, but the storm was too close for my comfort! (The above image was the only good one I got before I came inside).

We then received hail with the lighting. Dave and I had to rush outside to bring my fruit trees in before they were pelted- but in the process we were pelted! The hail started out around pea size and then grew to about dime size.
Hopefully I don't have to ever report on my Arkansas Tornado weather lesson but I am sure it is inevitable with the start we have had here in a week and half!

Roadtrip

I am so sorry it has taken us so long to post about our move! It has been very hectic and we have not had Internet service and won't until the 13th (I am currently at the public library). The move went about as smoothly as expected. There was a lot of fear about bad weather but we didn't seem to catch any of it. We crossed five states in 3 days (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas). Luckily the ugliest part of the drive, Texas, we did in the dark (although, I am not sure it would have mattered too much to me- all I did was stare at the back of a Budget Moving Truck for three days straight)! The dogs did great and thought that staying in a hotel was pretty cool! Their other favorite thing to do was clean my car windows

for me (so sweet of them)! On day two, we stopped for a bite to eat at a fun restaurant in Amarillo, Texas where they offer a 72 oz. steak for free if you can finish it all in an hour! I wish I could say we did it, but instead we opted for a 21 oz. steak which we shared between the two of us and still had leftovers! They did have one of the 72 oz. steaks on display and it was about 3 inches thick and 10 inches in diameter! Now when they say "everything is bigger in Texas" they aren't joking! We both had walkey talkies and communicated through them, along with singing each other songs and informing each other what we were listening to! It was a memorable trip. The following slide show includes some images from our three day road trip.

On day three, we arrived in Little Rock around 3:30 and had to rush to the title companies office to sign papers and get the keys to our new house. We were very stressed that we weren't going to make it-but we did.

Once we arrived, we had to wait for the title lady to show up and Dave sat down and it looked like all the stress and exhaustion from the trip was catching up to him. He looked pooped (I wish I had a picture, but he wouldn't let me take one)!

Once that was complete we arrived to our new house we smiles on our face and a huge sense of relief! We let the dogs into the back yard fist thing and they new they were home.

They ran from one side to the other about 10 times and were very excited to have a place to run and play of their own (with grass-which of course was initiated very quickly)! We really love the scenery here- it is beautiful and green! The people are very friendly (there is certainly something to that southern hospitality). Everyone always waves when you drive down a street, all of our neighbors immediately came over and met us and offered their help with whatever we needed, and the people at church went out of their way to introduce themselves. Come visit soon!!!!!