Murdock Update

Here is one of the promised pictures. This was at the parade before the Western Slope Invitational marching band competition on October 3rd. The gentleman who took it was there to get pictures of his son's band from Montezuma-Cortez area and couldn't resist getting a shot of Rollie enjoying the music.

First I have to apologize for the lack of pictures. They will come shortly, but we are in Co. Springs visiting my grandparents this week and we forgot our camera. We have a number of great pictures to share.
Boy, have I been busy these last couple of months. I often feel like I am just barely keeping my head above water. The students are good kids and they are normally very respectful. I have many students that I just adore. I have high school band, 2 high school choirs, and 2 bands in the middle school. That is a wide range of students and lesson plans. I am having a lot of fun with the music classes that I do have.
Benson is keeping busy keeping up with Rollie and me. I have him come in to help me at least once a week in the band and choirs. I honestly don't know what I would do without him. He keeps me sane and keeps track of the little things for me. He has been going on long walks with Rollie and is trying to get into shape for wrestling season (he is going to be an assistant coach this season).
Rollie is growing by leaps and bounds. I swear that last week he grew a whole inch. One day he fit into his clothes, and the next day they were high waters. He now has 6 teeth and is getting ever closer to walking. He loves books and his grandma Murdock brought him some really great ones when she and Grandpa Murdock came to visit last week. He loves them!! He will pull them out of the bookshelf and look at them or bring them over to Mommy or Daddy to read. He plays peek-a-boo all the time and on the occasional game will say "peeeee-a- booooo" ADORABLE. He sings and jabbers all the time. Benson has even nick named him "Gib-Gab." He will sing along with the band and the choirs if he thinks that they are doing well and scream if they are not performing the music correctly. We are so very lucky to have this sweet, funny, cute, little guy in our lives.
We are all doing well and as I have already said we will post pictures later. Keep us in your prayers. We thank you for all of your support!

Hello Again, Hello...

Sorry about the delay in new information and pictures of Rollie, we've been BUSY. So, recap of the last month and a half. Demya got the band and choir director position at Hotchkiss High School and Hotchkiss K-8 School and has been running non-stop trying to get her rooms together, Marching Band started, and pieces picked out for the choirs. Rollie and I have been helping her do this and we've been taking 2-5 mile walks up and down the mesas that surround town. Cady is her normal cranky self but is slowly adjusting to life without Mars to play with. The day before we moved to Hotchkiss, CO we had Rollie's baby blessing. Thank you to everyone that came and we understand that we gave rather short notice for everyone that wasn't able to come. The week we arrived in Hotchkiss Rollie decided it was time to officially put in his first two teeth. He's been biting everything, including Cady, ever since. He has also decided he is going to walk as soon as he gets this whole "balance thing" down and has been practicing pulling himself up on everything and everyone, Cady included to her substantial chagrin. Demya's Marching Band kids have fallen in love with Rollie and steal him from each other every time he comes to a rehearsal. Tooki, the gerbil, has been given to a safer home where he'll get the attention he needs. The week after we arrived in town Hotchkiss hosted the Delta County Fair. About 80% of Demya's students were somehow involved with the fair through 4-H, FFA, and their families submitting stock and crafts for the exhibitions. The fair closed with a parade that Rollie and Cady thoroughly enjoyed, though Cady was unsure of the "very tall, strange-smelling, funny-looking dogs" or, as we know them, horses. She was sure they were going to eat her and Rollie in one gulp. Forunately, everyone survived the parade.

Demya survived the first 3 days of school, and I survived the last week and half of Rollie wanting his mommy and not getting her. We came to an understanding of eachother after the first week, he wouldn't screetch at me and I wouldn't put him is crib and walk away. Things are much more pleasant now.

Now that we know where the local internet hot-spots are we'll keep the blog more up-to-date.

We're moving!!!!

I got a job!!!! This week we went up to Colorado with dual purpose: to see my grandparents, and to meet with the principal of Hotchkiss high school. On Thursday evening, I met with Mr. Beard and was quite ecsited to stay an extra day to be able to meet with Mrs. Coats, the K-8 principal. This job is much like what I did as a student teacher. I am exsighted to take on the job as music director in this cute small town. It has every possiblity of becoming a home for our little family. I think that we have a place to rent there as soon as we are ready to move there. AND if and of you are band people you know that I need to be getting there ASAP because band camp needs to start here in a couple of weeks and I need to have things picked out and ready for the year before the school year starts. I have my work cut out for me, but I think that I can do it.
Thank you all for your prayers on our part!!

HOT Summer Days

Well I must confess that the reason that I haven't written in a while is that its just too darn HOT in Vegas to turn on the computer in my room. I know that I have a computer that I can use in the den, but that requires taking Rollie in there and well, now that he is mobile that is kinda scary. Oh ya Rollie is learning to crawl. It kinda crazy, but that kid is determined to be mobile. He's almost got it; he can scoot across the floor quite efficiently and get to just about anything that interests him. He is quite the mover and shaker. His technique is to get up on to all fours (feet down) and then to launch himself forward or to swim across the floor.
He's also been pretty demanding of my time. Right now his is sitting in his jumper crying at me, demanding tat I let him out to climb on me. He now says "Mama" on a pretty regular basis and we were thrilled the other day when he managed a "Dada", though normally he greets Daddy with a "rarrr". The other day he said "yes". Boy they grow up soooooo fast. These are some of the pictures that I have take recently.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Ok I have been a bit of a slacker the last few weeks, but that is because we have been working really hard getting applications out for me. Rollie has been growing steadily and is now 14 lbs 10 oz and 24.5 " long. That makes him short but thick. He's not fat or in baby terms chubby, he's just really thick. We love seeing him grow and change. He rolls over both ways quite frequently and was all over Grandma Murdock's floor last week. Oh, we went to Utah two weeks ago for Nikki's graduation from the U of U's Math Education Department. It was really fun to visit with family. Grandma and Grandpa Murdock just love having Rollie around.
Here are a few of the pictures that we've taken lately.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Make a Smilebox greeting

Stick Figure Family

Make your Stick Figure Family at FreeFlashToys.com

Hello! Once again I've stolen the blog from Demya for a while. As part of our nightly routine Rollie and I watch a couple of music videos then we read. We were able to get a little bit of footage of our little metal-head enjoying his favorite song, "Valhalla," by Blind Guardian. Hope you enjoy.