If We Could Put Sunshine in a Bottle ...

If we could put golden sunshine in a bottle, you'd have some--GUARANTEED. If you've ever wondered why they call this the Golden State, and been tempted to think it was b/c of the Gold Rush only, let these pics adjust your thinking...props to my little sis Emily, and her designer, light bouncing, ray catching, husband Chad. These shots are incredible. Don't you want to come visit? 6 p.m. to 7: 30 p.m. light is magic.


Here's some of the latest and greatest from the Doxey home...
Ouch. Nate had his most significant corporal damage done this past week--somewhere to the tune of 12 stitches in ONE finger...from his middle knuckle to the tip. Let's just say I'm not a fan of chain basketball nets. Weeks ago we realized the humidity, sun and boys' hot shooting combined to make one of our basketball nets go all the way of the earth. So, we invested in the chain version, hoping for years of durability--and a positive association with 'bump and grind' street b-ball. The basket was pretty low and Nate jumped up and somehow caught his bird finger in the net, and gravity did the rest. Three very deep cuts ensued, almost to the bone. The doctor said this is the reason you don't see them anymore on school playgrounds. Go figure. Especially with the 'lowerable' hoops, he's seen whole fingers left up there, teeth, etc. Let's just say it's not pretty. Nate loves the attention though.

Back to School. Nate and John started school about a week ago and are glad to have some other kids around--they're tired of beating on each other. Those last few weeks of the summer got pretty gnarly, very much like in sports when you're sick of practicing against your own team, and you know all their moves. They are both in soccer, John fills in as an extra guy on Nate's team whenever they are short a guy. Liza is doing great, as always. She has strong, white teeth and healthy gums. Julia and a bunch of other moms from Church are doing pre-school again--Liza is stoked. They're done watching TV...even with Caroline. Those lazy summer days of eating ice cream all day, doing summer workbooks, and learning the ins and outs of world trade and international finance are OVER! (For those of you who REALLY know us, you know that this is a joke).



The Frankencenter. Our beater of a TV had been on the fritz, so Craigslist came to the rescue AGAIN...this time in the form of a great deal on a new TV. Of course it needed a home, so Nate, John, Julia and I built a new entertainment wall for it. It's de lujo. We call it the Frankencenter because that's what it is. Let's just say the presence of great woodworking tools does not the woodworker make. Don't look too closely, but be assured you could park your car on top of this and it wouldn't break. I still have 10 fingers too. I was determined to stay in budget with this sucker so I took apart the time tested, durable entertainment center Rich made us back in 1993, and reused ALL the wood. I took apart some old towers that Tom gave us, and reused some other trim that John and Ann gave us.

The most memorable was a 10 minute span of time when Nate "connected the dots". In working on it with me, he did some of the math to make the right cuts (very important when reusing wood), mark the right lines, and determined this: Finding Free Reusable Good Wood + Correct Math + Patience + A Plan = HUGE SAVINGS. He was making comparisons to building Lego structures and symmetry all over the place. John was there helping a lot too. He even took the pictures!
Total cost for the whole deal...less than $50. I had to buy a baseboard and finish nails. But seeing Nate 'get it' was magic. At one point he even went in the house and got out his summer workbook where he was doing fractions and said, "This is what I just learned this summer and now I'm using it in real life!" It was beautiful. I never, ever had this happen to me--until I was a spry age 32. Let's just say it fed Nate's analytical, math based hard wiring in a way I can only pretend to feed.

Labor Day Weekend/Caroline's Blessing. Emily and Chad came up from Burbank, Clay & Heidi and kids came over from Reno and Mom came out from Utah. Busy.
Some of the highlights...Tilden Park where we rode the super cool steam train, a vintage 1911 hand painted carousel with the kids,
Oakland Temple Hill, Baker Beach photo shoot in prime golden California sunset light, Golden Gate Park, The Dutch Windmill, Haight Ashbury (Clay's personal favorite--ha ha), Badminton in the backyard, Caroline's blessing, incredible food, sweet and savory treats, watched the BYU Football game, walks with Mom and Julia in the invigorating morning air. Let's just say it was a raucous party.

Dan turns 37. It may have been Dave's number in high school, but now it's my age. A sobering thing it 'tis. Not as sobering as it must be for my older siblings who are 'hecka' older, but nonetheless ... relevant. Cake, ice cream, scooter rides with Liza. Who could ask for more?

Yes on Prop 8. Prop 8 is heating up in a big way. If anyone reading this is wondering, we are firmly, unabashedly promoting Yes on Prop 8 this November.
Of course, we don't have room to share all the reasons you should vote YES on Prop 8, but if you are wondering why, please click here to visit www.ProtectMarriage.com.

We want to invite all living outside California to either volunteer to help at www.protectmarriage.com or call/contact everyone you know in California and encourage them to vote YES on Prop 8.

Now is the time for financial and time donations to the cause. Within the next week or so, those of us who are part of the Protect Marriage coalition are going to start walking the precincts, knocking on doors, sending out personal mailers, calling...basically going FULL BORE on encouraging anyone sitting on the fence to vote YES on Prop 8 -- to keep marriage defined as being between a man and a woman.
Don't let yourself be persuaded that this is about intolerance, gay bashing or anti 'live and let live thinking' ...this is a moral issue. In 2000, 61% of Californians voted to keep marriage defined as being between a man and a woman. Recently 4 activist California Supreme Court Judges changed this, and this November it is on the ballot again. VOTE YES on 8.