Here the baby is sucking it's hand. It always amazes me that a baby is growing inside me. They make you smile even when you only have black and white pictures to look at.

Another boy!!!

So Liam is going to have a brother!! Mom got her wish and Nate still doesn't have to worry about raising a daughter (yet).

Nate here with my take on the new news. One of the unfortunate results of a medical education is it takes the mystery away. Both Jen and I saw the heralded "equipment" that designated our new offsping as a boy before the tech announced it.

I have to admit that in some ways I am heaving a sigh of relief at the news. I grew up in a family of boys and married a girl who grew up in a family of boys, and I am afraid that, try as I might, I don't have a great grasp of understanding of the female gender. If I can barely interact with the finished, completely raised, females that surround me how can I possibly raise a normal one? Not to mention the fact that any female offspring will just own me. I mean she will bat her eyes and I will buy here whatever she wants, which will lead to cries of injustice from her male siblings. So any girl that I would raise would certainly irk her female couterparts with her knowledge of cover two defensive responsibilities all explained in a haughty condescending tone between chomps of Big League Chew. How are the other girls in the neighborhood going to understand that she can't go out and play because the Yankees are only 4 games back of the Red Sox and they are playing a 3 games series this weekend? There is also a even more frightening scenario, namely that all of my testosterone conditioning will not be able to overcome the intrinsic effects of estrogen, which will subject me to years and years of endless dance recitals in which I pretend to know that my daughter is a great dancer, but internally I cringe at the fact that she is 6 and already wearing tights in front of a room full of men, is wearing eye shadow, and comparing the amount of Barbie merchandise she owns with other tiny talking X chromosomes while they belt out the lastest Christina Aguliera tune together. This is secretly (well not so secretly now that I am posting it on this website) my own very personal version of the 7th level of Hell. Here is to hoping that love conquers all.

He finally cooperated! We are so happy to have our two boys. Life will be crazy with two Liams running around. But Mom is happy that they'll have a built in playmate.

A day on the Boardwalk

So we joined in on the Hershey fun and got a seasons pass to Hershey Park. We try and go every week and meet up with our new friends. Liam actually squeals with joy when we pull into the parking lot. I took him to the water park today and he was in heaven. And so was mom to be out of the house for awhile.

I just missed the shot of him trying to drink the water. Try explaining to a two year old this isn't a water fountain.

For Dad

Since dad wasn't able to join us we thought we'd atleast get a part of him in the blog. Even if it is just his name.
We love you

Liam's Sing-a-thon

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Liam LOVES to sing but won't ever do it on camera. This was the best I got one day. What do you think? American Idol material?

The Big Secret! Shhhhh

Liam wants everyone to know that he has a secret. Since he can't tell you himself, we got him this shirt to help.

Big Brother Liam

Yes that's right. Liam is going to have a sibling come the 20th of January. We are really excited. I'm not sure if Liam understands that his undivided mommy time is coming to an end here real soon. But he does pat my belly and say baby. I'm sure we've got him good and confused.

The Cocoa Castle

We took Liam to the Cocoa castle to play. It's almost as fun as Disneyland.

My Set of Wheels

Beep Beep, watch out I've gotta get somewhere quick.

His face says it all in this picture. I interpret it as "this slide is a little bigger from the top than it looked from the bottom."

Welcome to Intercourse PA

No you didn't read that wrong. This pictures makes me laugh in so many ways. Not only that there is a city named Intercourse, but it's an Amish city, but best of all Justins face. A picture truly can tell a thousand words.
While Nates family was still here we went up to Lancaster county to visit the Amish markets. The food was great as well as the scenery.
We had to visit the infamous city of Intercourse where I read a tourist shirt that said, "Virgina may be for lovers, but Pennsylvania has Intercourse." We were not however able to visit the other towns of every boys. I repeat boys, snickers. Including: Blue ball, Bird-in-hand, Paradise, and Falmouth. Don't ask me how they got their names, but I'm sure over the next four years I'll be able to give you some of the history. So anyone wanting to come for a visit, I'm ready when you are!

Working in the fields

This is my favorite picture. It depicts Amish living so well. The clothes, the fields, the horses. Talk about hard workers. Everything done by the books.

Amish dairy farms

Instead of watching for motorcycles, you watch for buggies. There are actually quite a few car/buggy accidents in PA. There was one the other day where the horse died but the passengers were ok. A frequent injury seen at the hospital are accidents with buggies.

Plain and Fancy

We ate at t little Amish restaurant, which had the traditional turkey dinner, homemade bread and shoefly pie.

An original horse drawn buggy. They don't use any rubber tires, they all have to be made out of metal

The Poulson family reunion

So before Nate had to start his real job, and we moved yet again from Utah (our cars) to PA, we were able to go on one last vacation and enjoy the freedom and togetherness.
We were able to go to Lake Tahoe and rented a big condo where all 12 of us stayed together for a week of R&R. It was so fun to have the whole famliy there and for the "cousins" to get to play together. Since there are now three time zones between them.
Thanks to all the Poulsons for a fun and memorable vacation.

A day at the pool

We found a gator in Lake Tahoe.

Uncle Ryan and Cousin Claire

Miniature golf

This was Liams first try at mini golf. He loved the balls and the clubs, but found it extremely difficult to do both at the same time. He finally picked up his ball and put it in the hole. Then got everyone elses balls and did the same with them. He then gave us a look like, "see guys that's way eaiser than trying to hit that thing into the hole." needless to say, he got a hole in one everytime

The Nate Poulson's

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

We got a picture of Nate's dad and all his siblings. Not too shabby!

The Poulsons

Our final night at the Lake. This is all of us, minus Dino, he's taking the picture

Bring on the drive home!

The week is over and it's time to go home. Liam got in his travel position and was ready to go. He didn't sleep one minute the whole ride home. But didn't complain either. Thank goodness for portbale DVD players.

The signs before the signs

In addition to the next postings, after we drove from California to Utah, we packed our cars that night and the following morning Me, Nate, Dan and Justin stuffed our bodies beside the "few belongings' we brought to Utah. Somehow the few turned into "we had a square of space to see out the back windows."
We drove that day through Wyoming and into Nebraska. The folowing day the rest of Nebraska, Iowa and Stopped in Illinois. The next day it was Indiana, Ohio, part of West Virgina and finally into Pennsylvania. However this particular day there was a huge storm and we ended up being in it most the time. The storm was so severe that we were limited in sight and speed. We'd hoped to reach our destination that night but didn't want to continue in the storm. We slept the night in New Stanton PA, the following morning drive the other 2 hours to our house. Unloaded the cars, then drove up to Baltimore to pick up Liam and Marie.
I think that makes a total of 16 states but 21 total (we drove through a couple of them multiple times during the two drives and the wedding.
Needless to say I will not be going on any roadtrips in the near future. It's only in and out errands for me. Nates commute is only 3 miles so we're good for awhile.

IT'S A SIGN...

This is a picture journal of all the states we had to drive through when we moved from New Orleans to Pennsylvania.

And another...

That was quick. Are we there yet?

Yes these were all taken from the inside of the car. It was too hard to stop that 26 footer just to take a picture.

And Another...

Tennesse. Now about 7 hours into the drive.

This is where we stayed the night. It was NOT in the marriott or any other top notch chain. It was a days inn I think. We had to sleep on seperate beds cause they only had doubles left. At this point we didn't care. All we wanted was sleep!

almost...

So we're almost there. We have to stop at the Baltimore airport to pick up the rental car. But on the bright side it's only another 2 hours to PA.

We've made it.

Well almost anyways. Just a little more go til we reach the house. But as our luck would have it, we ran into a traffic jam while on the freeway that took us 2 hours to get through. We ended up making it just in time to get our keys before the office closed. AHHHHHHH

Colonial Williamsburg

After we got the truck unpacked we got back in the car and drove to Williamsburg Virginia for one of Nates classmates/lead singer in their bands wedding. We got to visit some of the sites while we were there.

Captain my captain

I got him to wear the hat, but he refused to put the white wig on as well.

Don't bother me, I'm local

For Val

The magnolia trees were in full bloom while we were there. This was my moms favorite tree/flower. It makes everything smell like spring. This was on the campus of William ang Marys.

Williamsburg

Hmmm Whats this guy up to? He must be local.

That's what you get for spying on the locals.

The Battle of Fredericksburg

On our way home from the wedding we stopped in Fredericksburg to see some war sites. This is a picture of the original stone wall that the soliders fought behind before the war moved onto Richmond. There were many deaths because of how the wall stood and made it a perfect trench.

The Angel of Marye's Heights

This is the statue they put up to remember the soldier Richard Kirkland,during the battle of Fredericksburg who helped not only his side but the other fallen men. While both sides had ceased fire, this man brought water to those who were wounded and lying in the streets.
He died later in another battle, but no forgot what he did on either side.

TULANE 2007 COMMENCEMENT

Nates Graduation

There was a "unified" graduation for all of Tulane. I explain all the happenings later. Even the unified graduation was fun. Fun, only as Tulane can do it.

The best part of the main graduation was when they gave an honorary degree to Ellis Marsalis (for those of you who don't know, he's a famous jazz composer.) After receiving his degree they had a "special suprise" His son Wynton (the trumpeter) gave a tribute to his father via taped message. However two of his other sons, Delfeayo (trombonist) and Jason (the drummer) where there in person ready to play a song with their dad. So during graduation we got to enjoy music that not many people get to hear. Especially at a graduation.

Live in concert, Ellis Marsalis

This video is long and not the best quality. I was a ways from the stage but it's still great music. Enjoy!

You tell me what he's thinking. I took this picture during the graduation ceremony. For some reason he wasn't as excited as we were about sitting in a big room listening to speach after speach.

THE GRADUATE

Da da da da da da..... He did it! And what's graduation without mardi gras beads? Throw us somethin' mister. Like our Diplomas please!

And don't forget the parasols. At Tulane, graduation is more like a party. The students come into the room while a brass band plays and after they graduate they leave the room twirling parasols. Makes for a very eventful procession.

Nate's dad was able to "hood" him at the ceremony. It was such a great moment for both of them to see what they'd accomplished over the years.

We couldn't have asked for more support. Nates mom, dad, brother and sister were able to come for Graduation. My dad, his wife, and my brother Aaron's family too. Aren't families the best?