a picture post.

fun visit with my family...


mama'a yummy Valentines cookies...


James has got his Bapa wrapped around his little finger...


James loves playing with all the little "peepoo" sets that his Mommy used to play with...


yes, I realize this picture is blurry but it is too cute...


the new "young couple"...


cute Aunt Annie with her cute haircut...


James with his Aunt Abby and soon-to-be Uncle Ryan.

More Dirk.

So, I realized that I have more pictures of Dirk that I never put up, and I thought I would share. Actually, I have quite a few photos from recent activities (Thanksgiving, putting up our Christmas tree, etc.) that I just have not gotten around to editing and posting. Not to mention that I have wanted to finally put up some pictures of our cute apartment (we've only lived here 4 months, it's still kinda new, right?). Maybe I'll get around to it sometime!

As Christmas approaches I am so excited to be in our own place, have our cute Christmas tree and decorations up, and experience Christmas right along with James, who is now old enough to appreciate it more. But also as Christmas approaches, I am feeling like there is not enough time to get everything done that I want/need to!! So many projects to do (for example, I just bought a whole bunch of fabric to make homemade Christmas stockings....), people to get together with (fun!), things on my to-do list to cross off, not to mention a ward choir Christmas program to prepare for (only a couple more rehearsals, and I am still trying to get this conducting/cuing/cutting off thing down ;))! Craziness.

And yet, here I sit, blogging and posting pictures of our snowman. Oh well. I really should go outside and take some current pictures - Dirk is looking a little malnourished/skinny, but he is still there. He also has been a handy landmark to help people to find our apartment for choir practice and other things this week. We love Dirk.

Enjoy the pictures, and good luck getting all your Christmas things done!

so...

...my family is pretty awesome.

missing my sister

Just wanted to share this great video of my cute sister. She's a missionary for the LDS church in Seattle and I'm sure the people there just love her and her fun personality - I mean, how could you not? Her cute companion is from Mongolia. I think my sister is pretty awesome and watching this video made me miss her! Check out her mission blog that my Mom updates for her. Love you, Liz!

This kind of weather...

...makes me want to go hooky-bobbing!

Hooky-bobbing is simple: grab a rope and some sleds/inner tubes, tie them to the back of a truck, hop on, have someone drive the truck around in the snow.

Thinking of this makes me so happy because:

1) SNOW is involved, and who else loved the snow today??!
2) Reminds me of Christmas (less than two months, folks!)
3) I get to hear my grown-up brothers-in-law screaming like girls
4) Seeing Benjamin riding on an inner tube looking like a powdered donut
5) It's always fun when you see sleds flipping upside-down and flying through the air
6) It makes me miss my in-laws, and I can't wait to go home for Thanksgiving! Hope we have snow then!

And, if you just need a visual....here it is :) Hope you enjoy!

a visit with family

This weekend Jonathan's family came into town and we all went down to Provo for Benjamin's graduate vocal recital. He did an amazing job and we are all so proud of him! We enjoyed being with the family after the recital, I took tons of cute pictures, I got to visit with Janina at the HFAC for awhile, and then the fam went out to eat and then stayed up late at our place playing Rock Band. We just love being with the Bosters and only wish they could have stayed in town longer :) James loved having his grandparents stay with us, and today he said, "Nana? Back?"

Slides

Our apartment complex has a tiny little playground, and James just LOVES to walk over there and slide down the slide. The playground really is for older kids, so one of us has to carry him to the top and slide down with him - and he just insists on doing it over and over and over again!


One of my very earliest memories (I was probably around James' age, maybe a little older) is at a park in Oregon, where we lived. I am sitting on top of a really big slide...of course I was very little, so it's all relative...and my Dad is at the bottom with his arms outstretched, ready to catch me. It really is a sweet memory, and I remember just feeling happy and safe. I hope James feels the same way.

My cute boys are waving and saying "Hi!!!!!"

family trip photos

In August we went on a fun trip with my family to St. George, and somehow I missed putting all the photos up here! Enjoy :)