Proud

Today Alvin asked Miles to bring him a tissue to wipe his nose. Miles looked at him thoughtfully, ran to his room, then ran back, carrying . . . his shoes. He was pretty sure he had gotten it right, so he looked slightly perplexed when Alvin and I laughed. Tissue. Shoe. That's pretty close.

Dear Oma and Papa

Since this is your first winter in St. George, you must be missing the snow. We had our first "sticking storm" last night - at least 6 inches. If you turn up your air conditioner and hold some ice while you look at these pictures, you might not feel so far away. We went for a chilly walk this morning, and Miles wanted us to brush off every white spec that stuck to his snow suit or boots. He warmed up to it a little when he saw Daddy making snowballs and throwing them at the speed limit sign. He even helped brush some snow off a truck in the parking lot.
He is excited to come see you this week!
Love, Laura
P.S. I sang in church today with Madeline. We sang a duet medley of "Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise" and "Joseph Smith's First Prayer." It went well.

Annual Moab Trip

Alvin has a couple of treasured friends from college who work for the parks in Moab. They have both married, and, coincidentally, both decided to expand their families this year. Clay and Leslie had a baby boy in September, and Brian and Angela (below) are having a girl any day now. We couldn't resist a visit. And we couldn't resist sharing our wealth of childbirth and parenting advice. Thanks for being such enthusiastic listeners, B&A.
Moab's signature red rock

A few lingering fall colors

Stretching our legs in Arches National Park after the long drive

I'd like to thank Apple for making this most recent trip to Moab not only possible but enjoyable. I'd also like to thank all the writers of puzzle, train, and storybook apps for their invaluable contribution. Miles generally does not like to be confined to his carseat, especially not for a 3 1/2 hour drive. However, with his I-pod touch in his chubby little fingers, he sat quietly exploring games for hours. He's quite adept for a one-year-old. Maybe after a little more practice (on the upcoming drive to St. George, for instance), he can teach Oma how to use her I-pad.