Sunday, January 20, 2013

We've been ...

Well, I feel I should explain where we've been the last month or so.  It's a place called "Busy!"  Maybe you've been there?  It started with a quick Thanksgiving trip to Arkansas, then a trip to Salt Lake City, Utah to visit extended family.  Primary was rather consuming with binders and manuals and class lists to prepare for the new year.  I'm only the secretary, but half of the presidency was gone with brand new babies.  Then Christmas, of course, followed by Clay's first birthday, and a baby shower for a friend.

So now that the end-of-year rush is over, will things slow down some?  I don't know.  But my to-do list is considerable shorter, so I can ease off the gas for a few weeks, at least.  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  We sure enjoyed ours and feel so fortunate to have celebrated it with family in Utah and our own children here in Edmond.  Kids sure make Christmas magical.

Visiting my grandparents in West Valley City.  They gave Miles and Clay toy cars.
My grandma has a stocking for each child (5), grandchild (30), and great-grandchild (still counting).
Christmas Nativity.  Jesse made a great shepherd.  Amber was a 5-months-pregnant Mary.
If only this shot had a mirror so you could see how the camera man elicited such genuine smiles!
Now that we live outside of Utah, we actually made a point to go see the lights at Temple Square.  My memories of doing this as a child center around one word: COLD.  But this time, we bundled up, spent half our time inside the City Creek shopping center, and drank hot chocolate.  And the weather wasn't even that cold.  By the end I had to unzip my coat to cool off!
Our camera man even got a smile out of Grandpa this time!
Back in Oklahoma, we stumbled upon this awesome ornament.  Sponsored by one of the big oil companies, of course.
Santa made a great display of gifts for Christmas morning.  Alvin got a Wii, I gave Miles some pulleys and rope and helped him rig up a system across our living room, Clay loved his ride-on toy, and I got the best present of all: a Chariot stroller/bike trailer.
Clay, on his first birthday.

He got two presents, and one we had to take back to the store.  Good thing he's just one!  I think when he's older we'll let him choose a non-December date to celebrate his birthday.
And the baby shower!  This was the first baby shower I ever threw, and it was a blast.  You can't go wrong with an under-the-sea theme.  Miles and Clay loved the decorations that I put up a few days early.  We didn't play any games at the shower, but everyone helped cut out and glue felt fish to make a mobile for the baby's nursery.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Our Little Photographer

Wow!  It's been a bit since I posted.  I was going through our Christmas and winter photos and ran across these that Miles took.  Completely unedited.  I should pay him, even if he is only a couple months shy of four!





And a lovely one of Alvin gathering firewood behind our back yard.