Santa and his Elf

The holidays are upon us! This is how we're celebrating Christmas this year:

• Instead of big gifts for each other, Alvin and I want to donate to charities in behalf of each other. The Global Impact Fund and La Leche League International are potential recipients. Can you guess who chose which?
• We'll spend Christmas Eve sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace eating cheese, dates, and flatbread for our traditional "Jerusalem Supper."
• I can't wait for my parents' choir concert, especially because the audience gets to join in singing some of the songs. Singing Christmas hymns (accompanied by a real live pipe organ!) is my favorite way to celebrate Jesus' birth. I love "Once in Royal David's City."
• Alvin's mom babysat while we went to the TerraTek Christmas party at the Hilton hotel in Salt Lake City. I wore wild black tights and high heels, and Alvin spontaneously pulled out some amazing dance moves.
• Don't tell him, but I made Miles a book for his Christmas present. It's a photo album of him, and all the pictures have simple words, like "feet," or "Daddy," or "hike." It was so fun for me to go through all our photos of Miles and see how he has grown. He is almost 10 months old, and he has changed so much! I keep thinking about the raising-a-baby advice my midwife gave me: Don't blink. It goes by so fast! It's true. I sure love Miles, and I love being a mommy.

Halloween

A punk rocker family for the Anderson party, . . .

. . . and a gypsy and a pumpkin for the TerraTek party.

Semiannual Moab Mecca

Thanks, Clay and Leslie, for putting us up at your pad. Leslie served us some wickedly delicious granola; I tried her recipe as soon as we got home.

I think Miles was born to be a mountain man. He loved playing with Brian, Clay, Angela, and Leslie, and you don't get more outdoorsy than those four. Plus, Miles has Alvin's genes, so mountain-man-ness is innate.

This Pretty Awesome Guy Had a Birthday Not Too Long Ago

Happy October 18 Birthday, Alvin.

5 more days in Texas

Alvin's training is winding to a close, and I've seen most of the museums that interested me. It's been kind of nice being in Houston and living a simple life (simple except for the fine cuisine we've indulged in), but I think we're all ready to reunite with our family and possessions in South Jordan.

Here's a brief summary of our take on Texas, so you'll know what you're getting into if you ever come here:

Things we like about Houston
Eating out
Getting lots of exercise walking everywhere
Shiny skyscrapers
The pool is an elevator ride away
Maids clean our rooms, change our towels, and bring free shampoo
No dog hair on the carpet
Seeing old college geology friends who live here
No commitments; every night is open
Exploring new museums and parks
Ethnic diversity: Middle Eastern, African, Mexican
Feeling free to run the air conditioner all day (it’s included in the hotel tab)
Outlines of the state of Texas on freeways and pies
Talking to interesting people on the buses

Things we miss about South Jordan
Alvin’s pottery (we made some pots in Utah, but had to leave before they were fired)
Driving a car to the grocery store
Putting the groceries in the trunk instead of the bottom of a stroller
Babysitters for Miles
Our garden: zucchini, tomatoes, raspberries, and pears
Miles’ toys and highchair
Wide, even sidewalks that don’t end randomly
Cool, dry Utah September
Mountains and hiking
Wheat grinder and whole wheat bread
Yoga classes
The temple

More Adventures in Houston

Someone is going to grow up to be a geologist

Maddie, Miles, Laura, Sydnie at Brazos Bend State Park

Is it a 20 lb sack of potatoes?

No . . . it's a sack of baby!

Meet Mr. Albino Aligator

This color-changing tunnel connects two buildings of the Museum of Fine Art

King Miles riding in the wagon at the zoo. Princess Whitnie was kind enough to share her link toys.

Galveston Island

Despite the rain, Saturday we drove an hour south of Houston to Galveston to swim in the Gulf of Mexico and see the damage from last year's Hurricane Ike. There's even a town named "Alvin" on the way.

Miles loved the beach! He sat in the shallow waves, happily splashing the water and eating salty sand. We tried to limit his intake, but he is one determined kid!

I'm glad the car rental price included vacuuming up our sand!