Family Pictures Feb. 2014

February 2013

So happy that blogspot uploads photos at speeds of more than 3 per 10 minutes now!  

Cosi Science Center at the Kids Space. We got a membership and we have been there several times on Saturdays. It's been the perfect family fun activity while it's freezing cold.  February is always the coldest month here in Columbus, from what I've experienced since 2006. 

Suzy in Swing.......

Claire in Swing!

Here's sweet Suzy enjoying the jogging trampoline.  I was so stoked when I found it at ALDI for $25 and I had Cam get it as my birthday present. It is also a favorite among Claire and her friends. They do pretty well about following the "one person at a time" rule.  :)

These two look so much alike.  Claire is like a mini me and Suzy is like a mini Cam, even though they also look like each other.  They are both such gorgeous babies!

Kelsey organized a Valentine exchange party for all the little kids on Feb. 13. I was so happy she gave us the chance to experience Valentine's Day officially.  Holidays (and everything) are so much more fun when you have young children who are experiencing them for the first time--or the second time, etc.

Claire isn't ready to give up the rights to the bumbo chair. She doesn't like it when Suzy sits in it. Good thing Suzy doesn't know that yet. 

This is like our only closeup photo of Suzy that has decent photo quality!

Blogspot works again--hooray

 Holiday Catchup

 Thanksgiving at the Schellenbergs'

Ernie and Julie visited directly on their way home from their mission in Uganda! 

Our first Christmas in the United States as a small family unit.  Usually we are in Utah or California with extended family.  It was actually really nice to have our own family celebration.  The only other time we have done that was the year Claire was born and we were in Spain.

Snow is so fun when you have your kids to play in it with you!

Utah Christmas 2009

These two are around the same age, and so cute together toddling around on their little leggies!

I had to include this picture even though I didn't capture anyone smiling, because it commemorates our annual New Year's Eve fondue party! It was so good--this year I especially liked the cheese fondue (made without white grape juice) and the cake bites.
Ah, the cousins playing together--I couldn't take enough pictures. They are all so darling I can hardly stand it. 25 nieces and nephews between Cameron and me--aren't we blessed?

Watching our "roast" videos: Heron 4, Brooke 2, Casey 4, Cameron 7, Mason 5, Emily 10 mos.

Azure 20 mos., Cameron

Tonight after I nursed Claire and rubbed her back, I put her in her crib (pack n play) as usual.  She has always slept in a pack n play ever since we trained her to sleep in her own bed.  She is normally accompanied by two monkeys--ones from my childhood collection that my mom so kindly saved for me even when I insisted I didn't have room for them!  Now that I have child(ren) I am so glad she saved them!  This week, in addition to her two monkeys, she began requesting "mouse!" as soon as I placed her in the cribby.  The mouse is a small plastic one that belongs to a set of nesting doll farm animals.  It's really cute because it fits right in her hand. After a few days of sleeping with Cirro, Macacou, and Mouse, she also started requesting "baby!"  Baby is a very cute baby doll with piercing blue eyes, like Claire's, that Julie gave her for her 1st birthday. So she has slept with all four friends the past 2 nights.  I think that when she asks for another toy, I'll have to explain that there are room for only 4 toys in the crib (and that's actually probably too many already) and she can take out one of the monkeys if she wants a new toy. It will be a good chance to practice counting. 

Another darling bedtime antic that Claire is developing is saying one last farewell to me as I walk out her door.  Sometimes she says, "mawo," and I say, "See you tomorrow!"  Sometimes she says, "Guh-night." Tonight she said, "Hola, Konichiwa!"  I laughed and said, "Chao chao!" and she repeated it back to me.  And now, 20 minutes later, I can still hear her squealing in enthusiasm and talking to her toys.  It is so darling!  Yes, she really should be asleep.  We got her in bed too late tonight because it's Sunday, and beyond that, we were invited to an all day fish fry at the branch president's house.  But it was a very good day and we'll get back on track during the week.

I am so excited to stop teaching my music lessons.  Not because I don't like to do it.  I do really like it and am nervous that I will really miss the opportunity to use that skill set once I stop.  But I am excited to have more time in the evenings to do projects at home, like cooking ahead a couple days, organizing (we still aren't fully moved in from September 2011), cleaning, and doing family history.  I haven't posted pictures of Claire in like 7 months!  So tonight I am posting a bunch of current ones, then I'll go back and do the ones I missed during that time. Come check them out!

Can't get enough of Claire? Neither can we! Click here to see more photos of our pride and joy.

This is our baby!!!

We're growing a garden!

We're starting indoors with a handy little greenhouse kit from Walmart (very inexpensive). We can't plant outside until May 15, so we're hoping to get a headstart with some help from an indoor growing light (only 10 bucks). I'm excited for all these plants--I hope I get at least one survivor from each species!

It took longer than I anticipated to expand all the peat pellets and plant the seeds, but now

everything is done and we just get to wait....

to see if anything is coming up. Check back in 7-14 days!

California pre-Christmas 2009

Dinner at CPK with siblings and spouses.

A day at Avila Beach and Barn: We met a friend on the pier.

Ernie told me that a rainbow around the sun means there is a lot of moisture in the air.

D. suggested a photo shoot in the tree--great idea.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of H. He stood outside the pigs' enclosure calling, "I love you, piggie!"

A hike at Montana de Oro. What a nice uncle!

Enjoying the new area that's just been opened at the park, owned by PG&E Electric.

What wouldn't I give to experience the serenity of this beautiful place?

Apparently this recently opened property is used to graze animals--something you don't see in the rest of the park! I love to photograph animals.

Big news: Emily and Chris's baby was born just two weeks before we got to California! Here's our darling nephew, N., being watched over by uncle Cam.

I was melted to see Cam taking care of a baby--it made me so excited to have our own!

Hopefully they grow up to be as sweet as B., who volunteered to sweep every time he went out to jump on the trampoline. :)