We gave her a bath my first night there.

Her permanent resting place until Curt built her a little carpet house.  I didn’t sit in that chair the whole time I was there.  Then again, I don’t think anyone else did either.  

Attacking Ashley’s foot during a game of Oh Hell.

We met up on our way there with the Penrods at their favorite mexican place.  Their kids are so cute.

The lights didn’t seem to be organized in any particular way which made them less than spectacular.

And an awesome picture of Curt for good measure.

Jude at three months:

1. Is sleeping 9-10 hours at night but is taking naps as short as 20 minutes to as long as about 45 minutes.  Suggestions, anyone?  Please?

2. Is really starting to discover his hands but is not interested in reaching out to grab things at all yet.

3. Still loves watching tv.  Have I mentioned that yet?

4. Giggles.  Especially while getting his diaper changed.  It is the cutest thing.

5. Loves his binky when he’s unhappy and won’t take it when he is happy.  Which is how it should work anyway, right?

I love this boy.

Parker paid more attention to “Baby Choot” than any other cousin while we were there, so of course he needed a three-month picture with her too!

And one with her dog.

I love Christmas.  Jude, Mike and I went up to Seattle to hang out with Amy and Ashley and their families.  Things I want to remember about this Christmas:

1. Parker pronouncing Jude as “Choot” and drawing him approximately 100 pictures every day.

2. Dally’s toothy grin.

3. James loving on his new kitty

4. Me not being able to hold the kitty without blowing my nose for the rest of the day.

5. Amy changing her mind every day about whether she can handle keeping the kitty and having kitty poop in the house.

6. Doing every Star Wars Disney puzzle in the Leonards’ game closet.

7. Amy and Ashley reading the kids Christmas stories every night (Ian picked How the Grinch Stole Christmas every single night, and I realized how much I love that book).

8. Jude hanging out in the corner of the couch watching his cousins run around like the crazies they are.

9. Cleaning up after the Crazies every night.

10. Bathing Jude in the bathroom sink and him looking at himself in the mirror the whole time.

11.  Boxing the kids up to send them to “Grandma at the lake”.

12. Amy frantically trying to finish the quilt she made me.

13. All of the presents being in Amy’s closet and the boys not even considering looking in there to find out what they were.

14. Wrapping a million presents.

15.  The littles asking when they get to open a present all day Christmas Eve.

16.  Building new lego sets Christmas Eve and then again on Christmas morning.

17. The awesome lego advent calendar.

18. Sister time.

19. My family getting to meet and loving on Jude.

20. Finding out about the newest member of our family on the way in only five months!

Thanksgiving dinner was delicious, as usual.  Gladys is such a good cook and Mike and I were so excited to be there this year; she did not disappoint.   Here are pictures of the family we’ve missed so much since we’ve been in Texas!

Steven and Ellie

Shane and our 6-month old nephew, Easton, who we got to meet for the first time.

Jackson entertained after dinner by drawing any state that anyone requested from memory and naming the capitol.

Kate and Ellie.  Adorable.  Apparently they had been asking every day about Mike and I coming, but then they were shy when we actually got there!  But still cute.  Makes me glad we got to spend so much time with them while we were in school before we moved to Texas so they wouldn’t forget us!

This is how Gladys eats her pie.  Oh, didn’t you know that when it’s “light” whip cream you’re supposed to put on three times as much?

Michelle and Jordan – now married.  Yay!

MMMmmm Thanksgiving.  How we love you.  Thanks for making it great, everyone!

Victoria just hung out.  She didn’t care much about Jude.

She also managed to avoid every photo-op position as soon as I turned the camera her way.

Dave enjoyed snuggling with Jude.  He said Victoria doesn’t snuggle much.

Victoria must have gotten jealous of the snuggling.

But that didn’t last long.

Thanks for visiting with us!  We miss you.