Birthday List

Bryson - November 17th
Cherie - January 8th
Davis - July 18th
Baby - August 28th (approximately).... Just thought some of you might like to know!

We got the best Christmas gift this year when we found out on Christmas morning that Davis is going to be a big brother! We are obviously very excited and can't wait for August! Now that I'm almost halfway through the pregnancy, I decided it's probably time to spread the news. We have the big ultrasound scheduled next week to find out what we're having. Any guesses?

Freedom!!!

I think Davis may have set some sort of record for the length of his momma's boy phase. Ever since he was about 9 months old, he has been very attached and has had a hard time being around other people, unless he knew them really well. People kept telling me it was just a phase that wouldn't last very long, but I think his phase lasted almost 2 years. He eventually warmed up to family members and friends, but babysitters were the most fearful of all new people. He wanted nothing to do with them. The few times we tried young women or babysitting swaps in the past, he screamed for hours on end until someone in the family came to rescue him. This habit made it hard for Bryson and I to go out on dates. We basically only went when we could get Bry's parents or sister to watch him, so it wasn't very often. Well, I am VERY happy to announce that he has finally passed that dreaded stage of babysitter fear. We have left him a few times with "Aunt" Jessie (and his buddy Brody, of course), and he had a great time. He talks about Jessie and Brody frequently now. Then this last weekend, we left him with my friend Becca (and his best bud Braddock), and I had a hard time getting him to come home with me. This may sound like nothing special to all of you parents out there with well trained, normal children, but to me, it is nothing short of FREEDOM!!!
Family shot before we left Davis with Jessie for the first time


A few cute pics of Davis and Brody hanging out for our turn on the babysitting swap




I don't have any pics from Davis' fun time with Braddock, so I am sticking in another gymnastics one from a month or so ago

cookie decorating 101

Well, I am proud to say that I recently completed my first cooking decorating class... as the teacher! About a year ago, I helped my sister-in-law make some fancy cookies for a Relief Society event in her ward. Then a month or two ago, one of the ladies in her relief society presidency asked her if I could come do a cookie decorating class for an activity. As it was explained to me, it would just be 5 or 6 people, and we could do it at her house around the kitchen table. Well, when she got the sign-up list back, over 30 people signed up, so we moved the venue to the church and decided to make a lot more cookies. There was a great turn out, and it was surprisingly fun (despite feeling a little ridiculous for trying to teach people how to do something that I don't have any right to be teaching). I took some pictures of the Easter cookies I made for the class, and I had Mary take a picture of me in the adorable apron that my grandma made me for Christmas (which I wore for the entire class and got a ton of compliments on... thanks again Grandma!). Enjoy the pics!
By the way, I had big plans to arrange the cookies really cute in the baskets and display a few in bags, but people were walking in as I was setting them up, so I was rushed and didn't get to arrange them very nicely.