Needlessly long update

I was uploading pictures from the past two weeks and thought I'd share. *Disclaimer: this could be long and boring. Proceed with Caution.
Here we go. Picture #1, we were getting ready for church, and I thought the boys looked cute.


Whenever I'm on the computer, Davis likes to sit in the chair with me and hang out. Lately we have given him an old keyboard to type on so that he doesn't feel the need to use mine.


My dad and Jane came up here for a quick weekend trip with the kids, and Davis got to play with Aunt Meg and Uncle Will. He is so lucky to have such great aunts and uncles!








Last weekend Bryson and Davis were matching. They looked so cute, I couldn't resist snapping a few shots.




Sometimes in the morning when I'm getting ready, we set up "Davis Central." This involves Davis and his boppy on the bed surrounded by about a million toys, and usually with some cartoon on. It is probably over stimulation, but it usually keeps him entertained until I'm done showering and getting my make up on.


While in Davis Central, one of his favorite toys is his "girlfriend," a blonde finger puppet that he likes to eat or "make out" with. Bryson and I are really strange parents.












Don't worry, you are nearing the end of this seemingly endless post. Finally, we have Valentine's Day dinner pictures. We had a really fun date night at the house. We busted out the china and candles, had a really yummy dinner, and we didn't have to deal with all of the crowds at a restaurant.




For dessert, I made chocolate fondue. It was really yummy, but as you can see, I got a little ambitious with the dippins. I thought we made pretty good progress until I compared these before and after pictures. I guess we didn't do quite as much damage as I had hoped. Oh well, I guess we'll be having fondue leftovers for lunch.

Saying Goodbye

When Bryson and I heard the news of President Hinckley's passing, we talked about the possibility of going to the viewing to pay our respects and say goodbye. Considering that we would probably have to take Davis with us, we thought we'd wait to hear how it went before we made our way to temple square. Bryson's mom went late thursday afternoon and was there for about an hour total. That didn't sound too bad, and Davis is easily entertained for an hour or two, so we thought we'd give it a try friday afternoon. Well, we got a lot more than we bargained for. To make a long story short, we were there for over 5 hours. At least 3 of those hours were outside in FREEZING temperatures and wind. As you can probably see from the picture I took on my cell phone, Davis was very warm in his marshmallow suit, hat, blanket, etc, etc. So, don't go calling Child Protective Services on me. Davis couldn't have been happier all night. Anyway, the lines were insanely long, and there were more people than you could possibly imagine. Given the cold and waiting for so long (in high heels, while holding a baby), you would think that people would have been a little testy, but that was not at all the case. We made friends with all the people in line around us, and everyone was so nice. Even the kids that were there were all so well behaved. By the time we got in to the actual conference center, they seated us for a while to wait. They had videos playing in tribute to President Hinckley that set the mood nicely. When we finally got to go see the prophet, it was pretty brief... we just got to walk by slowly... but it was so powerful. I kept thinking, "we thank thee oh God for a prophet." I was so thankful for this man and his amazing life. I was so thankful for all of the work and sacrifices he made for the Church and for all of us, and then I was so thankful that he got this much needed chance to rest and reunite with his sweet wife. The other sensation that was so powerful was that he really wasn't there. His body was there, looking so peaceful, yet so lifeless. It sounds funny, but that was strangely comforting to me. To know that there is so much more to life than just our mortal bodies. That the man we all knew and loved was not really gone, just somewhere else. It was a testimony to me of the eternal nature of our spirits. It was such a wonderful opportunity to say good bye and reflect. I will miss President Hinckley's sweet sense of humor and love, but I am grateful for all the lessons that he has taught me, even in his death.

Not much to say, just some fun pics

Davis and I were matching for my birthday


I love Davis in this hat!


jersey boys


Just hanging out on the bed, watching tv like a big boy


Cheese!

New Year's in Vegas

Two posts in one day! Well, after Christmas in San Diego, we made the long trek to Las Vegas for New Year's. We were finally able to stay in my dad's beautiful new house, and it was great! Once again, we had a wonderful trip. Crystal and Ryan and John-Kai and Meg were all in town again, and of course, we got to spend a lot of time with Dad, Jane,(little)Meg, and Will. Meg was the best babysitter EVER! We saw Phantom of the Opera, shopped, played, and welcomed in the New Year. We miss everyone already!

Christmas in San Diego

So, I'm a little behind on posts these days. We have been out of town for the past two weeks, and I am just now trying to catch up. We had a ton of fun in San Diego. The weather was amazing. I was a little worried that my skin would have some reaction to seeing the sun for the first time in months, but to my surprise and delight, I did not melt away or break out in hives. It was so wonderful to be outside in short sleeves.... wait, who am I kidding... it was so wonderful to just be outside, period. Aside from basking in the sunshine, my mom kept us very busy with an assortment of Christmas activities... many of which involved baking. We also had time for a few outings to visit our animal friends at the zoo and Sea World. Of course, the best part of the trip was just getting to be with family. Crystal and Ryan and the kids were in town from D.C., and John-kai and Meg came over for a few nights as well. My mom was thrilled to have all of the grandkids at her house, and it was great having everyone together for a few days.

Have a very Gary Christmas!

So, my sister in law, Summer, has recently become good friends with Gary Coleman and his wife. She met them at his holiday store that he and his wife run out of their garage somewhere down south of Provo. If you know Summer, this is not at all surprising, though still very entertaining. I just thought some of you might enjoy the holiday greeting!

Davis' First Santa Pictures

Well, another childhood milestone has come and passed. Davis had his first pictures with Santa! They are not "official" mall shots (since we all know that is where the real Santa lives and/or visits), but one of the Christmas parties we attended had Santa come to visit, and we couldn't resist snapping a few shots. Davis was actually a really good sport and kept smiling for me, so I thought I'd share. Merry Christmas!!!




With his cousins, Sadie and Chase: