Christmastime!

One more week before we head out to Oregon, and we are all very excited. It is starting to feel more like Christmas and I am loving it. I love Christmastime and the magic that is in the air. Having a kid makes it extra special because you get to experience everything for the first time again. Jet loves the Christmas lights and whenever I light the tree up, he does these cute little ooohs and ahhs. I also love that we get to reflect on the Savior, his birth and life for us. There is a lyric to a Christmas Carol that describes the Savior's birth as "when Love came down to the earth". I love that imagery and it is exactly what it was, God's love through the gift of his son, the Savior came for us. It is easy to get caught up in the sales and commercialism of the holiday, but we can all find ways to remember the Savior. Even as we give gifts, we can remember that the ultimate gift was given to us that night in Bethlehem. Have a great Christmas everyone!

Fun Times in SLC

Yesterday we spent most of the day in Salt Lake doing fun things with Martin who is in town. We went to the BYU vs Utah Basketball game, went out to lunch, went to DI, and saw the lights on Temple Square. It was so much fun and Jet loved it too. He got so excited for the lights. I was impressed at how good he was for the basketball game too. He had a great time and would see everyone clapping and join in, even if it was for the other team. We also visited Rice-Eccles Stadium, which I found out last summer, is actually part of my family heritage. The name Rice is my great-grandfather's brother, Robert Rice, who was a major donor to the university. We got some good pictures and caught one of Jet, grinding a rail in his stroller.

My First Car....

That I have owned! Yes! It is paid for as of this past Monday. In July, the Odyssey van that had over 240,000 miles on it went kaput. My parents had generously let us use it for the past 4 years. I LOVED that van and I still would like to have one some day, the older version that is more like a wagon than a van. If I could design a car it would be pretty close to the 1996 Honda Odyssey. Being faithful Honda drivers we couldn't buy anything other than another Honda, and we got ourselves a 2004 CRV. It is nothing fancy, but we own it and that makes it even more fun to drive :)

Thankful

There is so much to be grateful for, and a lot of it we don't even realize. From my own experience traveling to different countries that are impoverished, we really don't know how good we have it. There are so many that would love to have a sliver of all that we enjoy. It is so important not to lose sight of the simple things that we take for granted like running water, electricity, food, and freedom. I am thankful for my loving husband and my son Jet that brings joy to everyone that sees him. I love taking him out and people smile my way and I know they are smiling because of him. He is so funny too, it is amazing the things he does on his own that leave me wondering, 'where did he get that from?". I am so thankful that Heavenly Father has given him to me to take care of.

Happy Halloween

Last night was Halloween, and Jet got all dressed up in his chicken costume. He makes such a cute chicken. We picked up some treats and the ward trunk or treat and had a great time even though we ended up missing most of it (mom's fault). Jet has started walking a lot more lately. It is so fun to watch him toddle around. When he walks he walks with his arms above his head. Sometimes he starts walking without a destination in mind and ends up at the wall or door. He is doing so great at it and keeps going even if he falls down. His latest favorite trick is 'clap hands' which is also so adorable. Enjoy the pics and video.

Birthday Party

We had a blast at Jet's 1st birthday party celebrating with friends and family. I made a special 'healthy' carrot cake for Jet. He loved all the balloons and we gave him more balls for his ball pit. I know he won't remember it, but someday we will show him pictures. Here are some pictures and a video of Jet enjoying his birthday cupcake.

1 year old!

YAY! We all survived the first year :) Jet turned one last Saturday is so much fun these days. We had a visit with the doctor for a well check on Monday and he is doing so well. Here are his stats:

Height: 30.25 in (66th %tile)
Weight: 20.81 lbs (20th%tile)
Head Circumference 18.5 in (68th%tile)

Some of the new things he is doing:

pointing
standing alone briefly
taking steps
throwing ball (or anything for that matter)
dances to music (his favorite song is "Never Say Never" by Justin Beiber
has the cheesiest grin
puts his blocks together
plays tug of war with Cody
opens drawers and cabinets
loves his ball pit
loves his tent and tunnel from grandma
waves 'bye-bye'
Has 10 teeth including two top molars coming through
Loves to climb the stairs

We are waiting to hear those first words from him, but I am sure they are coming soon. The picture is of Jet taking some of his first steps.