Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Well, I guess I'm long overdue for an update. Here goes:

YESTERDAY(as in the last few weeks):
* We bought a new laptop after we came back from Christmas Vacation. I still can't convert over and keep using "Old Faithful" which seems more like "old" than "faithful" some days. We also got a wireless router and are lovin' it!
* Barrett's mom came for a visit. She loved playing with Damon and he loved having someone to entertain and to be entertained by. It was nice to have extra hands around. Barrett and I were able to go down to the Washington DC Temple and do a session without our little sidekick. (ps. the picture is an old one...pre-Damon days)
Grandma was able to stay home with him--what a great time for everyone:)
* Barrett has been working so hard with Damon to get him to catch his football by putting his hands close together. There is finally success and it is so cute! Damon loves his footballs and little winky/blanket that Aunt Julie made him. Sometimes we'll get ready to leave the house and I ask him to go get a blanket--he comes back with his little one and usually a football too:)
* Damon has some awesome dance moves. I have no idea where he's learned them, but it seems like he learns more all the time.
* Damon learned to say "uh-oh" and it is so cute! He was watching the video of himself saying it, and then of course, had to say it again!
* Damon watched Elmo for the first time yesterday. We were both in heaven--he was totally captivated and I was able to finish my book,Eclipse, in peace!

TODAY:
* We had play group over at our little apartment today. Damon loved seeing other children and let them play with his toys. I thought it was fun to have little girls in pink over--our house could use more pink. Good thing it's Valentine's month:)

TOMORROW (as in the next few days and the future):
* Tomorrow starts the month of love--I want to try to do something "love" related each day whether that means saying "I love you" or doing service or making treats or writing little notes in Barrett's lunch(which I used to do all the time when we were first married) or making breakfast for my husband(I never do this anymore either) or reading "love" scripture references or articles or just being a little more grateful for loving parents and family.
* Our dear prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, and president of our church passed away last Sunday. We are looking forward to being able to watch/listen to his funeral through the internet on Saturday. What a great man dedicated to serving the Lord. In Primary last summer, we taught the children 2 songs about President Hinckley. One is "Constant as the Northstar" and the other is "Don't Ever Forget to Pray". I love teaching the children at church because I feel it strengthens and teaches me simple truths. In these songs I have learned that President Hinckley taught us to be constant in our beliefs, our lives, our testimonies, and in all we do. Also, we must always pray and never forget. President Hinckley lived a great life. I am sad we will no longer hear him speak at General Conference, but I have confidence and trust in our new prophet. (I tried providing a link, but it isn't working---www.lds.org)
* Finally, Barrett has accepted a summer internship in Dover, DE. He will also return to this firm when he graduates. We are extremely grateful for this opportunity and look forward to the possibilities and additional opportunities it may bring. We know we are being watched over.

A Good Day

Today has been a good day, so I thought I should probably blog some cute things our little guy has been doing.

1. We dropped Barrett off at the train this morning, then came home to eat breakfast. As I was getting things ready, Damon found his comb on the table. I saw him pick it up and comb his hair--it was so cute!
2. At storytime at the library, we were singing the good-bye song and a lot of the little kiddies were waving and staring at the cd player. Damon decided he needed to show off his dance moves and swayed his hips to the music--totally cute!
3. I had a meeting today and after I got Damon's coat and hat on, he picked up his little football and car and headed out the door. He continued to hold them in his carseat--super cute!

Well, other things that he has been doing are giving kisses (open mouthed), tapping the football before he throws it (just like a true quarterback), signing "please" and "eat", understanding us when we ask him to go get his blanket, folding his arms to pray when we sit down at the table, and teasing us. He is so fun! We sure love little Damon!

Out with the Old, In with the New!

Good-bye 2007, Hello 2008!! When my sisters, Jenny and Becca, and I were on a tour with our parents in Guatemala in 2003, we made up a little saying New Year's Eve: Smooch at the door in 2004. We were all single and wanted boyfriends:) I ended up getting married that November:) So, I've been trying to think up a saying for 2008 and can only come up with: Life is great in 2008...Move to a new state in 2008...No more being late in 2008...Lose some weight in 2008. Actually, that last one's pretty good. Just some ideas!

Well, the last few weeks seem to have flown by, but at the same time, not. There is so much to tell, but will probably get really boring, so, sorry in advance.

Damon and I flew to California and survived. You'd think this was this little one-year-old's first time on a plane, but you'd be wrong, it was his FOURTH TRIP!!

Kim flew in the next day. We had tons of fun. Kim was my personal shopper and helped me get lots of new, hip clothes, which mom wrapped up for Christmas. Dad took us to see Riverdance in Fresno one night while mom took Damon to our cousin's bridal shower. Thanks again mom!

Damon loved having so much space to explore and move around in. He loved my parents and would follow my Dad around when he came home for lunch. He learned how to sign "please" and was there when anyone was eating something, rubbing his chest/belly asking for some. It was too cute to ignore--it still is!

Barrett finally came and we all enjoyed another person around. Growing up, Dad would always take us kids to Yosemite Christmas Eve day so mom could finish up with last minute gifts. So, Dad, Kim, Barrett, and I made the excursion. It was a gorgeous day and we had fun eating at flat rock (actually, this time we ate at a picnic table), walking through the fancy hotel (which I just forgot the name of), taking pictures in "the mea-dow!", and taking a little hike past Indian Caves up to Mirror Lake, which isn't there anymore (all this in the snow). It was really fun!
We broke away from our childhood traditions for Christmas Eve, but it was fun and there WAS singing! I really missed Dad not reading Jonathan Toomey, but we all got the book for Christmas, so maybe we'll just have to make a recording of him reading it. We watched The Nativity movie and I was very impressed. I really, really liked it.

Christmas morning was nice, but our present opening kept getting delayed because other family members kept calling:) Damon and Kim were little buddies that day until she opened her ipod and then Barrett squeezed himself in on the fun of teaching her how to use it. Poor girl only had 3 or 4 gifts and one that she was so excited for ended up being slippers that she had ordered and they were the the same foot--both right feet! Funny, but sad:) We talked to Jenny (she's in Hong Kong on a mission) and she is doing so good. What a funny, funny girl...I miss her.

Julie and her fam came down the next day, then Becca and Paul came, and then Mark and his fam came. The house had 11 adults and 7 grandkids--so fun, but crazy at times. We watched kids, ate lots of yummy food, played with new toys, played games, played the candy bar game and Big Booty (thanks to me!!), and enjoyed each other. One day, the kids wanted to rollerblade, so Kim went out there too--blackmail on both camera and video:) We went to cousin Ahsley's wedding reception which was totally awesome and so fun to see people we grew up with. We ate In N Out Burgers so many times I'm embarassed to say. Yummmm! One day we went to the Cabin hoping there'd be snow...only a little that the snowplow left behind, but still good for snowballs.


For New Year's Eve, the parentals watched all the kiddies while the big kids and spouses went out to Thai food. We played games and counted down till midnight. The next day Dad took the boys golfing while the rest of us girls watched movies on tv and ate treats. I'm already forgetting all the stuff we did...I just didn't write it down soon enough!

Oh! How could I forget! Barrett had mentioned to our little neice that we should have a dance contest. Well she didn't forget it and kept asking when it was going to be. Boy, was that the funniest thing ever! Mom was laughing so hard because the girls were dancing so intently and seriously and Damon was sitting beside her bobbing his head away.

We also pulled out Julie's wedding video so her kids could see it. I had forgotten that Grandpa and my aunt sang at her reception with Grandma playing the piano. Their personalities, how I remember them, were there and it was really touching for us all to see it again now that Grandpa has recently passed away and Grandma has alzheimers. An unexpected treasure. We also saw a video that we had made for Matt when he was in college. It was full of Spencer's magic tricks, piano concerts, a tour of his old room, and the girls dancing. So funny!

It was so good to be home. Home will always be "home," eventhough SO much has changed in our little town.