Christmas in Iowa!

We LOVE family!

We've Moved!

To a charming blue house near a park. With a fenced backyard. And the world's best neighbors, who are keenly interested a Brian's job search, and in getting our kids to laugh. (I just want to add that we got a screamin' deal on this sublet due to the decreased demand in this college town in the summer for housing.)

It's a great place to be for the summer, but hopefully we'll be able to move out fairly soon when we find a job!

Felix calls it the "blue home-again" because when Grandma Polly came to visit a while ago, she would always chant, "Home again, home again, jiggity-jig" as we pulled in the parking lot".

Blessing

Last Sunday (March 1) Brian gave little Ezra a name and blessing in sacrament meeting. It was a wonderful experience, and we felt very fortunate to have loving family and friends in the circle surrounding and supporting our family. In the beautiful blessing Brian mentioned Ezra's kind and gentle disposition, something I can definitely confirm. He definitely is the sweetest, most mellow baby, and I feel so blessed to have the privilege of raising him. :)

Grandpa Dave and Grandma Sharon flew out all the way from Phoenix--how generous of them! Felix remembered Dave right away, and they had lots of fun playing together. It was great to have them here, and to get to know Sharon better. I'm so glad she's in our family.


My Dad also came up, which was quite a feat in and of itself! I am soo glad he came though. He stayed with us for a few days after the blessing, and had a great time talking and playing with the boys. (A funny note is that without prompting, he calls my Dad "Papa", which is what I called my Dad's dad, and what my Dad called his grandpa. How did Felix figure that out?) I loved watching my Dad play with Felix, and seeing them develop a special relationship. I hope we can see him again soon!

Also, a few days before the blessing, Grandma Polly surprised us with a visit to Ann Arbor! It was a blast to have her here, and we managed to squeeze a lot in during her short stay. Here are some shots of Felix and Ezra with their beautiful Grandma.

Unfortunately, my Mom wasn't able to make it up for the blessing, but she did send her love--and the adorable blessing outfit and knit blanket.

I'm so grateful for our loving, supportive families, and for the opportunities we have to spend time building our relationships and creating memories together. I'm also glad that Ezra gave us a reason to get together. We can't wait to see everyone again soon!

Turkey Day

We traveled to Iowa this year for Thanksgiving, taking a much needed break from school and recruiting to bond with family (all 5 siblings + significant others, and Grandma Barnes!), relax, and enjoy the gourmet fare provided mostly by Rachel (with help from siblings as assigned).

Food prep by Spencer, Kelly, Aaron, and Brian

The menu was fit for a 5-star restaurant, so I wanted to record it for posterity:


Hors d'oeuvres: (by Christy and Steve)
*hummus & pita
*devilled eggs
*crudites

The meal: (by Rachel unless noted)
*apple-onion-bay scented turkey (by Dan)
*fruited cornbread dressing
*yum-yum salad (by Polly)
*mashed potatoes (by Spencer)
*seared green beans (by Brian & Laura)
*sweet potato-gruyère soufleé
*cranberry chutney preserves
*rolls (by Rachel Dennis, family friend)

Polly, Spencer, Dan, and Kelly

Rachel D., Amy K., Polly, (Spencer), Dan, Kelly, Rachel, Aaron

Christy, Steve, Rachel D.

Dessert:
*Rock Band

*and card games Second Dessert:
*Pumpkin cheesecake
*Maple-pumpkin pie
*Kentucky Derby Pie (by Kelly)


And of course, Felix had plenty of time to cuddle with Grandma Polly!

and with Great-grandma!

And lots of playtime with Aunts and Uncles.

And time to get to know the cats.

Then, sadly it was time to leave beautiful Cedar Rapids and return home to Ann Arbor. But thank goodness for Dean Bear and a comfy carseat. :)

Nauvoooo!!

OK, this post is entirely past due, which fact I could blame on a 5-day hospital stay (for asthma)with Felix, (during a simultaneous 5-day, 3-child babysitting job)...

...or family coming to visit...

(we love Grandpa Hall! Oh, and yes, Felix is in the mastedon display. Yep, I'm one of those parents.)

... or the general frenzy associated with moving...

(not actual photo)

...but I'll just opt to blame it on the procrastination bug.

At any rate, we went to Nauvoo, IL with our pals the Shakespears, and had a BLAST! I would do it again in a heartbeat, as long as gas doesn't tip $12 a gal or anything.

The drive was great, including the run-around breaks (oh, except for the little tornado experience an hour from Cedar Rapids. Welcome to Iowa!)

We stayed for one night in Cedar Rapids with beloved and generous Grandma Hall (it was definitely sad to leave in the morning...)

And then soaked up Nauvoo culture and scenery!

ok, and Felix just LOVED the temple! I'd been looking forward to getting a few shots of him at the Nauvoo temple since he was just a twinkle in my eye, but I was blown away by his enthusiasm to climb the stairs, run around in the portico, and touch the walls and doors. So sweet!

So fun! (oh, no comment on the slightly less-than-ethical method of entry there...)

Felix was really sad to leave the grounds though, which made for a grumpy-looking baby in the family pic... Oh well!

I love Nauvoo!