Happy Birthday Gus!

Today our little Gus turned one. Hard to believe that this all took place just one year ago. We're grateful that he's happy and healthy. He's our little stinker and we love him. More on his birthday festivities to follow. Happy Birthday Gussy-Gus!

Stinker

Snow

Zoo Day

Over the weekend (before the snow hit) we took the boys to the zoo. It was a great day; cool temperatures and no crowds. There may have been a dozen other people there that afternoon. At times it felt like we weren't actually supposed to be in there, like it was closed or something. So strange.

New Things

Gus' third tooth broke through; his upper lateral incisor (or canine). Weird, I know, since you normally get your central ones first. My sister was the one who actually noticed it. Thanks, Ange.

Van is a full-fledged pooper! He has gone to the bathroom (number two) everyday for almost two straight weeks. Those who have known the drama behind his bowel movements realize that this is huge for us. A miracle I tell ya!

We have also entered another new stage in life. Nightmares. Van's most recent one has been about a lion coming into his room and climbing on his bed. This could be due to the fact that he has been obsessed with watching The Lion King.

Also, in case any of you were wondering, Spencer is still waiting for interviews. We're anxious, but hopeful.

One on One

On Wednesday Gus and I were able to spend the afternoon together; just the two of us. (Van was on a play date with his Uncle Tony). It was extremely refreshing to be able to take a moment and spend some much needed time with him. We played catch, listened to music, read books, played peek-a-boo, giggled, laughed, and snuggled. It was a magical afternoon.

Natural History Museum

The new Natural History Museum of Utah opened in November and offered it's first free admission day on Monday. The building is stunning, inside and out. I was amazed by the architecture and modern design.
The kids on the other hand, enjoyed the dinosaurs . . . I'd like to plan another visit; one where there are less people and we can spend more time enjoying the wonder that it is. (A date night, perhaps?)

Dragon Hunter

Little Rotter

A Surprise Visit

I was recently called to teach Gospel Doctrine in our new ward. (Which, for me, is a daunting task in and of itself). And last Sunday, New Years Day, it was my turn to teach. As we were hustling into church there was an elderly couple hanging up their coats. (A strange thing to see in a student ward). We passed by with a quick "hello" and immediately my first thought was, "that man looked quite similar to Elder Oaks." When I turned around to head into the chapel, I noticed a bunch of ward members clustered together whispering and giggling. By their abnormal behavior I was able to deduce that the man I saw was in fact Elder Oaks.

Elder Oaks took his place on the stand and Sister Oaks sat towards the back of the chapel, near where we were sitting. One by one, families strolled in recognizing the apostle on the stand. It was a wonderful meeting, with a theme on repentance and new beginnings. After the last assigned speaker gave his talk, Elder Oaks shared a few words with us. He said that he woke up that morning feeling impressed to attend one of the student wards at the University of Utah; he knew that the meetinghouse on Sunnyside would certainly have a ward in attendance. And sure enough it did, and it was ours! He spoke on the upcoming election and advised us to be forgiving of the shortcomings of those campaigning.

At the close of the meeting I said hello to Sister Oaks and introduced our family. She was a very sweet lady and extremely personable. We then took Van up to the stand to shake hands with Elder Oaks. Other members in the ward had the same idea so we made our way out of the chapel. It was Van's first day as a Sunbeam, so we walked him into the Primary room to find his spot on the row. As we were headed to Gospel Doctrine, one of the counselors in the bishopric informed me that Elder and Sister Oaks would be coming to my class. (Oh the horror)! Butterflies soon started to swarm inside my belly. Spencer was very supportive and tried to calm my nerves by stating that everything was going to be fine. I took a few deep breaths and reminded myself that they were just normal people, like everybody else. (Ya, right).

The lesson seemed to go well. I think it helped that Elder and Sister Oaks were sitting towards the back and were hard to see. There was also a lot of class participation, which is always refreshing. Sister Oaks even made a comment to one of the questions that I asked. I was so thrown aback I didn't really know how to respond. After the closing prayer Elder Oaks walked over to where we were sitting and said that I did a very good job. He said that he's sat in on other classes before and those teachers didn't seem nearly as composed as I did. (Sigh of relief). He asked us where we were from, how we met, and what Spencer was studying.

It was an exciting and eventful Sunday, one that I am sure to never forget. And hopefully now, after teaching Elder Oaks, I won't be as nervous to teach again.

Christmas Dinner

Dinner at Larsen's . Dushku's . Colvin's . Kapp's . Burnham's . Kent & Yvette . Ham & Potatoes . Sharon's Famous Rolls . Decadent Desserts . Hours of Fun with Cousins .

Christmas Brunch

Family . Friends . Caramel Rolls . Breakfast Burritos . Laughter . Gift Exchange . Gussy . iPhones . Surprises . One Serious Meltdown .