Merry Christmas!

This year has been a whirlwind, and the challenge I’ve been pondering all morning is how to give a concise update.

Some highlights:

 In January, we moved out of an apartment into a friend’s basement. We stayed there until deciding the tax credit and low interest rates made it a pretty ideal time for us to buy a house. So, we bought a house in Salt Lake City and moved again in May. It’s been a lot of work, but we LOVE it! Most of the work we’ve done has been cosmetic (aside from a few plumbing issues that required professionals), and it has made a huge difference in the feel of the house. We have painted everything, refinished hardwood floors throughout, new baseboard, new light fixtures, etc. I can’t wait to work on a patio, clothes line and garden this spring.

A few of Andrew’s favorite things: 

The canoe we brought home from WI this summer, reading, MLS, playing in the snow, keeping Melinda sane, wrestling with Ezra on our bed. Work is going well for him--he usually comes home tired and hungry, so I guess it does what it is supposed to do! It also provides a steady income and insurance, and for that we are truly grateful! Andrew loves being a dad and loves playing with Ez when he gets home from work.  Lately, when Andrew gets in the shower after work, Ezra sits outside the bathroom door crying.  So cute!

A few of Melinda’s favorite things:

Watching Ezra in wonder (that one hasn’t changed since we brought him home with us), hearing Ezra giggle, taking walks with Andrew, coffee dates with Andrew, knitting all sorts of goodies, hiking/snowshoeing. One of God’s greatest gifts to me right now is the ability to stay home. I know old ladies in the grocery store are right when they see Ezra and say, “it goes so fast.” Although there are days I would rather go to work somewhere else, I really try not to have regrets about the time I have at home with the little man.

A few of Ezra’s favorite things:

Walking (finally figured that one out two weeks ago!); dancing; climbing into cupboards in search of cereal (he will then carry the box to the nearest adult in hopes they will open it for him); going outside; skyping with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins; reading books with Mom while she tries to write a Christmas letter; being thrown onto the bed by Dad and landing in a heap of laughter. Ezra is almost 17 months and is doing very well! He is at such a fun age where he is discovering many new things and is so expressive. The world, to him, is divided into 3 categories: ball, dog and maaa. All round things are balls, all animals are dogs, and all people he likes are maaa. Definitely a handful, but so FUN!

Things we are looking forward to in 2011:

If you haven’t heard yet, we are having a baby! Estimated date of arrival: June 20th. And we will hopefully find out next month if we have a bean or beanette. Andrew’s parents, sister and nephew will also visit next month. Spending time with them is always such a treat! We are so excited about God’s adventurous plans for us, and we are trying to live each day in the joy of His grace, trusting His abundant provision. He is alive, indeed!

Shutter to the Fly

Christmas cards are in the mail as of Wednesday.....some of you may already be admiring our adorable family picture!  Thanks to a good friend and a beautiful hike, the picture part was easy this year.  As was the card part!  I scored an order-early Christmas photo card deal from Shutterfly, so I’ve been sitting on these bad boys since October!  I had such a great time picking out a funky design; it seemed like there were at least a thousand choices, but it didn’t take me long to find the perfect one for us.  

My other favorite Shutterfly purchase this year are the photo calendars I made for our parents.  (Hope they aren’t reading this because I just spoiled the Christmas surprise.)  I seem to have an inordinate number of Ezra pictures, so that’s what filled up the calendar slots.  I also scored those on a two-for-one promo.  Seriously, these guys always have coupons floating around....

Adding photos to just about anything makes it a little more personal and exciting if you ask me.  Andrew and I have another card idea up our sleeve that is just waiting to explode into the mail, but it’s somewhat of a surprise that I am NOT going to blow just yet.  Happy Christmas carding!

Sledding!

Yep, it's a wintery wonderland around here, and we decided to get out of our warm house and enjoy it!  (At least for a little bit...)  We bundled Ezra up and even found a pair of hand-me-down boots for him to wear.  They won't work anymore when he actually starts walking because they are several sizes too large, but for sitting, they were great!  First I tried to teach Ezra about snow angels while Andrew finished shoveling the driveway.  He was totally unimpressed and cried every time I set him down.  BUT........that (thankfully) isn't the end of the story.

We then headed down the street to our park.  I actually also got to ride on the sled on the way there, but coming back our sled dog kicked me out.  :)  At first Ez was quite unsure of riding in a sleigh, but by the end of our little trip, he was smiling a bit.  At the park, we climbed a small hill to show Ezra the ropes.  I was a bit hesitant because my friend Ashley was just blogging about her son's foot fracture due to riding double on the slide.  Ezra's feet were safely tucked inside the sled, however, and I figured the worst that could happen would be tipping over.  Then Ezra would get his second-ever whitewash (the first he gave to himself while we were still home).  Although we never tipped over, he didn't care one bit about sledding.  Maybe next year.

Even if Ezra can think of many better things to do on a Sunday afternoon, Andrew and I had a blast introducing him to our friend winter.  And I am confident before long he will want to play outside all day, and then our heater vents will be put to good use drying mittens and boots.  Here's to snow and hot chocolate!