We rode a tandem bike for our date last Saturday. Going up the hills here almost did me in, but Curtis was somewhat of a pro. It felt weird to be in the back and feel like I had no control as we speed down the hills. It was fun to try something new.



Avery went to a princess party last week. She had a blast!

Family Tradition a Favorite?

One of the meals in our home (Enchiladas) comes from New Mexico where I grew up. As Avery was eating dinner tonight, she made a look that looked as though she thought the beans were yucky. She then immediately smiled half-way and ate another bite; with a slightly disgusted look on her face she said, "Yummy, it tastes like chocolate mint! I love it!" She was definitely using her positive mind power to overcome the disgust of the food and remained so polite the whole time. Amazingly, she finished everything on her plate!





Avery's first day of Sunbeams! She was sick last Sunday, and so this was her first day and she loved it. I was worried about how she did in class, so I asked the teacher about it after class. She said, "Oh, you have nothing to worry about, she's top of the class." I wasn't expecting that! We'll keep checking in for awhile and hope she continues to do well.

Christmas at Home

We celebrated Christmas early this year, before Coral had to leave for Denver. We went to the temple, before we started our Christmas Eve festivities, to watch Coral sing in the stake Christmas choir. It was a great way to start off the night. When we got back, we played games, played songs on the piano/guitar, opened pajamas, and then Avery had a sleepover with Coral. She thought that was pretty cool. The next morning the kids actually slept in until 9:00! Avery was more into opening presents this year. If you can see in one of the pictures, Avery was so excited that she was half-way screaming, when she opened princess place mats from Grandma Sandi and Grandpa Paul. Mikaya followed her example and screamed with delight every time she opened one too. It was so fun to watch.


Christmas in Thousand Oaks






Mikaya fell asleep while I was holding her.


We went to Thousand Oaks to enjoy Christmas with my parents and my brother's family. Avery had fun playing with her cousins. We went on a beautiful hike and all the kids did great! We enjoyed delicious food and played games in the hotel room after the kids went to sleep. It was nice to see everyone, especially those we hadn't seen for awhile.