Santa Baby

 Ho Ho Ho!

I hope this cute little face brightens your day. It did mine.

Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving

For the past few weeks, as we have sat around our dinner table, Brad, Lainy, and I have shared one thing we were thankful for during the day. Our comments have ranged from simple things (like toys, or Christmas music) to really big things (like our wonderful families and news of a scholarship a certain med student received). It has been nice to end our day that way. I think it's something we will continue to do.

This Thanksgiving season, I have been grateful for so many things. It has been good for me to dwell more often on the many blessings I have been given. I have been more happy, more patient, and more compassionate this month. I like being those things.

I've thought a lot about President Monson's talk in the last General Conference. Particularly this quote:

"My brothers and sisters, to express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven."

I think I've touched a little bit of heaven this month. I'm going to try to keep it closer.

I could leave you with a big, long list of things I'm thankful for, but I'll simply mention the three blessings that seem to anchor all the rest - my husband, my three year old, and my almost 11 month old. They are so precious to me.

Leah, Brad, Lainy (and our snowman(woman?), Suzy Snowflake)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Look Who's Walking

It's true. Leah is walking.

She took her first three steps on November 2, when she was still 9 months old. Since then, she's been tottering between furniture.

Now she really has it down. She's spent every one of her waking hours walking around our house for the past two days. She's so proud of herself! And so cute! But I have to admit, it's a little funny to see a baby this small walking around. It doesn't seem like her legs are long enough! She's been fun to watch.

See for yourself!

Goodbye Casper, Hello Pocatello

Friday was Brad's last day of his surgery rotation in Casper. He had such a great experience there. We all did. Dr. Beckstead (Brad's "teacher" for the rotation) was really awesome. Brad was able to see, do, and learn a lot. Dr. Beckstead said surgery is Brad's calling. We'll see...

Here's Brad, Bryn (the nurse practitioner), and Dr. Beckstead.

Also on Friday, my dad drove over to Casper to help us move. It was sure good to see him. And we needed the help. I don't know what happened, but somehow all of our things that fit in our car to get to Casper somehow multiplied (a lot) so there was no way we were cramming it all in our car for the drive to Pocatello. We were so grateful to my dad for making the trip! (Don't ask me how we're getting it back to Seattle!)

Lainy got to ride in Grandpa's truck the whole way. She loved it. I hope she wasn't too much of a hassle for my dad while he drove!

We had a gorgeous drive, especially through the Tetons. Look at these amazing pictures...

Can you see Table Rock? Look to the right of the Grand Teton

 Teton Mountain Range

 The peaks of the range from left to right: South Teton, Middle Teton, Grand Teton, Mt. Owens, Teewinot

 

Brad and I climbed the Grand Teton the summer after we were married. Looking at it now, I can't believe I've stood on the summit.

Now we are happily settled in Pocatello. Brad's rotation is in Family Medicine. This time we've got a pretty nice setup in a roomy townhouse. Brad is thrilled with the garage. I'm thrilled with the big kitchen and dishwasher. The girls are thrilled with their new playroom in the closet under the stairs.

Our first day here it snowed all day! The girls and I sat by the windows and watched. It was beautiful.

So there's our update!

Happy Halloween!

Our house was full of bugs this weekend. This beautiful bumble bee:

And this tolerant ladybug:

Brad and I turned into bug catchers as we chased them around town to different parties, trunk-or-treats, and carnivals. Luckily we caught them before they ate too much candy.

Cute little buggers.

Earlier in the week we carved pumpkins. Leah thought the gooey insides were yummy.

Lainy did a great job finding all the seeds inside her pumpkin and choosing a fun face to carve.

Brad worked hard on carving us a Wyoming inspired pumpkin. It turned out pretty awesome, right?

Hope you had a Happy Halloween!