Family from Nebraska

Earlier this month Alex's brother Ryan and his wife Dawn came to visit us.  We had a lot of fun with them and the kids were really excited to see them.  We didn't do anything too exciting while they were here, but we did take them to one of our favorite places to eat, Pita Jungle.  Yummy.  I had the tabule with hummus.  The next week we got a visit from Alex's other brother, Briggs.  We had Jack's birthday party a couple days early so he could be here for it.  On Sunday he decided to run the P.F. Chang's marathon.  He ran the 1/2 marathon and finished it!  I guess they said he was the youngest kid to ever finish it.  He's only 13!  We were pretty proud.

Here's Briggs and Anny

We were out in the back playing croquet.

Jack loves his swing.  Thanks grandma Debbie and grandpa Mike.

Okay, so i walked in to get jack when he woke up from his nap the other day.  And guess what??  he can now sit himself up.  So we had to lower the crib mattress, obviously.  It was so funny to walk in there and see him like this.  I ran and got the camera right away.  

Jack and Aunt Dawn.

Jack and Uncle Ryan.  It was so funny, when they first got to our house, Jack looks at Ryan and did a double take.  He made the weirdest face.  I think Jack was pretty confused cause of the resemblance.  

December

So this is the month that I get to be done with micro.  And guess what?  I got an A!!! I got an A in humanities too, but I don't want to brag.  I can't believe Jack is almost going to be 1.  And no, he still is not crawling.  What a lazy little butt.  It's really my fault cause i hold him too much.  But I can't help it.  He is so cute and cuddly.  Lets see... What happened this month?  Oh yeah, I stupidly decided to butcher my hair.  Hmmm, what was i thinking.  Actually, i kind of like it.  It makes me actually have to do it, instead of just putting it in a ponytail.  

Christmas was good.  Alex got me a new lens for my camera.  Man, you can really zoom in.   I got some really good close ups that some people may not think are so good.  Hee hee!

Here's my new do.  It doesn't look so great in this pic though.  Unless everybody thinks it does, then yeah, i mean, it looks good. 

Jack make up your mind.  Is it Star Wars or Batman?  I guess we should really ask Alex, who is the one that finds all this crap necessary.  

For Christmas, me and my siblings made a memory book for my parents.  We all included our first memories of them (or at least as early as we could remember).  We filled it with pics of the past and present.  It turned out really good.  If you are ever at my mom's, be sure to check it out. 

Here's the pic i used of me and my mom.  This was my first camping trip, and i think my mom's last!  Oh, let me make sure that i mention that she was wearing all her pre-pregnancy clothes right after i was born.  Wish i could say the same.  How old is Anny now?

And this is the one of me and my Dad.  The funny thing is, is i remember this exact moment.  Its pretty fuzzy though.  I know it's not the picture I'm just remembering though, cause i can remember my own visual point of view when i was opening this present.

So here's all the junk the girls got this year that they won't remember in a couple weeks.  They did get some good stuff.  Santa got them Leap Frog Leapsters.  

Jack got this cool car from Grandma and Grandpa Thompson.  Ha Shanna, i got the better one!

Here's Anny playing with the barbie head that grandma got her.  Maybe she can practice on barbie and learn how to do her own hair so i won't have to (not that i actually ever do it, as you can see from the pic).

Alex didn't have surprises for Christmas, cause he picked out everything himself.  this is his new watch.  He did get one surprise.  I got him a new drill, cause the old one was broken.  How exciting.

This is a shot taken with my new lens.  It is one of our trees taken from across the yard.  Pretty good detail from afar, huh?

Also in November: Jack's first haircut!

Okay, not that his hair is all long and thick, but all those little thin, wispy hairs where really starting to bug.  So they had to go.  

Oh, and yes.  I did put all this hair in a bag to keep forever.

November

I love November.  It starts to really cool off.  Of course by December I'm always saying that i wish it was summer.  Its funny cause it was last year around this time that i really started feeling pregnant.  The time has gone by so fast since Jack was born.  We've had a lot of fun this month.  There's always lots to do with family once the holiday season gets going.  I ended up getting an A on my microbiology midterm.  I completely over studied.  But i suppose that's better than understudying.  Wouldn't ya know,  I managed to take a total of 0 pictures at Thanksgiving.  O well.  We probably shouldn't celebrate the genocide of the natives who we supposedly shared corn with at one point in history.

We had a family get together at my uncle Pat's house.  The kids had a good time.  And Aunt Jenny always has really good food.  

Ellie and aunt Chelsea.

I had Ellie go around and pick pecans for me.  

 They have this really cool swing.  Its cool cause even biggies like me can go on it!  WEEEE!!!  Yeah, i was actually kind of scared.  What, I'm afraid of heights.

Here's Anny on it.

Later, when me and Haylee were on the swing, Anny got hit with Haylee's legs.  So Uncle Justin rushed over to rescue her.  

Oh, poor baby!

Our family and Shanna's family went to a little scenic spot to take some family pics for Christmas.  Out of like the 100 that we took, maybe 5 turned out!  It's so hard to get everyone looking good at the same time.  Except for me, I always look good!

Ellie, get some longer pants.

Jack is 10 months old here.  The girls thought it was so funny that the cereal got stuck to his face and he didn't know it.  

Just hanging out with the cuz'

Cassie let me borrow this toy.  Jack loves it, but he's going to get a big head when he keeps seeing how good looking he is.

These are Ellie's friends Amberlyn and Maylee.  She goes to preschool with them and has a playgroup with them every week. 

The girls went to a birthday party for their friend Amberlyn.  I think Anny's getting a little too old for this kind of thing.  None of their dress up clothes really fit her anymore.  

Also in October

Anny had her awards assembly this month.  She had perfect attendance, made the honor roll, and was student of the month.  I can't remember which month though.   Good job Anny!  Too bad none of my pictures turned out.  My zoom wasn't good enough.  Can you make her out?  She's up there in the top row, third kid in.  

October

Not much new in October.  School is going well.  It keeps me pretty busy with all the reading.  Jack's 9 months now and still not crawling.  No worries.  The girls did things kind of late too.  Can't really think of anything else to say.

Mom and Dad came over for Halloween.  The girls went out with Dad while we all hung around the house.  

Both the girls' were fairy princesses.  How very original.  They got lots of candy.  Most of it mom secretly threw away!

Jack!  No!  Don't go to the dark side!

Our little Darth.  There's still good in him, I know it.

I don't know, he looks pretty crazed!

Jack started clapping this month.