Oh There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays

So, there really is no place like home for the holidays and fortunately, for us, home is wherever we go as a family. This year holidays were spent with Brian's family in the Texas home. What an adventure! 15 adults, a two year old, and three kiddos under the age of one...talk about happy chaos! We had lots of fun and are so grateful we were able to see everyone.

I know you will all probably think I'm a bad mommy for not taking a bizillion pictures of Adam opening presents...in fact, I didn't even take one. We were busy enjoying opening presents and I did get this lovely picture of Adam afterwards.Adam also got to play with his cousins a lot while we were there. Here's Adam with his cousin Enoch and Great-Grandma Hofmann. It's just so cute! Adam loves the piano...has since he was just a few weeks old.
And we also got to take Adam to the park, a lot, and he loved it! Adam loves taking walks and he got to go in the swing for the first time. He had so much fun! I couldn't get a "perfect picture" but this comes pretty close--it's typically Adam.
After a long trip home we all fell exhausted into our beds. Not really, Adam wanted to play and crawly around. So he did. Until we made him go to bed. He wasn't thrilled. The next day however, he was more than happy to help Mom and Dad unpack. Here, he is trying his hand at being a luggage inspector. He apparently has found something fishy...wait, that's actually one of his shirts...oops.
All in all, it was a great Christmas. Spending time away from home helps me realize how much I enjoy the monotony of my life. I wake up with Adam, feed him, do some laundry or cleaning, play with Adam, feed him some more, work on a project, talk to Brian at work, feed Adam again, and change his diaper frequently. I know it sounds boring, but it's comforting and it's somewhat predictable. I love being a stay-at-home mom. Somedays I wish I could call in sick, when I really am sick, but I love it. At the moment Adam is stretching, chewing on, and attempting to put on my knee highs. I hope they're clean. As hard as it is sometimes, there's nothing like being a mom, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

A Christmas Treat!

So as I was trying once more to download pictures from our video and still camera, I had lots of trouble. But, to my pleasant surprise I received an early Christmas treat and I was able to download pictures from our camera! Hurray! So, here are the latest pictures of Adam, such a sweet little boy that's constantly into everything. Adam getting into the popcorn popper as we prepare to make caramel corn to start off our season celebrations.

Check out those biceps! Man this kiddo is buff...woo!
It snowed! I didn't think it snowed this much in TN, ever, but I was pleasantly surprised!
Adam can now balance on his knees and likes to kneel in front of buckets, boxes, the oven, anything really, and clap his hands or grab anything he can.Thanksgiving day at our house. Adam got to go out and play on the grass and enjoy the sunshine. This is what he thinks of it. He didn't particularly enjoy crawling on the grass. He just kind of stayed in one spot and moaned instead of crawling. Silly boy.

Well, we're off for Texas in the morning and NC tonight. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Another Dr.'s Visit

Well, here we are again just after another Dr. appointment for Adam. It's a good thing we like Adam's doctor, since we go there a lot. And please don't think I'm one of those paranoid moms that takes her kid to the doctor every time he sneezes. Today we had an ear-check appointment to see if his ears had gone back to normal after the last ear infection. And once again, Adam got a cold this past week and I kept putting off taking him to the doctor because we already had an appointment for today. Well, once again--yup, you guessed it--Adam has another nasty ear infection. Round three of antibiodics please! Doc said that they have a standard of 4 ear infections within 6 months or 6 within one year and they usually put tubes in their ears. We're well on our way. But I am happy to say there is help for these recurring ear infections. Plus, I'm so grateful that we are blessed to have insurance. I'm grateful that Brian has a good job and for all the many things the Lord has blessed us with. I think of how much worse it could be and find myself happy that we have the trials we do. Kind of silly to be thankful for trials, but we are. Another happy note, well maybe not happy, but kind of cool, Adam now weighs 20 lbs. 14 oz. The kid's growing like a weed! I just love him so much! We are truly blessed. Hopefully, you are all doing well and enjoying the blessings you've been given as well.

Tag! I'm it! Wait, I'm it?

I've been tagged for Christmas...so now my idea of posting a wish list doesn't sound so silly when I've been tagged to do it by a friend. All I want for Christmas...not a lot really.

#1. To see our family. Half of this wish will come true when we go to Texas for Christmas this year. I just hope I don't have to wait until next Christmas to see the other half. I realized last night that none of our family, except Scott and Melissa & co. have seen Adam since he was blessed back in May. They're going to think he's a giant! We miss our families and love them so much.

#2. To see our friends. I don't mean our TN friends, we see you guys, so that makes me happy. But I'm referring to our Utah friends and California friends (most don't live in those places anymore). Remembering Christmases past I'm forced to realize how vivid and unstoppable change is. While we can't stop time, I'm so grateful for the past and look forward to a bright future. Friends, you are missed.

#3. A wheat grinder. Brian and I followed the prophet's advice and bought wheat...and want to use, but don't have a wheat grinder. So, Merry Christmas to us, this is what we're getting each other. We're so happy! Bring on the wheat bread!

#4. A pastry blender. Yes, seriously, I don't have one. It's kinda silly to watch us try to make pie crusts or biscuits with forks or knives. Just don't get Brian and I trying to do it together...we might start sword fighting...or fork fighting.

#5. A baby food grinder. Scott and Melissa are letting us try theirs out and it's great! Adam loves pasta...only, well, not so much on the chicken alfredo (I think he didn't like the garlic and other spices). Now he gets plain noodles mixed with cereal, veggies, or whatever I can think to throw in. And yes, I'm a nut and make my baby's food. It's cheaper!

#6. A camera. Just a wish, don't think it will happen any time soon. Our old clunker is doing alright...but as we can't get the pictures downloaded to the computer, feelings of compassion for it are a bit sparse at the moment.

#7. A rug. Yeah, our front room has hard wood floors and a rug would just make the room. Really, it would, I think. Plus, it would make it softer when Adam tips over and smacks his head on the floor.

#8. A date with my hubby. Seriously, I'd love it. But it has to be a date with him, and just him. I love my little boy, but every once and a while, Mom and Dad need to catch up. I think I'll take up the offer of a few sisters out here from our church. We need a night out. Talk about romantic! Even if we hide in our yard barn and make Christmas presents...ok, maybe not.

#9. A closer temple. We are 4.5-6 hours away from 6 different temples. Raleigh (NC), Nashville (TN), Columbia (SC), Louisville (KY), Atlanta (GA), and Washington, DC. We were blessed to go to the Raleigh temple a few months ago when Scott and Melissa watched Adam for us, since they live close by. It was glorious! I think it's the best date we've been on! I wish we had one closer so that we could go more often. I think we'll have to take some friends of ours and go on a temple trip and do a baby swap so we can go. The temple is so wonderful and such a blessing!

#10. A ball. For Adam. We only have this old kick ball from my single days. It has a leak somewhere and is always flat. Don't worry, we washed it before we let Adam play with it. We love the simplicity of children in the fact that they love simple things...like cardboard boxes. Good thing we have lots of them.

When was the last time you went "Wahoo!?"

Quite honestly...Monday night was the last time I went "Wahoo!" We finally got the internet! Hallelujah! Now I can update the blog and check email...at home! It's just wonderful. And since Adam is finally taking a nap, I'm enjoying a chance to update.

Adam is...well, he is just adorable. It appears that tooth #8 will soon be making it's debut into the world. Adam is crawling all over the house and standing up on everything. He's starting to cruise a little bit, grabbing onto chairs and then stepping so carefully to get closer. It's rather cute. Adam is also fascinated with our fireplace--BAD idea. He usually hears "Adam! NO!" and then gets pulled away. He always goes right back and plays with the metal screen. Constant Viligence! Adam also loves to pull every single DVD off the shelf and then crawl over them after chewing on them a while. He's really cute about it. Adam is also kneeling now and does well balancing. I'd put pictures up, but our camera is a doof, and the computer won't read the card and we can't find the cord at the moment. It's probably under Adam's bed...maybe I should check there. Adam is obsessed with cords and wires. That and shoe laces. Silly boy. I'll get pictures up as soon as we figure it out. Maybe Santa will bring us a new one...we'll see...Santa's on a tight budget. While TN has a low cost of living, living is still expensive. And you all thought Santa lived at the North Pole.

Well, I best be off, preparing the treats for Brian's work buddies. And getting Christmas cards and such. And the laundry...this really is a busy time of year. But we're so excited! And...Adam gets to see Grandma and Grandpa Daniels in 10 days! He's so excited! Maybe that is why he hasn't been sleep well. Anyways, hoping your holiday preparations are going well. Happy Holidays everyone!