Reader's Digest Version of November-December

:: The first heavy snow storm of the year took a toll our tree in the front yard.  I'm deep in mourning because I doubt it will survive the winter and it's gorgeous in the spring.

:: Robb presented at the American Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics conference in San Diego. Robb's thoughts on the experience: "It was like going to the most boring science/math class you've ever had, taught by that foreign guy you can't understand, in 10 minute increments, all day long, for 3 days straight, with some genuinely interesting/awe-inspiring presentations mixed throughout. Needless to say, I spent a modest amount of time ditching out on lectures and walking around San Diego. I got to tour the USS Midway and eat in Little Italy and at Kansas City BBQ (the place in Top Gun where Goose plays 'Great Balls of Fire' on the piano and Tom Cruise dances with that blond lady at the end of the movie). If you watch the scene with 'Great Balls of Fire', we sat and ate just outside the window in the background."

Colby and I both had our own ways of expressing how much we missed him:

:: Our little man turned a year old on November 19th.  He was spoiled by grandparents on both sides (although he didn't seem interested in investigating what lay beneath all the brightly colored papers and bows), politely consumed his birthday cake in crumb sized bites, loved his new books and toys, and didn't seem to mind that his birthday celebration was two days late so Robb could attend.  Best. year. ever.

:: We celebrated Thanksgiving in Morgan at my sister-in-law, Heather's, house.  All of Robb's immediate family were there and we had an amazing time.  Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the food because I was more interested in eating than documenting at that point.  We brought pumpkin pie, shrimp salad (a Hays' family favorite), and green bean casserole.  It all turned out great except for the green beans, for some reason they tasted like dirt.  I chose to blame the recipe rather than my culinary skills.

(This picture makes me happy.  I caught Natalie giving kisses to each of her brothers, she's such a sweet girl)

:: Robb's parents took us out to eat at Red Robin.  Colby used crayons for the first time and successfully drew for two minutes before trying to eat them.

:: I turned 25 on December 2nd.  I'm old now (I have two gray hairs and a one year old to prove it).  Robb took us to a little place called Station 22 for lunch (really good food) and that night we got our Christmas tree!

I'm so excited to watch Colby discover the magic and wonder of this season

Perfect birthday.

(Notice there aren't 25 candles, Robb forgot to buy more, so he wrote out 25 in Roman numerals: XXV...I love him so much)

:: I also celebrated a ten year anniversary with my faithful Ford Taurus.  We've been through a lot together.  There are tire marks in the side door from the summer my bike was crammed inside while I volunteered in Ecuador, a giant skid mark in the front from where I hit a basketball hoop, and a large dent in the fender from when we got hit by a bicyclist.  The windows won't always roll up and the windshield wipers don't always work, but she keeps rolling on and that's all I really need.

:: Colby tried spinach for the first time and loved it

:: And icy cold wind makes him giggle and stick out his tongue
:: 12/12/12

01.  French vanilla granola
02.  Learning to de-clutter the tree
03.  Facetime with Grandma Rigby
04.  Jillian Michaels is not my friend
05.  Planning the menu
06.  Leftovers
07.  De-cluttering my purse
08.  Baked potatoes and Chili
09.  Bath toys
10.  Not as snugly anymore
11.  Late night (but finals are done!)
12.  Radiant

:: Organized the junk drawer (it's kind of sad how happy this makes me)

:: French Baguette candles from Bath and Body Works legitimately smell like fresh baked bread

:: Made Peppermint White Hot Chocolate for the first time and it's probably the most amazing thing I ever tasted out of a cup.

And the world didn't end, so all is merry and bright.

12 on 12 in November

01.  An unfortunately brisk start to my morning
02.  Wardrobe
03.  Going down
04.  Lemon slices make everything better
05.  Snow day
06.  Black bean and corn quesadillas
07.  Loving the 20 minute power nap
08.  Dirty floors
09.  Awkward sleeping positions
10.  So glad when Daddy gets home
11.  Chicken orzo with red bell pepper and mushrooms
12.  A perfect ending

Halloween

It took us awhile to get into the spirit of Halloween this year (as in we carved our pumpkin on the 30th), but it did happen and that's what counts, right?  Robb and I scooped out and carved the pumpkin while Colby played with the guts.  Once he moved from playing to chucking, we demoted him to observation status.  Much, much later (after we managed to get our little guy clean and in bed) Jack was complete and we rounded the night off with Pumpkin Cheesecake (thanks again, Erin!) and crispy pumpkin seeds.

Colby, the Dragon.  Hear him roar!

 Now he's actually crawling I have a limited time to get a picture before he runs me over :)

So Colby's costume is pretty obvious, but no one really knew what Robb and I dressed up as.  I blame Robb.  I wanted to go the safe Princess/Knight route, but Robb thought it was too predictable.  So we're scorched peasants :)

 Unexplainable costumes and all, it was an amazing Halloween 

11 Months

:: Weight: 20lbs

:: He's legitimately crawling now (unless he needs to get somewhere fast, then he reverts to his old arm-crawling ways)  

:: Can pull himself up onto his knees (meaning a whole bunch of previously safe objects are now up for grabs)
:: Loves to open and close the cupboards (or anything with a hinge) and is fascinated by the vacuum

:: Favorite game is peekaboo or riding on Robb's shoulders

:: Loves hanging out with a little girl who lives downstairs

:: No new teeth 

:: Mastering the art of feeding himself.  When bored, he livens the meal up by throwing a portion to the ground

:: Little things he still does that make me happy: does a victory roll (rolling onto the back with the object in hand) whenever he reaches something he's after; curls up in a ball with his blanket before going to sleep; snorts and squeaks when he gets excited; watches strangers in the grocery store, just waiting for them to smile at him; uses his feet as a second pair of hands...

I love his little quirks.

12 on 12 in October

01. Breakfast: Cheerios (after they went to a happy place)
02. Make-up thief
03. A never-ending cycle
04. Rainy day
05. Witness to a good Samaritan
06. Winco
07. Lunch: Turkey Caesar wrap
08. Best toys are free
09. Date night with my boys
10. Dinner: Chicken Scampi at Olive Garden (woot for gift cards)
11. Squeaky clean
12. Sweet snuggles before bed

Grateful, eh?

My parents are almost making Utah trips for General Conference a tradition (and I love it)!

Our first bit of fun was a Friday night football game (BYU vs. Utah State).  Originally my parents were stuck behind a group of crazy Aggie fans (not that I blame them, when you're a minority you have to be loud to be heard), but after the first quarter we found them a spot in front of us.  Final score: 6-3.   

Saturday afternoon was Canadian Thanksgiving (observed) with the Nielsons!  The food was amazing.  Unfortunately, I didn't get nearly as many pictures as I wanted.  I put Colby down for a nap in an adjoining room and didn't hear him wake up until the quiet that proceeds blessing the food.  At that point he was nearly hysterical (mother of the year award goes to me) and I spent the rest of the dinner trying to make amends. 

Sunday morning Conference session

Followed by family pictures...

I think they're making fun of me in this picture, but it's cute anyway :)

I love us.

Lately

What we're up to nowadays:

:: I finished a craft project that's been on my to-do list for almost a year (the empty picture frame sat on our shelf the whole time...an unsuccessful attempt to motivate myself).  Each heart is a map of a significant place for us and it makes me happy every time I look at it. 

:: Robb had two interviews after BYU's career fair.  We won't hear back for awhile (these are just first round interviews), but suddenly graduation doesn't seem that far away and we're weighing the benefits of one location over another.

:: Colby experienced bubbles for the first time and we're all big fans

:: Dermatologist appointments this month.  I'm now missing a chunk out of my leg and Robb has a burn on his nose, but woot for being cancer free!  

:: Robb and I went to the BYU vs. Hawaii football game for date night, it was a complete shut-out, final score 47-0.  Usually we have company (Robb's brother and his best friend have season passes with us), but we were alone this time and it was fun to be somewhere just the two of us.

:: Robb is learning to play Hushabye Mountain on the guitar and I melt a little every time he sings to our boy

:: And Sunday night we broke out a board game and had an intense battle complete with Lord of the Rings playlist (to make everything feel more epic).

Nothing huge, but still, life is good.

9 and 10 months

:: Weight: 19lbs. 12oz, 45%

:: Length: 29in., 75%

:: Head: 18in., 60%

 :: This kid is sleeping through the night (it involved four or five nights of crying himself to sleep and one episode where his leg got caught in the bars of his crib, but now we are getting 8 consecutive hours of sleep...and his crib has bumpers).

:: Uses a mixture of army-crawling (when he's highly motivated) and rolling to get around

:: Has two teeth 

:: Eats the same thing we're having for dinner, only in puree form

:: Attended his first BYU football game (BYU vs. Weber, final score 45-13)

:: Loves to dance, especially if there's a strong beat ("Another One Bites the Dust" is a favorite)

:: Favorite toys: the remote, our phones, pens, Wii controllers, my water bottle (basically anything that isn't his)
:: Finds random things funny (today I found him sitting in the corner cracking up while staring at my dry erase board)

:: His favorite seat in the house

:: Can stand for a minute or two before toppling over (for some reason he finds being on his feet hilarious)

Robb and I both agree this is the best age yet