Happy New Year...

...a little late. But I hope all of you are enjoying the first days of a brand new decade.

Dave & I recently sat down to do our 2009 Year In Review. Here are the highlights in chronological order:

1. Housing Solutions Manager
Last January, I was promoted at work. I now manage a dept & NHS' housing counseling activities (including the Foreclosure Prevention Program). It's been interesting, challenging & really stressful, but very rewarding.

2. Family Ambassadors for the Special Olympics World Winter Games
In February, we served as ambassadors to a floor hockey athlete & his family from AZ. Seeing the events & being with the people was truly inspiring.

3. Dave Jones, Camp Speaker
In March, Dave was the speaker for the ABYC Junior/Senior High Winter Camp at Cathedral Pines. I grew up at that camp, but hadn't been up there in 10 years. It was amazing to enjoy God's creation, hear Dave share & connect with the youth.

4. NCAA Tournament
Also in March, we attended 2 full days of 1st & 2nd round games of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. We got a sitter, biked to BSU's campus & watched over 14 hours of great ball. Love it!

5. Growing the Family
Handsome little Riley Cash Jones was born in May, to Dave's brother RC & wife Jessica. And in June, the Jones family welcomed Ezra Miller into the fold, as Dave's younger sister Jessica got married!

6. Bend
One of Dave's favorite 2009 memories is of driving out of our subdivision in July, thinking we were headed downtown for a surprise dinner - only to find out that we were headed to Bend for the whole weekend. It was an amazing getaway, and included one of our most challenging but beautifully redemptive moments when we finally broke through our difficult cycle. And then we danced.

7. Noah's Second Birthday
July 26 was a wonderful celebration of another wonderful year with our special boy. We have so enjoyed hearing him develop his own voice, and always delight in watching our families enjoy him. He's growing so fast!

8. Marley & Lucy
We lost our beloved Marley in September, and brought home Lucy in October. We miss Mars every day, and enjoy watching Noah & Lucy grow up together.

9. Hood Reunion
In October, I escaped to Maryland for a long weekend retreat with 7 of my closest college girlfriends. 4 days of fabulous food, conversation & company = heaven.

10. Noah's 1st Train Ride
Dave & I had such fun taking Noah on the Pumpkin Liner up the Payette River in October!

11. Returning to Long Beach
In October & November, Dave got to spend 2 weekends catching up with folks & rekindling close friendships formed when we lived in CA almost 10 years ago.

12. Washed Anew
Dave had the incredible experience of baptizing his parents in November.

13. Sun Valley
In December, Dave & I got away for a pre-holiday weekend in Sun Valley. We slept in, devoured the breathtaking brunch at the Lodge, ice skated, attended the tree lighting festival, and enjoyed a dinner visit by the Sun Valley Carolers & Santa Claus. It was a magical time!

14. Christmas with Noah
We loved watching him marvel at the lights, sounds & joys of the season.

Here's wishing you a 2010 as full of joy as last year was for us.

Happy New Year!

Christmas!

We had a great Christmas with our families. So great, that I forgot to take pictures!

This was Noah's 3rd Christmas, and he really got it this year. We had so much fun decorating our house (inside & out), because he was so excited about it all. He especially loved "Daddy's house lights", the "tree lights", and my Nutcrackers & music boxes.

We started new traditions this year: attending a live nativity & driving around to look at Christmas lights (we did this one often!)

Noah loved the music of the season. His favorite CD is still the Chipmunks Christmas, and the 1st song he learned to sing was Frosty the Snowman. Since then, he's amassed quite a collection that he sings on a regular basis: Holly Jolly Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Jingle Bells, Joy to the World & Deck the Halls. One of my favorite memories is hearing him sing while playing, riding in the car or going to sleep.

This year we were blessed by quality time with some of our favorite people: Noah's grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins. It is such a joy for Dave & I to watch them enjoy Noah, and vice versa. He brings out the kid, and the best, in all of us.

Here are a few pictures of him from Christmas day: playing, opening presents & opening other people's presents...

Christmas Cookie Contest

Every year since I was little, my family made & decorated sugar cookies at Christmastime. As we got older, they got more elaborate. A few years ago, the 'kids' started a new tradition: The Cookie Decorating Contest. Each of us submits entries & Grandma is the judge. We have a great time & make some pretty cool (& interesting) cookies!

This year, Noah decided to get in on the cookie action. He had a great time using the sprinkles & pushing red hots into the cookies! (His very 1st cookie is on the bottom right.)

The entries.
(Emily: tree on L & candy cane; Dave: yellow "Star Bear"; Noah: tree on R & snowman; Mike: stocking & woodland scene, complete with 3D tree & rabbit; Heather: stomach & fish).

Grand Prize: Heather's fish. "Cutest": Noah's snowman.

Mommy Daddy's Bed

(Dec 13) Noah loves playing in our bed.

We've come up with all sorts of games:

"nap" (pretending like you're asleep for a matter of seconds)
"haboos" (running from the guest room & being thrown onto the bed)
"shaboos" (being thrown around while on the bed)
& "wallers" (a silly, frantic sort of squirming)

He loves it!

Little Nakeds, Part VII

My tough little dude on December 12, over a week after his first major injury.
(We moved the furniture to accommodate the Christmas tree & put the sofa table right in the middle of Noah's running path...ouch. He went full speed into the corner of that thing - boy, do head wounds bleed! But he was brave, and even got a milkshake from Sonic after getting glued back together at urgent care. He hasn't seemed to notice it since!)

Winter Morning Reading

(Dec. 4) My little reader, enjoying a sunny morning & his Christmas tree.
A happy little guy (despite the bandaid on his head...)

A Boy & His Dog

(December 1)

(December 1)

Helping Daddy put up the tree...

Our big boy.
I almost can't get over how long his legs are! Goodness, he is growing.

O Christmas Tree

On Thanksgiving weekend, we decided to take another stab at cutting a tree from the forest.

(Don't even ask about the last time, when Noah was 5 mos. old & we went to the Boise Nat'l Forest. We didn't even make it home with a tree, but we sure were glad to make it home. At all.)

We went with my folks, sister, brother-in-law & niece. All went smoothly until the road iced over & we had to turn around. Then Noah melted down because he felt left behind by the group & was overheating quickly (yeah, so maybe he didn't need 4 layers on a sunny day). Dave & I subsequently melted down (and swore, and yelled at each other. And maybe swore again. Yikes!) Lucy ran happily into the middle of the road.

It wasn't our finest hour, but it was worth it. We emerged with a happier boy (full of red licorice) & a beautiful tree (that is still standing, in all its grandeur, in our living room). Here's to another trip next year!

Playing happily, thanks to Daddy, YaYa, cousin Emmie & Lucy

A fine group with fine trees!

Little Nakeds, Part VI

After haircut #2 on November 21!