COULDN'T RESIST

I couldn't help it...I HAD to put this picture of CJ up because I think it's so stinkin' cute! He's just chillin' on the couch watching his morning Sesame Street. Melt my heart!

CHRISTMAS NATIVITIES

Each year our stake (the Spokane Stake) displays thousands of nativities from all around the world and offers a Christmas program every night for 5 days during the month of December. It's open to the public and a wonderful way to do missionary work. We went with some friends this weekend and took advantage of the nativity photo op:

Back row (L-R): Paige, Bryce, and CJ; Tyson, Brody, and Heather Dobbs; Becca, Audrey, and Levi Adams; Front row (L-R): Misy and Shay Wells; Abby Adams

ARE THESE A BRIBE?

After a week of playing multiple football games a night, Bryce decided to sweeten Paige up before their date night with a beautiful bouquet of flowers...

It totally worked :)

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LITTLE LIKE CHRISTMAS

The weekend after Thanksgiving, Paige put up the few decorations that we have. No, we don't have a tree, but we're not scrooges...and here's the proof:

Our simple, but sweet, nativity atop favorite Christmas books

Paige's favorite part of the house

Yes, we make people kiss under our mistletoe :)

THANKSGIVING 2008

Due to some last minute changes (i.e. Bryce's finals), we weren't able to go to Utah for Thanksgiving this year like we had been planning. Though we were very sad about not getting to spend time with our families, we really enjoyed the small Thanksgiving that we had here in Spokane with some close friends, the Adams' and the Engar's.

Yes, Paige did the turkey! And it turned out pretty good...

Bryce carving the turkey at the Engar's. As the husband of the woman who made the turkey, the responsibility fell on him...and he did great! :)

Our little family of stripes enjoying dinner at the Engar's

THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED...

It was our night in our babysitting group a couple of weeks ago, and Bryce did a great job of entertaining the little girls. When he wasn't playing the prince coming to wake Sleeping Beauty, he was actually one of the Fairy Godmothers, as seen here. What a great guy...and Tatum and Abby absolutely loved him!

But wait! Isn't there another picture of Bryce that is very similar to this?

Oh yeah! Halloween 2006. Paige was Peter Pan and Bryce was Tinkerbell!

Love it!!

MORE CUTE PICS OF OUR BOY

CJ is going to be a great older brother because he LOVES kids! Here he is with his friends Brody Dobbs and Audrey Adams. They are just the right size for each other!

Bryce took a moment to enjoy CJ's favorite show with him, Sesame Street, before a long day at school. I love my boys!!

WHY CHOOSE WHEN YOU CAN PRETTY MUCH HAVE BOTH?

Bryce forwarded this email to me a few weeks ago:

Life really boils down to 2 questions...
1. Should I get a dog.....?
OR
2. Should I have children?

I thought it was funny.

And then I thought this was pretty funny:

CJ's crib. Yes, those are teeth marks

The corner of one of CJ's books

Another of CJ's books

CJ's nerf football. He went at both ends

He even sleeps like a puppy

Chewing on Daddy's Wii remote (and everything else)

CJ got into the bottom drawer, pulled out the raisins, and proceeded to try to "drink" the raisins. Just like my old dog, Wookie, CJ practically got his face stuck inside trying to get to those raisins!

And this is what we see a lot of lately. Unless he's sleeping, eating, or talking, his tongue is hanging out :)

DEFENDING HIS TITLE

Last Fall we lived in the Spokane 6th ward, and their flag football team took the stake tournament. But this year, we've moved wards - we're now in the Moran Prairie ward - and so we have friends in both wards, and on both football teams. And of course, the championship game came down to those two wards. But due to some skill and some luck, the Moran Prairie ward came out victorious. Way to win it again, Bryce!

Bryce's number one fan! And if you can't tell, part of the "freezing fans" section

CJ and his friend, Audrey Adams. Soon enough he'll be fighting to get in the chair with her :)

Bryce the QB

Bryce and Levi Adams...these two are unstoppable

CJ warming up on Grandpa Greg's shoulders

The Spokane Stake 2008 Flag Football Champions (the Moran Prairie ward): L-R Marshall Hendrickson, Jeremey Stuart, Elder Yansi, Derek Durrant, Bryce, Jeff Freckleton, Colby Engar, Levi Adams, Chris Holland, Buzz Hoopes, Chris Barrus, Rob Gillespie, Elder Beck, Gage Arnold

HALLOWEEN 2008

Our great friends (and neighbors), Becca and Levi Adams, throw a fantastic Halloween party each year, and this year was no exception. Good food, great company, and just a wonderful time! Our little family won "Most Creative" costume, so I guess all of Bryce's brown make-up getting on everything was worth it :)

Can you tell who Bryce is? (hint: his nickname is Dr. J)

Our little referee (you can't tell in this pic, but we even parted and slicked CJ's hair so he'd look more grown-up :)

What better way to cover Paige's pregnant belly than by being a basketball?!

The Mackay's: not quite enough for a basketball team...yet ;)

Some of the party's festivities: including a ghost hunt (which Paige totally went out of her element and put together) and candy fishing for the kids, and a costume contest and pool table for the adults. There were also crafts, music, and a movie for the kids, and a ping pong table and foose ball table for the grown-ups, as well as lots of goodies to eat. Click on the grid to enlarge the images

CJ was so tuckered out from all of the Halloween fun that he didn't even realize he was sleeping with his binkie on his forehead :)

"I'M A MUMMY"

Our ward combined with another ward and had a Halloween Trunk-or-Treat the day before Halloween. Paige spent many hours on CJ's costume, but when we went to put it on him, it wouldn't stretch, so we pretty much had to rip it apart and try to piece it back together after it was on CJ. Even though it was kind of a mess, it worked...except CJ wasn't very happy about the whole process :).

After all the drama of getting the costume actually on CJ, this was the final result...pretty cute

And a mummy has to have crazy hair!

Our first family Trunk-or-Treat (wow, next year we'll have two little monsters! :)

Checkin' out the loot

CJ's FAVORITE THING TO DO:

...eat a sucker and watch Sesame Street :)

KINDER MUSIC

From what I hear, there is a woman in our stake who teaches an amazing kinder-music class...for a pretty penny. But for the rest of us who can't afford something like that right now in our lives, there's a wonderful woman who is in the stake Primary Presidency, and is SO musically talented, who offers her home and her talents once a week for FREE! Isn't that incredible?! So CJ and I attended the super fun class last week for the first time and it was terrific! CJ had such a great time!!

CJ is helping make the "popcorn" (little balls) POP with the parachute...and Abby is helping him. She was so helpful the entire time. What a sweetie!

Now it's dance time! Really, that's a happy face, I promise :)

After singing and dancing and games, the kids got to play with all sorts of musical instruments for the last 15 minutes. Because it was the day before Halloween, the teacher gave out candy too, hence no smile here (CJ has a Skittle in his mouth :)

FINAL HEMATOMA UPDATE

That's right...it's OVER!! When I had my ultrasound on Tuesday, they not only checked the gender of our little one, but they looked for any medical issues with the baby and me, specifically my placenta. The sonographer told me that she had seen my previous ultrasound so she knew how large the hematoma was and where it was located, but that she couldn't see it when she was doing this ultrasound. Unfortunately, nothing is official until the radiologist looks at the ultrasounds, and so I had to wait to hear the final word. And today was the day...the hematoma has finally resolved itself - it's gone! And I can resume life as normal!!

This is been a major trial in our lives and I am so thankful for the power of the Priesthood, the power of prayer, and the love and support of our family and friends. Thank you all!

Oh, and on a side note, Mattie is measuring 6 days early...YES!!

AND WE'RE HAVING A...

those three lines mean it's a

BABY GIRL!