January, continued

Moving along, the last third of the month was packed, as usual. We kept busy trying to sort through our things to decide what would be going to Japan, or staying, or getting donated. Looking back, I think this is the time when our sleep deprivation began. We still have not caught up. We still made time for fun though.

21 Jan: Mischief's new play place. Evan loved it equally as well. I'm just happy Mischief actually stayed in one place long enough for me to take a picture of her. It must have been cozy in there.


22 Jan: Good to the last drop. 'Nuff said.


23 Jan: Playdate! Our dear friends Jackie, Brad, and Molly moved into a new house, and we went over for awhile to help them get settled. Molly was excited to show Evan her new digs.


24 Jan: Like son, like father. Dave hops on the bib trend at Joe's Crab Shack. Evan was pretty tickled that Daddy had to wear a bib too.


25 Jan: Emery's new ride. Evan was quite impressed. A race ensued. Evan and his car won.


26 Jan: Emery's first shower. I'm not sure she's all that clear on how she feels about showers, but she seemed relatively happy to see it through.


27 Jan: Just a normal evening in, with Dave actually looking happy to make dinner. Or maybe he was just making nice for the camera. :)


28 Jan: Our car ride out to California. Evan kept himself fairly amused by the various construction equipment and vehicles along the way, and Emery...well, we prefer to forget that chapter in her life. Suffice it to say Emery and car seats don't much agree. I love this picture of Evan though, love his big brown eyes.


29 Jan: I love, love, love this series of pictures and it was really hard to choose just one. The lighting and the setting was perfect for some late afternoon kite-flying. It was Evan's first time flying a kite, and he was utterly fascinated. Dave mentioned in passing that maybe we'd have to get Evan a kite when we got back to Phoenix, and that's all Evan could talk about the rest of the weekend.


30 Jan: Cousins! Motivated by our likely upcoming move to Japan, I got in touch with Kristin when we were out in California. She and her boyfriend Dan were kind enough to meet us all for lunch on Sunday, after her birthday party/go-kart adventure the night before. Of course I forgot my camera that day, but Amy's cell phone to the rescue!


31 Jan: Evan was dying to have Landon show him how to play the piano. Finally we were able to sneak a little time in tickling the ivories before Landon went to school and we drove back to Arizona. Evan was quite impressed.

January

11 Jan: Evan's Eye View: Peeking through the blinds, watching cars drive down our street.

12 Jan: Dave, starting Evan's love for motor sports early.

13 Jan: Every month we have a pot luck at work. Here's my effort to make a pomegranate-blueberry cake. It was a little dry, but good with milk.

14 Jan: Evan and Emery, with Hartington and Sheffield, their Stuffington Bear Factory bears from Granny. Thanks, Granny, we love them!

15 Jan: Up in Prescott Valley, at my friend Amy's baby shower. What a beautiful day surrounded by friends!

16 Jan: Evan - the picture of fascination. The City of Phoenix had to replace a water pipe in our front yard, and the comings and goings of the digger and dump truck kept us all enthralled for hours. There's nothing like free entertainment!

17 Jan: PJ time with Granny, the night before she left to go back to Delaware.

18 Jan: Evan showing Mommy just the right way to play with his parking garage.

19 Jan: Big girl, sitting up by herself, two days shy of 5 months old.

20 Jan: Snuggling in Evan's new Big Boy Bed. He took to it right away, and was so proud of himself.

A Fresh Start

A new year, a new project, a (soon to be) new start in Japan. I think this calls for a resurrection of our blog. Let's see if I'm any better at it this time around.

As ever, I do not have the ability to simplify my life. In the midst of planning for a move, I also decided to start two year-long projects. Both have turned out splendidly so far. For one, I got a calendar and now nightly write a little note about what Emery and Evan did that day. I'm interested in chronicling all the little details that are so cute at the time but that get so quickly forgotten. Two, just like my cousin Peg, I am also taking a picture daily. I am actually shocked that (knock on wood) I have not yet forgotten to take a picture. Call me narcissistic, but I'm immensely enjoying this tracking of the daily minutia of our lives. My goal for this blog is to, if nothing else, post the daily pictures. So here goes:

1 Jan: Enjoying the warm Arizona winter, outside planting with Daddy.

2 Jan: Emery's sweet little toes

3 Jan: One last look at our Christmas tree...we started un-decorating it the next day, and it was recycled by the weekend.

4 Jan: "Ooooh, donut!"

5 Jan: Emery, enjoying her tummy time

6 Jan: A look at our family heirloom Christening gown. My Gramma's mother made it, Gramma and all her brothers and sisters wore it, my dad and aunt and uncles wore it, numerous cousins have worn it, Evan wore it, and now it's Emery's turn. I love tradition!

7 Jan: My little boy, trying to fill Daddy's big shoes.

8 Jan: Time to take down the Christmas lights! Evan had a ball climbing the ladder, and felt ever so important helping Daddy.

9 Jan: Happy Baptism, Emery! At First United Methodist Church

10 Jan: Still hanging on to the Christmas spirit: our Christmas card wall