Overdue

A new entry is long overdue! So here are a few pictures and updates from our family. :)

Before Christmas, we went to an event held at a local LDS chapel. It involved a display of nativity sets from around the world and some other exhibits. Apparently the event is done every Christmas season, and I'd never been before. If I remember right, there were over 200 different nativities. It was really cool.

We've learned that Marlo has a new fascination--our fireplace. He's pretty smitten with it when it's on, and we often see him sleeping in funny positions right beside it. We've also seen him sitting next to it when it's not on, just staring at it. I like to think he's trying to figure out how to turn it on, as though he wonders if it's motion sensored like his water fountain or on a timer like his food dispenser.

One of my favorite things about Christmas is sitting in our living room with the gentle glow of lights from the Christmas tree. I love this picture of Marlo, too.

I actually finished our advent calendar just in time to use it this year--on December 1st. It was a fun project and it reminds me a lot of the happy memories I had at Christmastime when I was a child.

Here's the calendar with the countdown completed. I'm pretty proud of it. It took a lot of work!

We had a fantastic Christmas this year. It was fun to touch base with our families and share in the joy of the day. We were also excited to announce some joy of our own that day. We shared news with our families that, after a long wait, we are expecting a baby this summer!

We went to Chocolate Fest with Bd's family this January in downtown Portland. Various chocolatiers were present and handing out samples of their delectable treats. It was especially entertaining to watch Malia as she tried candy she liked and some she didn't.



We also went with Bd's family to the annual cat show. It was quite a unique experience. But we got to see some really neat cats. This one was Robert's favorite. We also saw the cat who held the Guinness World Record for the longest cat. He was huge. Sadly, we learned shortly after the cat show that Stewie had died of cancer.



The "coolest cats" at the cat show. Ha!

Next up was Damon's birthday party. I love that boy. He smiles and laughs so easily. He's one of those people who always seems to be happy to have us around. Happy birthday, little friend!

This was a blanket I made for a new nephew, Dallin. So far, I've completed 23 baby blankets. I'm pretty proud of that.

 I'm working on another baby blanket for a nephew due to be born this spring. And then I get to work on a blanket for our baby. We've just learned that our baby is a girl! We're very grateful and excited!