Until next year

Merry Christmas from our family. See you in 2011.

She's cool like that

This little girl sat on Santa's lap like it was no big thing. Sure she looked at him like, who is this guy? But when I called her name for a picture, I got her classic look. Isn't she sweet?

We celebrated St. Nick's on December 5. We each got a new ornament from Santa in our stockings.

The opening of her first present. She preferred to gum it, no teeth yet, pretty impressive.

We headed down to Salt Lake to see the tree at Gateway and the lights at Temple Square. Amelia's favorite was the water show. But I'm pretty sure she loved it all, considering she's looking at anything but the camera in every picture we took that night.

Amele is 9 months now. She weighs 18 lbs and 6 oz. She is 29 inches. She is getting her knees up, she kind of rocks on her knees and elbows. Ha ha, she may be going for a low crawl. She also bounces her bum to music, any music. My phone plays the theme from How I Met Your Mother (naturally) whenever I get a text. She dances to it every time. And as I speak she is pulling all her toys and books off the bottom shelf. She's not a baby anymore.

We love you Amelia.

Our Big News

Juan has been offered a job.

We have accepted.

We will be building our post-student life in the same state that Juan's dad grew up.

It is a 21 hour drive from Utah.

We will know 2 couple friends in the area, and a dear friend from freshman year that lives 4 hours away. That makes 5 people. Total.

It is currently 60 degrees there, in December.

That's all I've got. I know nothing about this place, but I know it's right for us. 

Oh wait, I do know one more thing.

The stars at night...

Apparently they're Big and Bright.

Clap clap clap clap

Deep in the Heart of Texas!

Juan has accepted a job with Dell right outside of Austin, Texas. 

After much prayer and research, we will be headed there September 2011.

So I've got 9 months to soak up my dear Utah. This holiday season is quite special knowing it's the last I'm here for all of my childhood traditions.

I'm thrilled. I'm scared. I'm SUPER excited actually. And most of all, I'm grateful that we have a job come graduation. What a blessing.

Please share any Austin, Texas tidbits with me in the comments. And I mean ANY.

Our Thanksgiving

Amelia's first Thanksgiving was spent at my parent's house (upstairs) with just 11 of us total. Smallest Thanksgiving I've attended in years. Juan and Amelia helped me make the Sweet Potatoes which let me tell you, I don't usually like, but I woke up from my after-turkey nap craving those Sweet Potatoes. Yum.

In the kitchen, helping me cook.

Our Thanksgiving table picture, with my mom's beautiful tree in the background.

 She knows how to do the actions to the whole Patty-Cake song now. She claps, rolls, and throws. She was doing it with us all day, but when I went that night to get it on video, I got this face:

Not a chance, mom.

 She does not do the actions with us often. She sometimes will skip to throwing, and does that action the whole song. Yesterday my mom was trying a few times to get her to clap and roll. She would not cooperate, and then later when I was changing her diaper with just the 2 of us, she did all 3 actions in perfect timing with the song. She likes to prove she can do things, just not in front of others.

And this is her season, folks.

 Doesn't she just look like she belongs in Who-ville? Knocking on Cindy Lou Who's door asking if she can come out to play? 

Happy Holidays!