Good Tidings!

A Merry Christmas to all!

We, not unlike every other American have been uber busy this month. Finding time to Celebrate with family, visiting family and friends, hosting, planning parties and the like.

I've been trying a new experiment on magazines that try and simplify your life. Actually DOING the advice instead of reading and saying "Hmm. that's a good idea." and forgetting it two seconds later only to return to the cluttered, confused, notoriously scrambling, late, flying by the seat of your pants style. One area I have been focusing on is the food. (surprising I know) Making meals for 5-6 people, even though it's just Sky and I and freezing the rest in portions. It's really great when you're tired or too busy and you cant stand the thought of eating another greasy burger or slurping one more milkshake tummy-ache combo.

I have also taken a liking to making my own baby food for Hayleyroo. I know the kind in the jar is fine, but wow it adds up! So typically a couple times a month I buy extra squash or sweet potatoes, carrots, fruits like pears, bananas and go to work. I find it especially easy to do it while getting dinner done too. The oven is already on, or the pasta water is already hot, making baby food a breeze.

This Christmas has been wonderful so far. I truly enjoy my calling at church and was able to plan the food and help set up for a fantastic Adult Holiday dinner. Which turned out great, excellent ham, tons of talented people singing and sharing musical goodness. Beautiful cheerily decorated tables and a lovely almond cake for dessert.

Skyler and I are lucky enough to be able to celebrate Christmas four times this year! We had my family come and visit last week which was great! We chatted, ate homemade peppermint white choc. cookies, choc. peanut pinwheels, peanut butter choc. balls, and dipped marshmallows. Then Saturday we ventured down to the Willamette waterfront to check out the famous Saturday market and eat lunch at the carts.

This weekend we traveled West to see Skyler's family which hasn't been all together in years. A full house, lots of kids and great food. Exchanging gifts by the tree, listening to stories of years past, rounds of Domino's accompanied by convincing stories of caramel corn made in the bath tub.

This week I'm pretty excited to celebrate with Skyler and Hayley for her first time. This year we decided we had an extra 4x4ft in the living room and got a tree! I've been filled with child-like thrill to have our first very own tree to decorate and leave gifts to friends and family under.

Even with all the Christmas parties and gatherings, the strains of life don't disappear for the latter part of December. Work schedules, and whatnot still needing attention. So we are back out to the Coast for the 24 & 25th for one last Cheers.

Till New Years!

Felting a Forest

Happy Fall!

Each month usually the 15-20th, my brain reminds me to blog. I have no idea why at that time it deems necessary to remind me to fill anyone in, who's reading, in on our previous month full of adventures or daily deeds.

Skyler took the liberty last month, as each day got crammed full and I passed up blogging.

So, I figured I would share a taste of what I have been doing. Lately I have been in a creative stitch, producing and creating more ideas for random things I think and secretly hope Hayley will like.

This past week we finally set up Hayley's big crib. (She's been in a bassinet) Since we moved shortly after she was born...I had a little more on my plate during the moving process and we lost all the hardware to set up the crib. I had also never set one up before so I really had no idea what we needed. Luckily we figured it out and got it up. The week prior, I decided I really never had that "nesting" chance in our old place to create the whole "nursery" effect. So I set out to the JoAnn's ETC. store and got the makings for crib bumpers.

Some leggings...

At our fall enrichment we were experimenting with crafts out of felted sweaters. I had never heard of this before but I quickly took to it. Since you don't have to hem anything, you can make stuff really easy and pretty quick. My original idea was a small handbag. But then I started seeing some REALLY cute things on other blogs and quickly had a que of things I "needed" to make. So far I've made a snail and an owl. I also crafted a couple of cute winter hats for Hayley.
My last project, which was initially the first one but is taking a bit more hand work is an Advent Calender. Little wool pockets I'm decorating with stitched drums, snowflakes, trees and other Christmas type things. All to be hung by ribbons with clips on a string. I cant wait to fill each pocket with surprises for Hayley (and Sky)

Cute summer dress for next year, made from an old men's collared shirt.

While stockpiling baby food jars for assorted holiday candle holders to come, this concludes my crafting so far, not to mention the couch pillow covers I haven't started on. Oh yeah, I love making Challah :)

Pics and Hayley Update

Hello Everybody,

It has been a ridiculously busy couple of months. In addition to all the usual things we have going on we have been out to the coast, to Chelsea's parents house in Seattle to celebrate a birthday and Chelsea has been up to her grandparents house in Port Angeles.

Hayley is growing up- she turned 6 months old last Friday (Oct. 23) and we celebrated by going out to dinner for her and staying at the hotel that Chelsea works out. It was a really fun time. The next day, we went to a Halloween party and Hayley got all dressed up in her beaver costume. Don't read too far into the choice of costume- it was a hand-me-down from Hayley's cousin Milena but it is working great.

After a couple tough days last week we went to the doctor and Hayley was diagnosed with her first ear infection. We were able to get some medicine for her quickly and she was back in almost no time to her usual up-beat and energetic self. Thank goodness for the marvels of modern medicine.

Anyways, here's some pictures.Hayley and Chelsea at our hotel...

While at the coast, we were able to see a show with the band Blind Pilot... It was a really good show and we're glad we got to go. Thanks to grandma for babysitting.

Camping!

Wrapping up another great summer, we've done our best to enjoy the superb weather as much as possible, have as much fun as we can and manage to fit a little work in too.

In the last days of August I made a cake for a friend of ours, for their 2yr old's birthday party. It was a hit! White cake layered with blue buttercream, and a train made of rice crispy treats with cookies for wheels. The kids thought it was so cool.

The first week of September we ventured out into the wilderness at Fort Stevens State Park for our first family camp-out. We couldn't have asked for better weather. Sunny days and mild temperatures were perfect for exploring the old barricades at Battery Russell and lounging on the beach amidst the old Peter Iredale. Hayley got her feet in the sand and stared curiously at the shore while the waves came and went. The whole week prior I was so pumped about our trip I wrote lists, shopped and thoroughly packed to ensure not forgetting anything. Everything went as planned, pancakes and cocoa, smores, dutch oven lasagne and visits from curious animals. We went up to Astoria and took pictures at the historic Column. Even celebrated Skyler's nephew's birthday with some great Mexican food at Josh and Melissa's house.

This month we celebrated our second anniversary with a baseball game at PGE park, some shopping and pizza.

Just last week Hayley and I traveled way up north to Port Angeles to visit my grandparents, Grandma and Grandpa McAnlis. Grandma hasn't been doing so well and I wanted to be sure she had the chance to meet little Hayley. Our visit was very nice, we picked plums, made pasta and spent some much needed time with Grandma and Grandpa.
On our venture, Hayley and I took the Amtrak train together, she is a born traveler. Making for a stress-free trip.

Our latest update on Hayleyroo, we had a Dr. visit last week, she is about 5 mos. now and just over 14lbs. At 80% for her age group, shooting right up at 26.5 in. following her dad. We are excited to start her on rice cereal in the coming weeks, as she watches us intently when we eat and seems to grab at our food, and pretty much everything. She is now rolling over pretty well and starting to pump her little leggy's. Not moving anywhere but sure trying hard to figure the crawling thing out.

Summer Fun

Summer has brought on all new meanings for our new family of three. So far we've battled the ocean, survived the Rose Garden Arena, braved a plane ride to Utah, and are looking anxiously forward to a camping trip with Hayleyroo.

A few weeks ago we were able to visit Utah for Skyler's cousin Katie and Riley's wedding. We had so much fun! The ceremony was at the Salt Lake Temple, which until now I had only been on the outside. Wow, I now know why it took the saints so long to build it. Beautiful.

While in Ogden.. We also were treated to a tour of the Hostess plant! We couldn't take any pictures, but it was pretty awesome! Hundreds of loaves of Wonder bread zipping around above your head, watching tons of tiny donuts get fried and flipped and tossed in that so beloved powdered sugar, coconut or just pumped full of jelly. They were also making the chocolate 100 cal. packs, which was cool. Each mini cake frosted and put in the pack by hand... I think I am strangely attracted to factories. Thanks Jodee!

To celebrate our birthday's Sky and I thought it would be fun to visit the Lagoon Amusement park! We were quickly joined by Sky's sisters for a great day of water park rides and really fast roller coasters.

Each Thursday this summer we have been going out to the Elementary school nearby and playing Frisbee with ward members. It's been a great summer tradition through the heat spells and the freak rain storms!

As for the Hayley update, now 4 months old. She LOVES singing "The Wise Man built his house.."song. Laughing, giggling and shrieking with excitement the whole time. Just recently she decided to hold her own bottle! Still getting a feel for how to get it into her mouth but enjoys getting her lil hands up there. We just moved her bassinet into her own room, hoping to help her sleep better (and us). So far we've had a few 6 hour stretches but still a success. Hayley found her hands awhile ago but in the last few weeks has enjoyed grabbing her feet to suck on them and grabbing at anything in her reach :) She loves to sit on the counter in her Bumbo and watch us cook.