Let the birthday celebrations...begin!

My parents offered to take my brother, Christopher & I (and our spouses) to the Tournament of the Kings at Excalibur for our birthdays. It turned out to be a lot of fun! Paul and I really got into the table banging, 'huzzah' shouting and eating without utensils. We sat in the 'dragon' section and enjoyed cheering for...the villain. (Paul was very good-natured about the inevitable, 'does this make you feel homesick?' teasing).

Afterwards, Paul and I wandered the Excalibur, as we'd never been in it before (we don't like being on the Strip), and the best we could find was the SpongeBob statue to take a picture with...so we did.

It was our last Sunday in Cimarron Ward, which is rough. The hardest part about moving (for me) is getting comfortable in a new ward. We had really enjoyed the strong spirit in the Cimarron Ward and all the friends we'd made, also the opportunity to teach Primary so we could spend all 3 hours of church together.

At our Sunday family dinner mom had a strawberry cake for me and Alec helped blow out the candles. Everyone wanted him to put his hand in and make a mess, but he hates being messy. Kelsey and I put some frosting on him and he did NOT like that.

This brings me to an interesting subject Paul and I have been discussing (in jest) recently and Paul may have won-maybe Alec will be a clean astrophysicist like his daddy, and not 'dig in the dirt' as my mother so elegantly describes my choice. Too bad, I had high hopes of training a little anthropologist/archaeologist like me.

I've also noticed I only seem to take pictures of him in his little blue moose outfit lately...I'll work on that. Maybe it's because it makes his dark blue eyes stand out?

Alec had his 9-month old wellness checkup today (no shots-yay!) and he's now a staggering 20 pounds, 1 ounce and 27 inches long. The doctor was so happy, Alec's back on track, as far as his weight is concerned.

Classes began last week, and the first day was rough (partially because my textbook only arrived at the college 4 days prior- not much time to prepare), but Paul gave me great advice (and held me) afterwards, so Thursday went great and now I'm excited. I start teaching human evolution this week and am unsure exactly how I feel about it, so that should be interesting. Church leaders have all given very different personal viewpoints (McConkie's against it; Widtsoe, Eyring & Talmage all feel it has some merit), I guess I need to figure it out for myself. Any thoughts? Heavenly Father works with nature, not contrary to it and the outline in the Bible follows the fossil record. The more Paul and I use science to understand how Heavenly Father has created a natural order, the more my testimony increases (Paul can better comprehend how planets and galaxies are formed and I can better see species and ecosystems), we don't see science and religion at odds at all. I'm not sure why right-wing christians' hackles are automatically raised at the thought of evolution, but after discussing it with Paul several days now, we both feel the evolution of man definitely has some merits (we agree with the scientists in the Church), I have more specific ideas (since I've been studying it for over 10 years), but would love to hear others' thoughts on the subject. Obviously we don't have all the answers, all general authorities agree that the dating of the earth is better referred to in the POGP where it's explained as 'periods' rather than 'days'; as each one may have taken a different amount of time and radioactive half-life dating allows us to extract a date range from existing material when it was formed into our world of several billion years ago. As to man's spontaneous creation or evolution, we're just curious about opinions.

Everything is going ahead for our move on Thursday. My brother Kevie's been stopping by on his way home from work and carting boxes over for us, which has really helped. Moving down to one room is going to be tricky, but we're working really hard, so it should all fit. We're still concerned about the dogs in my parents' home, so we'll see how this first month goes, then work from there.

2008 Plans...so far...

Well, we were planning to move to Colorado this year and that hasn't changed, but Paul may need to return to England for 2-3 months in order to complete his PhD. So here's our plan so far:

To help us save up money more quickly, my parents have kindly offered for us to live with them, so we'll be moving in at the beginning of February.

I've agreed to an adjunct professor position at the College of Southern Nevada teaching one World Archaeology course. The Tuesday/Thursday morning (8-9.20am) class wouldn't interfere with my mother's job, so she can watch Alec for us two mornings a week and I won't be out of the home long. We will stay at my parents' until the end of the semester, then move to Colorado at the beginning of June. Paul will fly to Birmingham from Denver. Hopefully he'll be done in July or August, then he'll prepare for his first actuary exam that he can take in November or December. We're hoping it all works out, but 'the best laid plans of mice and men'...

In other news, Alec is doing great, the reflux is getting better and he's begun gaining weight-he weighs nearly 18 pounds now! He can pull himself up to stand and 'cruise' around furniture, but he's not too interested in walking unsupported yet. He loves crawling now (since the reflux got better and he can be on his belly) and he's into everything-his favorite pasttime is to tip over the dogs' water bowl and then crawl through it. He loves dancing and will wiggle back and forth when music comes on. Last night he started smiling for the camera-well, scrunching up his nose. It's so funny! This picture of him is his smile.

Alec and Milo have become little buddies (our little boys) and they enjoy playing several games: 'tug' over the dogs' rawhide chips, or Alec will dangle toys for Milo to try and bite or Alec simply crawls all over Milo. Alec actually tends to chase Milo around the house to crawl on him. We are grateful to have two dogs that do so well with our son. I've included a video of Alec and Milo playing tug over a rawhide chip, it always makes me laugh:



Because my parents have two small dogs, training our two puppies even quicker became necessary. (I plan to take them to my aunts' home during the day to play with her boxers. In the evenings they will go for a walk with Paul, then relax with Paul in our room while he works from the laptop.) After reading online recommendations, we decided to get the dogs remote control training collars. The system has one remote and two collars (Innotek Ultra Smart). If the dogs do something naughty we can give them a warning beep sound, then later a shock if they persist. I promise it's not cruel, the dogs just tilt their heads slightly or flatten their ears (it's like the shock you get when you scuff your feet on the carpet, then touch a doorknob). Now they come right away and listen quicker, usually with just the beeping sound. It's made morning walks a lot easier for me! No more barking at other dogs or people who get too close to Alec! I had always planned (in about 2-3 years) to have Maggie take the 'therapy dog' test, so this will really help with her training. Maybe it will even calm Milo down enough to make him a candidate also.

Also, to answer a popular question, we can't plan for another child until we have health care (for Paul & I, Alec is covered). So, it's unlikely we'll begin planning to extend our family until we're a little more settled, possibly later this year.

Happy New Year

On New Year's Eve, Paul and I went out for Buffalo Wild Wings with Christopher & Joleen, Kari & Ben, Kelsey & John and John's brother. Alec's begun teething again, so he was getting fussy, which meant he got to spend the evening with his grandparents. It was nice to have a meal out without trying to keep him entertained. Kevin was supposed to come as well, but thought we were at the other Wild Wings and went there.

Paul had New Year's Day off, so we decided to join Kelsey and Kari & Ben for a hike at Mount Charleston. Hiking is the perfect family day for us. Paul loves the mountains and being outdoors. The dogs and Alec love being outside (as long as we're moving-all 3 get fussy if we stop to rest).


When we got to Mount Charleston it was incredibly crowded and there were cops writing out loads of tickets for the horrible parking jobs. So, we decided to head back down and just happened to find a small side street with an empty parking area. Jackpot! We were able to park easily. We got out and headed off towards the snow...which turned out to be packed down so well it was like trying to walk on ice. This made it difficult for Paul who was trying to be cautious while carrying Alec in the Bjorn. It made it a game for me to try and hold onto the dogs and let them pull me around, without falling over. Kelsey decided to try the 'sled dogs' out and let them drag her around the rest of the time. She loved it and the dogs were so happy to be sniffing pine trees and exploring the outdoors. We plan to harness them to sleds and pull our children around when we move to Colorado.

Alec was so happy with being outside and seeing snow for the first time that he just kept laughing and kicking his legs. He was so cute all bundled up with his hat and mittens. Another family we passed actually took a picture of him. Maybe we should be worried about that...

After about 2 hours in the cold we were ready to go home and have some soup and hot cocoa. The puppies and Alec fell asleep in the backseat on the way home, which signified a successful trip to Paul and I! Fresh air, exercise and time together, what could be better?

Cousin Michael

We were so excited to hear that Paul's brother, Nicholas, his wife, Morgan and their son, Michael were out visiting Morgan's family in California the same weekend we were in California! We were able to visit with them at the airport before they flew home and watch Alec & Michael interact for the first time.

Mikey's just about 5 weeks older than Alec, but he certainly has more hair (my poor, bald baby) and he'll always be taller than Alec so he seemed a lot older. At this age they were mainly interested in poking each other, grabbing each other & blowing raspberries at each other. It was very cute to watch, especially the attempted 'kisses'.

The Great Escape (Artist)

Alec has always been wiggly, but lately he's been trying to escape from everything. Last night he was in a little camouflage outfit, which possibly inspired him. It was so cute to watch him crawl and wiggle across his playmat until he reached the gate. Then he stared out for a while, as if contemplating how to escape, while taking his socks off (another favorite pasttime). We put the gate up to keep the dogs away from his toys, so Maggie gave him some kisses of encouragement. He got stuck on his back between the couch and gate, but didn't let it slow him down, he just rolled over and continued on his way to freedom...






His other favorite place to escape from is the bathtub. He loves splashing and making a mess, then trying to crawl out.

Christmas Tree Hunting

Last night Mom and Dad invited us out to dinner and then to help them pick out their Christmas tree. John and Kelsey, and Kari and Ben were also able to come. Alec didn't enjoy being out in the cold to look at trees, but he sure enjoyed mashed potatoes and looking at trees indoors with his grandpa. Guess he's a Vegas baby so far...

Happy Thanksgiving

We decided to spend Thanksgiving in California with my Grandma Hunter & Aunt Jerri. So, we drove out Wednesday night after Paul got off work (4.30) and arrived around 9.45 pm. We were happy that Alec slept most of the journey, as he hates car rides and screamed most of the time he was awake. Paul and I listened to 'Nicholas Nickelby' on CD, which made the drive go more quickly. When we arrived, Alec was happy to play with Grandma's new kitten, Ralphie. He's used to Maggie and Milo who let him grab their fur and tug, so he tried the same trick on Ralphie... luckily Ralphie was de-clawed. Ralphie retaliated by licking Alec's head.

Thanksgiving morning we watched part of the parade, looked through the Black Friday ads and snitched pieces of turkey from the kitchen while Grandma cooked. After the parade we watched part of the dog show, getting excited when they had a keeshond! Looked just like our Milo, just better behaved. Then, we got to sit down and eat. Paul was excited for his first Thanksgiving in America and Alec's first ever. We put stuffing and turkey in Alec's little 'food net' so he couldn't choke on bits and he loved it!! Kept him busy the whole time we ate.

Friday morning we decided to try out the mall and look for some clothes for Paul while the Black Friday sales were on. It was really crowded, so we lasted only about an hour. Alec loved the Disney store, he kept staring up at all the moving figures with his mouth open. Afterwards we went home so he could nap and just relaxed the rest of the day. The side of Great-Grandma's kitchen sink was the perfect-sized bath tub for Alec and he laughed while getting 'pony rides' on her leg.

Saturday morning we left around 10am and were happy to see little traffic on the freeways. It was a very relaxing and nice Thanksgiving, which was just what we'd wanted!

Happy Birthday, Paul!

We had a fun time celebrating Paul's birthday this past weekend. On Saturday my parents took Alec, so Paul and I could spend the day together. We both wanted something Mediterranean (after hearing a recipe on NPR), so we looked up Greek restaurants on the GPS and had it lead us to the nearest one. I love technology. Afterwards, we went shopping so he could pick out his present, then rented a film he wanted to see.

On Sunday we went to my parents' home for his birthday dinner and cake. Paul loves chocolate, so my mom made him a chocolate cake with powdered sugar on top. I took a video of everyone singing to him (while he made silly faces) and when he blew out the candles, the powdered sugar blew on everyone.

Then on Monday, his actual birthday, I made him a cherry pie (he requested no more chocolate) and we celebrated with Alec-just having Family Home Evening.

Happy 'Beaver-Toothed' Halloween!

Alec enjoyed his first Halloween as a beaver, and all the attention his cute costume brought him. He loves being in his car, so we all took turns pushing him around the house. His first tooth pushed through as well, so it was a busy night! We tried getting pictures of it, but he wasn't having it! (It was his bottom, left incisor).



We held a pumpkin carving party for the family and it was a lot of fun. Kelsey and I spent the day bonding over baking 'tombstone' cupcakes, 'mummy' hot dogs, etc. My parents came, Christopher (my brother) and his wife, Joleen, Kari (my sister) and her boyfriend Ben, Kelsey and John and my cousin Colin and his fiancee, Sarah. Between the large amounts of trick-or-treaters, we all carved pumpkins, decorated sweets and passed Alec around for cuddles.

Sarah, Colin, Kelsey, John and Kari all busy decorating the haunted house and some sugar cookies.

Catch Up!

Just wanted to do a quick bit of catching up on our 2007 thus far. Paul got his visa in January and flew straight to Vegas, where I was visiting my parents for the holidays. He got a job here and so we're stuck for the moment, but planning to move back to Colorado within the next year. He's currently the MIS Specialist for a luxury sunglass chain, working in their accounting department. We were able to find a home to rent 10 minutes walking from his work, so Paul is able to come home for lunch which we love. He plans to take the first actuary exam next year, in either April or November, then look for jobs in Colorado, where we want to end up. He works hard and helps out around the house loads-he's a great daddy and Alec smiles everytime Paul comes in the room.

We had Alec on April 5th and I've included a link to his photo website at the top of the page. He's nearly 7 months old, and mainly loves babbling and blowing raspberries. He has reflux, which has been hard, he has to take a heartburn medication and the poor little guy is always hungry and can get fussy about it. He hasn't gained a pound in over 3 months! But, he's happy enough and looks chubby, so we're not too worried (it's quite common in babies until they reach 9 months old).

We also got two puppies this year: Maggie and Milo. Our friend had a keeshond that got pregnant (unclear who the daddy was), and they offered us a puppy-Maggie. We knew we wanted to find a friend for her and when we saw a picture of Milo on a rescue website and he looked just like Maggie as a puppy, it felt right. He's actually a purebred keeshond (only silver & black fur), but a family with 4 little kids found him to be too much work and gave him up. He is a pill, always chewing on things (especially Maggie), but we love him. Maggie has bonded with Alec, which is what we wanted and she licks him to cheer him up when he fusses.

Kelsey (my youngest sister) decided to move in with us and it's been such a blessing! It's great to have someone else around to chat with, she's a lot of fun and the best part...we have a free baby-sitter at home!

Paul's grandparents were just out visiting from Scotland. Alec is actually named after Paul's grandad, so it was great to get some pictures of them together (I think Alec got his ears from his great-grandad). It was lovely having them stay with us. It's hard having Paul's family so far away, but they are great about visiting us (Paul's parents came out in May).

My Grandma Hunter and Aunt Jerri came out as well to see Gran, so we had Alec with two of his great-grandmothers!

Right now I am able to stay at home with Alec. It was a difficult decision, but we both feel good about it now. Alec and I love walking the dogs in the morning and playing together all day.

Paul and I have begun playing volleyball on Tuesday nights at the chapel with some other members from our ward and we play tennis at least once a month on Saturday night date nights (usually against Kelsey and her boyfriend). Nothing very exciting, but we're happy and busy!