Merry Christmas (a bit late)

Oh Christmas in Arizona, how I love thee.

This is how Carolyn spent her Christmas day.

Our last night there, she told me, "I don't want to go back to Portland. It's boring."

You've had a birthday, shout hurray!

Look at my teeny, tiny Blake. This was way before we knew he had red hair. That has been my favorite surprise from this little guy. I never would have thought I would have a kid with red hair, but I love it.
























I also love Skype. I know I am about 5 years late to the party. It seems like Oprah's been loving Skype forever, but we've joined the club in the last six months. It's wonderful when Grandma is across the country and can still watch Blake open his presents from her. You can also see from all the fingerprints on my computer screen how much my kids love Skype.


















Here's my cute little Elmo boy with his Elmo cake. If Blake wears his Elmo jammies, in the morning, when I tell him it's time to get dressed, he responds with, "no, ELMO!" Now, he can wear Elmo without me feeling embarrassed to take him in public.























Now, Blake is two. He has a wide vocabulary that grows with each day. Carolyn finds great joy in getting him to repeat words and phrases, luckily she's not a bad influence yet. She still finds "watermelon!" to be the best joke.

His favorite food is chicken nuggets. He loves bubble baths.

Phrases we hear most often: Awwww, man! Ma, you silly! Is that funny, Mama?

Happy Birthday, little man. We love your smile and snuggles.