Little Baker

 

Mary is a good little baker. This week we made pie.

I love seeing her intent on a project.

Isaac's Birthday

Isaac's birthday was Sunday, and we celebrated with birthday dinner that evening.

After a delicious dinner and chocolate cake, Isaac opened his presents.

David had fun checking things out.

Girls' Night, Guys' Night

Photo: Heather

We had a fun girls' night and guys' night on Saturday. The dads and kids had dinner together at the Trevinos' house while my sisters and I picked up Thai food from Thai Basil and ate at the Nickells' house. It was such a pleasant, quiet meal and a lot of fun to spend time with just the three of us.

Also, the food was delicious.

Photo: Heather

 Then we picked up the kids and the guys enjoyed a whiskey tasting.

Crossing the Bridge

 

It's tough to choose between the bumpy and smooth parts of the bridge. Some days you just do both.

Date Day

Joshua and I got to go on a date Saturday. We left the kids with Mom and Dad and drove up to the lake and got ice cream. It was wonderful to get away for a couple hours and have some uninterrupted time.

Kaweah Oaks Preserve

We decided to go on a little hike at the Kaweah Oaks Preserve on Friday. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon. We started off with a short hike through an area that burned in the past few years.

Then we had a snack break before heading out on another short hike.

We found a good place for climbing.

Mary was a great little hiker and had a fun time.

 Of course, we all did. It was nice to be outside enjoying some natural beauty.

Pretzel Making

Micah spent the night Monday so we could bake together Tuesday morning. We made soft pretzels, something Micah made awhile ago that has been sounding good to me ever since.

Photo: Heather

We made two different recipes and tried both as boiled and un-boiled then had a taste test to compare the four results. Boiled was a clear winner; it gave the pretzels a better texture and helped them brown more nicely in the oven. People had mixed opinions about whether one recipe was better than the other or not, but most people who did have a preference chose this recipe.

Afternoon Walks

We've been enjoying lots of walks lately. They tend to make the little boy sleepy.

California Sunshine

We've been enjoying sunny afternoons lately by spending time outside with the cousins and going on walks.

Mary has decided she likes to walk instead of riding in the stroller. It makes walks take longer, but she loves the opportunity to explore.

Eleven Months

David is eleven months old and cuter than ever.

He babbles a lot and is on his feet often; he can stand on his own for a few seconds at a time. One of his favorite games right now is when we put a small toy on the coffee table and he has to cruise around the table to knock it off. Then we put it back up on a different spot so he has to cruise over to get it again.

David also loves climbing and is a boy on the move.

He learned how to wave, give high fives, and clap his hands.

At the beginning of December, David was diagnosed with peanut and dairy allergies. He is likely to outgrow the dairy allergy and has a twenty percent chance of outgrowing the peanut allergy, so we are hoping for the best. In the meantime, we're thankful we discovered it early and can alter his diet appropriately.

This sweet little guy loves to snuggle and gives big hugs.

He is full of smiles and laughter.

 We love our little boy.

New Year

We had our traditional New Year's Eve party this year with plenty of tasty snacks.

We also had fun playing video games; guitar games were a new addition and a big hit.

Photo: Heather

Natalie and I made muddy buddies together. We experimented this year by making hazelnut butter to replace the peanut butter. It was a big success.

Photo: Heather

Natalie gave Michelle and I matching shirts for Christmas.

I think we all wished we could be asleep like David at some point in the evening, but we made it to midnight and rang in the New Year with sparkling wine and cider. Then we went outside to set off some poppers.

New Year's Day was bright, sunny, and full of possibility. We enjoyed a walk and time outside.