Our little cage fighter. This is our little girl after her cousin got a hold of her. WHAT A CHAMP!!!

As Christmas draws closer we are getting excited, and enjoying celebrating the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. We have taken opportunities to reflect on the true meaning of this season, and less on the commercial aspect of it. Just over a week ago, Aric and I went out for the night and enjoyed the Millwoods Stake Choirs rendition of Handel's Messiah. It played for 2 nights, so we made a switch with Chelsea and Daniel. We babysat for them on Saturday night and they babysat for us on Sunday night. What a wonderful production. I missed seeing my mom up there singing. In Calgary she would sing in it just about every year.

The next night for Family Out Evening we headed to The Bethlehem Walk put on by the West Edmonton Christian Assembly. We invited Chelsea and family to join us. It was quite neat. We started outside the gates of Bethlehem with the shepherds and watched as the angels announced to them that Christ was born. Then we got permission from the city guards to enter the city. Once inside the city it was very interactive. Shops of every kind were set up. We got to try the bread made withe dead sea salt, honey, dates. There was a petting zoo... and right next door was the butcher shop. I got a kick out of that. There was all sorts of things for the kids and adults to look at and partake in. I didn't do much as I was trying to maneuver the stroller through the mass crowd. Eventually we make it to a large building and from there were were herded into narrow corridor that lead to the stables. We saw very large cows, sheep and of course Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. Looking at that made me think back to last year when Aric, Naomi and I played those rolls. That was special a very event for us I must say. Well once were out of the stables we entered their big amphitheater to "enjoy" some christian rock, hot chocolate and cookies. Over all it was a fun evening. it definitely helped to bring the focus of Christmas back to Christ.

Well now on to the showing off of our beautiful child. She just loves to read these days. Once morning as I was getting her breakfast I set her up in her chair and she read until I was ready.

Our little scrapper is still loving things on her head.

She rediscovered her blanket this week and I put it on her head as she loves things on there. She loves to walk around in her "Mary" look. She is just too cute.

Going through a box of clothes... well playing witht he box ta

More things on her head, and looking for dad as he ran out to the car.

Our ward put on a wonderful Christmas dinner and even had Santa Claus come and visit with the kids. I'm pretty sure Naomi was the only kid who bawled!!! But we got her first official picture with Santa. This is exactly why I didn't take her to the mall Santa. Who wants to pay for a photo like this?

Well we hope this season finds you all happy and healthy. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.
Love you

Odds and ends

Life has calmed down quite a bit around here, thank goodness. Aric's boss has relaxed in her expectations of Aric. He had some rave reviews after parent teacher interviews, and she couldn't ignore that. He has put some really long hours in and it seems to be paying off. As last month was Movember Aric jumped on the band wagon and stopped shaving. He grew a goatee then on the last two days of the month he tried 2 different styles. The first was the old fashioned handle-bar... super sexy. When he went to school the vice principal said "you need a cowboy hat and a picture right now.' Then the next day he took off the hooks and did the traditional stash. I called him "Merv the Perv." He was so cute. The kids in his class loved his "Mario" mustache. First thing this morning... the stash was gone. He felt disgusting wearing it.

Now comes the point of the blog that we show off the our little munchkin. Looking back at photos of Naomi and I realize how much she has grown. Her hair is getting really long. She is such a little girl now. She is walking and "talking", well more like just jabbering. But she is such a delight.

Here Naomi had stolen mommy's milk at breakfast and devoured it.


Where she learned to eat like this... I don't know, but it is funny.


Sharing her food with her cousin McKay.


She snuck a Ricola cough drop and didn't unwrap it.


We went to Calgary the other weekend for many different excuses. One of which was to see B.J. and Kyle. Here Naomi is having a pow-wow with Jo under the laundry.


Now many people in my family know me as the "Hat girl", because I always something on my head as a child. We may just have another one on our hands. She will often find some kind of hat and ask me to put it on her head. This next photo she wanted her cat hat from Halloween costume. She then squeezed herself between the two ottomans and sat to play.


She loves putting this basket on her head and walking around.


She handed me one touque... then another, so I put it on top of the other one. What a nut case she is!!! Makes me laugh.


Her new snow suit. It's a bit on the big side, but it should last the whole winter season... hopefully.



Aric sure make bath time a hoot for Naomi. He encourages her to play with the water as it comes out of the tap. Here he had taught her to drink from the tap.
My little water baby.


As for me, life is just the same. Little Sylas (in the tummy) isn't moving to much. I think I felt him move today for the first official documented moment. He is a pretty chill guy so far. I'm counting down until I'm done work again.


The following is another example that Naomi is happy to anything on her head. In case you are wondering, those are McKay's pajama pants.

Oh one more story. On Monday night we went over to our friends the Palsky's. The Boys went to the Oilers hockey game and the girls stayed in and put the kids to bed and then watched movies. Well we decided that were going to bath Naomi and Jake together. I put Naomi in the tub first and Jake followed. Once Jake was in, Naomi spun herself around so Jake couldn't see her. It seemed as though she was trying to be modest. Oh we giggled pretty good. Then later in the bath she decided that Jake needed to taught a lesson, so she grabbed on of the tub toys and started hitting him in the head. Jake just looked at her like "well this is my tub... what's wrong with you". Oh it was a fun night.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Well it is Nov 12 and it just snowed last night for the first time this year. I'm grateful that it has waited this long before snowing. It really is beautiful outside today. I'm sure tomorrow I'm going to be cursing winter. But this is getting me in the Christmas spirit. I'm listening to Christmas music as I put this blog together. I think I may break the decorations out soon too. I find that the Christmas season does not last long enough. I remember back when I was going to school in Utah, I somehow convinced my roommates that Christmas should start the day after Halloween. They put up fuss for a bit, but then they got into it and loved that the season lasted so much longer. We decorated and had the music and filled the apartment with Christmas smells. It was wonderful.

I'm really looking forward to Christmas. It is my all-time favorite holiday. Aric's is Halloween, and I love Halloween, but Christmas just brings everyone together around the world. It is such a happy, loving season. Aric is coming around.

I've got plenty of photos of Naomi to put on here. It's so hard to narrow the amount of photos that I post. She is so darn CUTE!

What is this white stuff dad?

Let's hide your belly from the cold

Umm... what do I do with the snow now dad? It's cold.

We have a mesh waste basket that Naomi has been playing with... she so cute when we put it on her head and she walks around with it. This little girl is a such a crack up.

You can often turn around and find Naomi laying around chillin out. Here she is just relaxing watching something on the TV. Once in a while she will get in that position and it looks like she is right into whatever is on. She has started to just lay her head down anywhere now too. The cutest was when we went out to dinner with Aric's mom when she was up. Naomi had had enough and she was tired so she just payed her head on the table. We quickly finished as we knew she was very much ready for bed.

Now to end the blog I leave you with a link to a video of Naomi walking. She just decided one day that she was going to walk.
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150925440745004

Halloween and other exciting stuff

Our little black cat.

Happy late Halloween everyone. Here is a video to show what we did with our front hallway, and some photos our little black cat. She was just so cute. With all of the set up of the hallway, Naomi had a blast playing with all the pieces from the zombie hands to the sculls. She even hugged one of the sculls when I asked her to. I tried to snap a photo of it but she was too quick. Someday these decorations will scare her really badly, but now she just loved the black lights and the bones. Here is a link to video that wouldn't post on here. Hope you enjoy. http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150905913025004
Enjoying the raw pumpkin that she was eating as we carved our lanterns





Enjoying the decor. She loved the bones. Someday she will not want to touch them I'm sure.




The other day Chelsea brought the kids over to play while Benson was at pre-school and we decided impromptu that it was time for McKay's first haircut. So we got out the scissors and started going when we finally figured out, with my mother-in-laws advice, that feeding him snacks would be the best way for him to hold still. It was a tough job, but we got it done with team work, and lets just he is a STUD now.




The final product




So lately Naomi has been enjoying her torch. We have a little flashlight that fits perfectly in her soother. The first time we did it she just giggles and giggled and giggled. She loves her torch. I had to take some pictures of her enjoying it.







And last but not least... we had our first ultrasound. Within 30 seconds the ultrasound tech knew what we are having. Here's there picture. See if you can figure it out yourself.
BIG NEWS!!!! NAOMI HAS BEEN WALKING JUST ABOUT ALL MORNING NOW!!!

A much needed update!!

Hello all. Here it is the much anticipated, long awaited update to the blog. First and foremost, for those who may not know, we are expecting a either a little brother or sister for Naomi. Cleatus the fetus part 2 is due in our home around the 30th of April. We are very excited for this new chapter of of lives.
Well Naomi is just a little sweetheart, and a little sponge. She is such a smart little kid. I've been teaching her little things here and there that she is picking up quickly. She can say a few words now... when she chooses to say them that is . She can say "hi", which is usually when she is holding a phone, or phone like object to her head. She can say "down". And her version of "thank you". She is just so cute, she makes me smile every day. She is not quite walking yet. She will along furniture and if she can hold your hands. As soon as you try to let go... down to her bum she goes.

We took a video of her showing off her somersaults the morning she learned.

So now I'm going to work backwards with the pictures, as the most recent stuff is still in my head. We had a birthday party Naomi on Saturday the 15th of October. I came up with the idea if a cake with a little backyard scene with a gnome and a toadstool and a pond. Well this is what it ended up looking like. Not too bad I don't think. It wasn't quite what I had imagined, but it worked. The fence was a bit too close to the edge which is why it started to fall off. i had some help with the cake from family members, but the idea and most of it was me.

We gave the toadstool to Naomi to eat. She was such a little lady to begin with. She took her finger and wiped off the white spots of the toadstool and tasted it.

Then she really got into it. Her favorite part was definitely the icing. She loves to share her things now. So here she is offering me some cake.

Sugar hang over?

Sporting the hooded towel from Nana and Papa

Lots of people came to help us celebrate Naomi's birthday. The house was full!!! We had family from Calgary come up and friends and family from around here come and celebrate. She got some new books, and new dress, sippy cups and toys. A good time was had by all I think. A first birthday party really is for the parents as Naomi will not remember it at all! We had a good turn out.

Another thing that Noami likes to do is give hugs and kisses. Kisses are of course open mouthed and slobbery. She will hug anything she has in her arms when I say "give hugs". One day I was trying to get her to pick up her doll beside her to give hugs, but she just hugged the remote control that was in her hand at the moment.

Here Naomi is peeking in on daddy as he showered. She loved being able to peek around the door. She loves to join one of us in the shower too. She just plays in the bottom with her toys until we are done and can hold her in the water and have her warm up.

Just a cute photo to add

Very curious she gets into EVERYTHING these days. Here she is getting into mommy's nightstand. Anything she can reach gets thrown on the floor.

We've had some really good bruises form on Naomi as of recent. This one on her face happened when she was playing with the computer chair when it turned and she fell forward and landed on the metal bar that connects the bottom to the back. Ouch!

Here I got into trouble after I figured out how to take the pump out of the lotion bottle. I love to eat lotion!

Yet another bruise. This one was shen I was on mommy and daddy's bed. I got too close to the edge and mommy and daddy couldn't get to me. I rolled off hitting my ear on the corner of the nightstand on the way down.

In August grandma Wutzke came and visited. We took some time to go play at the legislature building in the fountains. That was a lot of fun.

What? What are you staring at? Do I have something on my face?

For Aric's birthday we got him a portable fire pit. We had many fires before it got too cold. We do plan to have a few in the winter if we can find some wood when we need it.

As for Aric and my lives. Aric is working hard this year to impress his principal and vice principal so he can get a full contract next year. Once he has that he can apply for any job in Edmonton. He could choose a different school if he wanted. He is finding this school quite restrictive at times and challenging.
I have started back at work 2.5 days a week. The first couple of days was really hard to leave Naomi with a sitter. 1.5 days a week she is Rachel Iverson's house. She is in the ward, as well is a quasi relative through Chelsea and Graham. She is also a friend :-)
The other day of the week she goes to Chelsea's house. She loves her cousin Benson. He sure has a way with her. HE can really make her giggle. She gets so excited wen he enters a room.
I plan to be working until pretty close to baby time so we have a better chance of qualifying for maternity leave again this time. Any money is welcome to help us out.
Well that is all that has been going on around here. I hope everything is great with everyone else.