Some Christmas Highlights

Only a week so far in VA and already so many wonderful memories!


Here's David and Traci (my brother and sister-in-law) starring in the live nativity at the Washington, D.C. Temple Visitors' Center. They make a wonderful Joseph and Mary! So proud of you guys. :) They had lots of practice holding a baby this week.




Best quote: "This is retirement," says Dad as he holds little Aaron. He has yet to retire. :)


My friend Meghan gave Aaron this sweet yellow Winnie the Pooh outfit.


And here he is with Paige -- both Meghan and Paige are good friends from high school.

Stay tuned for more pics!

Getting To Know You ...

Here's little man Aaron with big man Steve. Aaron's getting to know his grandparents better. He is so friendly with everyone. (And I just thought it was me he liked cuddle with ... apparently not!)


Here he is with his lovely Aunt Traci, who loves him. ;)




And his new friend, Alison, who was so tender with him.

Best Weekend

The weekend kicked off with a visit with Santa at our church's Christmas party. We then enjoyed an authentic German meal with friends before hitting the road. We made the trek to Portland Friday evening.



Wedding bells chimed on Saturday when my dear friend, Laura, married her sweetheart, Ron, in the Portland LDS Temple. (Pictured above is Laura with her sister, Joy, and two of Laura's adorable nieces.) It was such a beautiful wedding and reception. Congratulations, Laura and Ron. We are so thrilled for the two of you. Loved the winter wonderland theme! So appropriate. :) Not only did I get to see the lovely bride but also our other former roommates, Mindy and Stephanie. We had such a blast! I loved every minute of catching up with these sweet friends. So wonderful to visit with such great friends. I miss you guys already!! My sister once called us the "wedding groupies" because we always have mini roommate reunions at people's wedding receptions. Now that we're all hitched, we'll just have to think of another reason to get together (not that we need a reason!) ... so, here's to two more years, guys!! (Or did we say a year-and-a-half?) :)

To top off an already fantastic weekend, I flew back east to be with the fam for Christmas. Doesn't get much better than this! Mike, Mel and fam, and Jon and fam, come soon! We miss you guys already!!

Truly a wonderful time of year.



Here's me with Stephanie; Laura's brother, Aaron; and Mindy. Aaron's wife, Alisa, gave birth to the twin girls nine months ago. So cute! I'm so into babies now ... it's ridiculous. ;)

This Old Chair

You've all heard the phrase "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." How true! But what if the baby ain't happy? That's cause for serious disharmony in the house. Thank goodness for this old chair. It was given to us by one of Mike's patients who was moving. Then our friend Kelly, an amazing interior designer, supplied these beautiful new, updated cushions. We love this chair. Aaron's always so happy lounging or sleeping in it, and it fits him so well. What will we do when he outgrows it? Mike's already come up with some creative ideas. ;)



P.S. The baby's starting to coo and smile more. Such a fun stage!

Five Times The Fun

Last night was a blast! We have some friends who all had babies within a few months of each other (how does this happen?), and we all got together for a baby fest. The youngest baby in the group is three weeks old and the oldest, four months. So great to have the support of other new parents. We had a great time swapping stories and tidbits of advice ... although of course we're all still learning and getting the hang of things. We had a lot of fun. And we think the babies did too. I mean, look at them! All so happy! :) (Can you guess which babe is ours?) ;) Special thanks to Carl and Mia for opening their home and hosting the whole gang.

The Beautiful People of Roseburg

There are so many wonderful people here! Roseburg may not be a thriving metropolis, but it certainly boasts some of the loveliest people. Here's a sampling of these wonderful folks.


I met Ryan and Michelle here in Roseburg before Mike and I were married. They graciously hosted me one weekend when I flew in to visit Mike. They were wonderful hosts and made me feel very welcome and at home (you can tell just by looking at them!) Lucky for us, our friendship has continued. They are such warm and friendly people - the kind of people you want to be around and be like. They're also very positive. This picture was taken with them and their cute daughter, Alison, the weekend I was here visiting ... little did I know I'd join them here in Roseburg less than a year later! ;) It was great to have instant friends when I moved here ... plus, see below.

This is the group we dined with at Thanksgiving. Don't they just look fun? The couple on the right in the back is Andy and Marcia Oshita. I met this wonderful couple while serving a mission in Santa Paula, California. We all haphazardly ended up in Roseburg (go figure!) They are very down-to-earth, and they've become like family. They are extremely gracious, generous, and kind, and we feel completely comfortable with them. Their lovely daughter, Jaime, is in front, and some of the Oshita's friends visiting from CA are to the left.

Aren't Erin and Lane a darling couple?? Again, the mission connection. Erin is the daughter of the Oshita's, so I met her and Lane on my mission when they were visiting Erin's parents. In this picture, they're visiting us in the hospital before I gave birth. What wonderful friends - they came to see us even BEFORE the baby was born (me in all my pregnant glory) - and again after. ;) They're great; we always enjoy hanging out with them. They were great hosts, as well, when I stayed with them one weekend after Mike and I were engaged.


This gorgeous mother-daughter duo is Cortney (left) and her mom, Debbie. I've recently gotten to know Debbie better, and she is such a delight to be around. I always, always laugh when I am with her. She's also quick to laugh - a strength I love and admire about her. She's witty, intelligent, and has a keen business sense. I've gone to her on a few occasions for work advice, and she's always been right on. This is one woman I love! Isn't she stunning? Her daughter is wonderful too!


Sometimes when I think of Mia I want to cry because she's been such a good friend. It was wonderful, too, because we were prego together for eight months (Aaron is a month older than her sweet daughter, Sophie.) My husband and I feel so fortunate to know the Schreiners - Mia and her husband, Carl. Mike met them through the local cycling club, and Mia actually helped me get my first job here at the newspaper. Carl cleaned the ear wax out of my ear (I know, gross) out of the kindness of his heart. (He's an ENT.) You know they are true friends. :) They, too, visited us in the hospital. They are lovely people!

I love all of our friends, near and far!!

Highlights In My Hair ... Er, My Life

Pregnancy did something to my hair. It made it darker. Much darker. Must be the hormones. Or maybe it was just the fact that I didn't highlight my hair for nine months or so. ;) So, six weeks post-pregnancy, I decided I needed a fresh, new look. I mean, what woman has not felt that way after giving birth ... and what is her secret? Anyhow, so I asked my husband if he likes my hair better with or without highlights. (As if it makes a difference to him!) Mike, smart man that he is, said something like, "I like it however you're happiest." Naturally, I made the hair appointment. Best part was that the stylist came to our home to do my hair - so much more convenient when there's a baby involved. She works independently so almost always travels to her clients' homes. Perks of living in a small town. She's great. So I got the highlights and I feel better already. (Amazing what a little color can do.) :) Of course, the real highlights in my life are my darling husband & the baby... ;)

Men In Yellow

I love the color yellow. It's so bright and cheerful. I love walking into a yellow room. I love yellow flowers, particularly roses. I love a man in a yellow tie (okay, I love my husband, Dad, and brothers in a yellow tie.) :) (See pic.) I love yellow cake. :) I love dressing my sweet babe in yellow. (And this isn't one of those cases where I'm trying to project my desire for a daughter onto my son by dressing him in girl clothes.) Yellow is one of those things that simply makes my life happier. And with Thanksgiving being just around the corner and all, thought I would list a few other things for which I'm grateful --- right up there with the color yellow.
- I'm thankful for all of the lovely and wonderful women in my life -- my beloved mother, mother-in-law, sister, sisters-in-law, aunts, cousin (yes, shockingly, I only have one female cousin!), and girlfriends with whom I laugh; cry; share hopes, dreams, and anxieties; swap advice; build courage; shop (!); travel (well, back in the day!), and enjoy life.
- I'm thankful that my husband still asks me out on dates. That doesn't mean we actually go ... having a baby kind of changed the dating situation. :)
- I'm thankful for those people who leave their shopping cart in the middle of the parking lot for people like me who don't want to haul their car seat through the entire parking lot. (I always thought it was rude for people not to return their shopping cart, but now I realize they're just doing people like me a favor!) ;)
- I'm thankful for good news ... wedding and baby announcements, job opportunities, friends who get new furniture.
-I'm thankful for all the seasons, but especially fall. I love the gorgeous autumnal colors, the crisp air, and breaking out cozy sweaters. Every day of fall is spectacular!
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, what are you most thankful for this year?
"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." -Marcel Proust

Blogging for Baby

Never thought I'd blog. Didn't think my life was that exciting (still don't!). But we decided to create a blog merely to post photos and share memories of our sweet baby boy - Aaron Stephen. We welcomed him into the world October 2 at 3:27 in the afternoon. He weighed 8 pounds 9 ounces and was 21 inches long. Big boy! Good thing he came a week early. ;) Six weeks later, he's almost 11 pounds! We were so grateful for the love and support of our dear friends here and for the helpfulness and wonderfulness of both sets of grandparents - G&G Mathis and G&G Stathis - who visited. We absolutely adore our baby. He loves to cuddle, and he loves dancing to Spanish music with his Dad. Who knew I'd enjoy motherhood so much? I thought it'd be all work, no play, and no sleep. I was right about the no sleep part. :) But it's definitely the funnest, most wonderful role I've ever filled. This boy is an absolute sweetheart! Can't wait for you all to meet him. Here are pics with his papa and mama.