Nervous anticipation

I'm flying with Colton today alone.  He has a stuffy nose and an independent streak that tells him sitting on mom's lap is not cool--two things that give me a terrible, foreboding feeling about having him as a "lap child" on a five hour plane ride.  Combine that with our experience last time we flew alone to Utah, and perhaps you can understand why I've had butterflies all day.  Wish me luck!!!

Sweet Home Alabama

We happened to visit a very sweet home in Alabama.  Yes, we were fortunate enough to go spend a weekend with our dear friends Roz and Thad.  We ate lots of good food (like this and this and this).  Justin baked.  Roz baked.  Seriously, lots of good food. We got the official University of Alabama tour from Thad.

We also went to the old part of Tuscaloosa where we found a cool barn and some construction equipment.  Besides looking at the fun shops, here's what we did there:

We posed as a family.

We brushed up on our engagement photo posing skills.

We pretended to laugh really hard about something.

I made Justin and Colton pose in front of a big truck.

We put Colton on the truck and then said, "Touchdown" so that he'd wave his arms and look like he was having lots of fun (he was having lots of fun...he just needed a little help looking like it.)

I made Roz pose with me as well.  Nothing says "we're totally bff's" like posing in front of a bull dozer.

I think the highlight of the trip for Colton was have two hours at the airport to push his stroller around to his heart's content.  (And when it comes to pushing his stroller, his heart is rarely content.)

Thanks Roz and Thad for a fun weekend!!!

10 for '10

I thought I'd go back to my top 10 roots, and share with my adoring public some of my favorite pictures we took in 2010.  (And it was really hard to decide, so I'm starting this top ten list at 15.)

15) I think we have approximate 4 pictures of all three of us.  Nothing like a family picture in a battlefield.

14) Colton really likes spaghetti.

13)  Justin in spandex.  Colton with his truck.  Does it get any better than this?  (Well, technically, since this is only #13, I guess it does...)

12)  This photo is not valuable for it's quality, but because it proves that we are still adventurous.

11) Two of the things Justin loves most: Colton and his rope.

9) I hope he's still this happy about mowing the lawn when he's 12.

8) This one made it for its artistry.  I really like the glow on his head as he gently reaches for the daffodil. (Note: I don't like daffodils and I plan on removing all 540,302 of them that are planted in my yard.)

7) This photo was the first irrefutable evidence that Colton really does look like my dad. 

6)  It looks like he's seen an angel...and to Colton I think playing with that shredder was like heaven, so I guess it's appropriate. 

5) I really like these two guys.

4)  Who can forget the trauma of Colton's first haircut?  Probably everyone.  But at least we have this picture to remind us...

3) Flying = pure joy.

2)  We took this helmet back because someone gave us one for free, but it was seriously cute. Seriously.

2 1/2) Let this be one more reminder to all that I have a muscle.

1)  This is by far the best picture of the year--probably of Colton's life.  It is already on the short list for his wedding video.  

Bye bye 2010.  Thanks for being great!

A boy and his trucks (a.k.a. Christmas morning)...

No little boy's life is complete without a fire engine.

I'm pretty sure he was making siren sounds as soon as he saw what was in the box.

Playing.

Playing.

More playing.

Still more playing.

Yes.  Having a new truck is wonderful.

(Apparently we stopped taking pictures after he opened this truck--otherwise, there would have been pictures with more trucks, a talking basketball stand, his new blue baby doll stroller, and table that is just his size.  Oh well.  We'll do better next Christmas.)

Christmas Eve Fries

It's our Christmas Eve tradition to have steak and French fries for dinner.  Since he was on a milk only diet last year, he was very happy to be able to fully participate in this year's dinner.  Okay, he had a hot dog rather than steak, but close enough.  He was very happy--especially with the fries.  I'm sure you've all tried dipping your French fries in a Frosty.  Delicious, right?  But have you tried fries and orange juice?  It was a little slimy, but other than that, Colton seemed to enjoy it.

Pour.

Drink.

Slurp.

Despite the fact that he put it there himself, I think he was a little confused about why there was a French fry in his drink.  

Let there be lights!

Christmas growing up always included a trip to Temple Square in Salt Lake to see the lights.  And by always, I mean that I think we went at least when we were really little.  Either way, it is a magical memory.  (I must admit that the joy of seeing the lights faded over time as my abhorrence of being cold increased...)

Anyway, I have not braved the cold since moving to D.C., but I decided that Colton might get really excited by all the lights.  I was wrong.  He was moderately excited by the lights.  What he was excited about was being able to run free through crowds of people (darting much more quickly and easily than Justin or I could), and he was extremely excited by the random forklift in the parking lot.  Oh well.  It was still a festive night of family Christmas fun.  (Oh, and note to self:  next year go at 5 pm instead of 7 pm, and go on a night that Jenny Oaks Baker isn't performing.  We might actually get in to the Visitor Center that way...)

Colton did not want to pose for this picture.  He also did not want to pose for it for the fifteen times it took me to get them in focus instead of the trees behind them.  I've developed a serious inability to focus correctly.

We love to see the temple...

Too bad Colton wouldn't look at the camera.  He was in full posing rebellion by this point.

Justin is so handsome in the glow of the Christmas lights.  There's nothing like being back-lit to make you look fabulous.

French Peasant Bread

Did you know that making homemade bread isn't hard?  Seriously, why do we all eat Wonder bread when it takes maybe 10 minutes of active work to pull a delicious bakery-fresh round out of the oven.  I have recently discovered this recipe (in the Ivory Favorites cookbook--my go to recipe book) that is insanely easy...and delicious.  So if you want your house to smell like bread on Christmas morning, I'd highly recommend giving this one a try.


French Peasant Bread:

1 package dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp)

2 cups warm water

1 tbsp sugar

2 tsp salt

4 cups flour

oil

corn meal

melted butter

Dump the first four ingredients into a bowl (I put them right into the bowl of my kitchenaid) and stir until dissolved.  Then add the flour and stir until it is blended.  It is sticky and wet.  Don't knead.  Cover and let rise about one hour until it has doubled in size.  Grease a cookie sheet using oil (vegetable or olive...it doesn't matter) and then sprinkle the sheet with corn meal.  Flour your hands and remove dough from the bowl and form into two rounds.  Place both rounds on the cookie sheet and let rise another hour or so.  Cook at 425 F for 10 minutes.  Open oven and brush the tops of the rounds with a little butter.  Lower the oven temperature to 375 F and cook for another 15 minutes.  Voila!!  

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good bread!