Phil Turns 50!

In honor of Phil's milestone birthday this year, I made him this cake.

Happy Birthday Kristin!

Just couldn't resist posting these! Michelle was feeling nostalgic and was quite clever in tracking down a meaningful gift for Kristin this year: A genuine Water Baby! Anyone who knew Kristin as a small tyke will recall the lifelike doll attached to her hip 24/7 for a couple of years. They will also recall a certain black and white polka dot skirt and headband (for the unruly hair) that she used to adorn herself with. In the true spirit of reflection, Michelle also found a fun substitute for the skirt and headband which I will not profile due to sensorship. However, here are the pics with the new "baby". Notice that to be fully authentic, Kristin had to remove all the doll's clothes as her first water baby was always naked!

Even Cody got into the act. Note the picture of Cody...almost looking tenderly at the new "baby"

After the giggles, Michelle and Josh serenaded Kristin with an unforgettable rendition of the birthday song and we ate very cold birthday cake (almost still frozen due to having to work late) and previewed Kristin's latest fashion finds. I still can't believe my baby is 22!

In other good news...Michelle, Josh & Wyatt will be visiting again from June 24th through July 7th. I can hardly wait! I have a list a mile long of fun things we have to do but we have to leave time for them to get out on their own and hang with Josh's family and their friends. I'm thinking camping, fishing, barbeque, great restaurants, babysitting Wyatt (It's gotta happen!), birthday parties and late nights. Glad summer's coming!

April 16th through April 21st, 2009--Wyatt's First Trip To Grandma & Grandpa's House

Wyatt visited in April! He was the star of the show! A full agenda everyday kept him pretty much pooped. Grandma and Grandpa did some major spoilin'--it was enough that when our little groundhog got home his mama wanted to send him back in a box with holes. Grandma says Bring It On! We loved having Michelle and Wyatt visit. We missed having Josh here too but we've been assured the whole fandamily will come in June. We can hardly wait. The best thing was to see Wyatt really recognize us by the end of his visit. Now we call him and remind him and hear his little noises. He likes to "talk." We sure miss the sounds of his binky sucking and the squirmy little boy noises. Rebel was a bit jealous at first but after Wyatt went home, we could tell Rebel was sad too! That is the worst thing about having them live so far away. Goodbye's are horrible!!

Phil and I are having a great time in Charleston! Wyatt is the best little baby anyone could ask for and we just can't stop hugging and kissing on him! Michelle's pediatrician told her to take him out and not just keep him inside all the time so he had his first outing on Monday. We went to the downtown market and then out to lunch. Tuesday we all took him to the doctor again and then after dropping he and mommy off at home, Phil and I went to Patriot's Point and toured the USS Yorktown (aircraft carrier), a submarine, and a coast guard vessel. We saw a destroyer but couldn't tour it as it is undergoing some preservation work. It was a wonderful tour and made us really appreciate the experiences our fathers had in the Navy. Phil's dad, Chuck, served in World War II as a gunner on an aircraft carrier and my dad served during peace time a bit later aboard a destroyer. I am amazed at what we saw! Brave, strong and resilient are words that come to mind! Wednesday, we ventured out again with Wyatt to the mall. Thursday, Phil and I got brave and found our way to Angel Oak which is a HUGE oak tree that is awesome! Then we journeyed on to Folly Beach. Today after Josh finished his pediatric surgery test, we met downtown and went to the market again and some friends of Josh and Michelle's took us on a carriage tour of the city. I cannot get enough of this place! I love the architecture and the history and I wish I could buy a vacation home here!

Wyatt is here!!! He weighed in at 8 lbs. 14 oz. and is 21.5 inches long. He arrived at 7:36 EST on February 2, 2009. Grandpa calls him his "little groundhog." Isn't he just the cutest? We think he looks like his mama when she was born! We are very proud as are Michelle and Joshua. We can hardly wait to hold him and dent his little noggin' with kisses!

January 25, 2009

Well, we are still waiting on little Wyatt. Phil & I will be going to Charleston soon so he'd better hurry it up. We are hoping the weather there will be warm since it has been so doggone cold here so far.

I just came back from Nashville, TN this week and to my surprise, it was colder there that it was here. And...it snowed!!! I didn't have to really go outside much at all so it didn't bother me too much except when I arrived and when I went to Opryland. Phil & Rebel survived my absence pretty well I think. Though, they missed me. I missed them too. There is something to be said for your own bed and routine.

Christmas 2008

Christmas is over and as you all may know, Michelle and Josh did not get to come to Utah as long planned. This came as a result of our soon-to-be born grandson's efforts to try to get here sooner than he is supposed to. Instead, we packed up Christmas and sent it to them in Charleston. We plan to visit as soon as the little bounder is born but we hope that is not for a few more weeks. Christmas Eve found me madly trying to get our webcam to work with theirs so we would be able to see them on Christmas morning. This was finally achieved at about 5:30 a.m. Utah time on Christmas morning but not before a few curses were uttered. Kristin and Cody slept over and Phil went and got his mom very very early. In fact, just as she was arriving the kids finally dragged their butts from the sack. Kristin had gone to great lengths to surprise Cody and it paid off. He was thrilled the get an XBox 360 and has quickly abandoned us all to his little world of Madden 2009. After gift opening, we got on webcam and talked to Michelle and Josh by cell phone. Michelle's belly is getting bigger all the time!! Then we had breakfast and while I cleared the dishes and made rolls for dinner, Kristin fell asleep by the fire with Rebel. Phil visited with his mom and Cody played his XBox. Then after awhile we took off for my parents and to see Phil's sister and her family. Record snowfall on Christmas day made travel kind of risky but we lived. In the evening, we had dinner together and then settled down for the night. All in all it was a pretty good year but we really missed not having Michelle and Josh with us. Maybe next year...