Christmas 2008

We are grateful for the time of year that directs our thoughts to the Savior and His birth. We hope we can carry the spirit of this season throughout the year.

We had a lovely Christmas in Virginia. It was a full house with four kids and eight adults. Everyone brought gifts with them and it made for a very full living room come Christmas morning. James seemed impressed.

James got to know his cousins this trip. In the beginning he followed them around and tried to grab their hair (or their hands ... or their eyes). After that he spent the majority of the time trying to eat, or at least drool on, all of their markers, princess dolls, or horsies.

Kate wasn't too sure about James, or us, when she met us. She is teething, so one of her favorite sounds is AAaaaaAAAAaaaaaa! We figured that it was in part because of her teeth and in part because of all these weird people (and there persistent hair-grabbing son). By the end of the visit she seemed to have decided that we passed muster though. She let James hold her hand on the way to church and even let Daniel and I hold her.

The girls had fun getting tickled and picked up by Grandpa and their uncles. So did James.

James loved all the attention he got.

We are glad we could spend time with family and we value the joy they bring us. We hope this Christmas season brought you an equal measure of joy and peace.

Have a happy New Year!

P.S. Melissa took some family pictures and some adorable James portraits so stay tuned for those.

Some Projects...

Last Christmas my mama gave me a Bernina. It really has been the gift that keeps on giving. Now that I won't ruin anyone's Christmas surprise, I can share what I've beeing using it for.
This is a quilt I made for Melissa and Jacob. Designed in Illustrator, of course.:)

The quilt below was a baby quilt that spoke to me and said it really wanted to be full-sized. So it grew up into a full-sized quilt for Ben and Josie.

I'm particularly proud of how the piecing on this one went. I took this picture of the back so I could bask in the straightness and flatness of the seams.

You won't see the final border of the quilt because I forgot to take a final picture after binding and quilting. This may be because the border was where the karma ran out. It was less than perfect (not square or as flat as I would have liked).

The next quilt shows that I can learn from my mistakes. I think this is the most technically perfect quilt I've ever made. It was a baby quilt for a friend of mine.

See how square, flat, and unpuckered? What was even better was the heartfelt reaction Meg gave when she got it. I love making and giving to good people.

This is a baby blanket I made for Lisa. I made it big enough that her little boy should be able to enjoy it well into childhood.

I am proud of how I balanced the color in this one. You can't see it very well in these pictures but the fabrics and the layout compement each other.

I also made six aprons for my Budge nieces and nephews for Christmas. Unfortunately, I just realized that I forgot to take any pictures before I mailed them. You'll just have to believe me that they are really cute.

And of course, I have more projects hatching in my brain, in my documents file, and waiting for the right fabrics to be chosen. Speaking of which, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mama for sharing her fabric stash with me. Thank you, Mama!

December-at-a-glance

We've been busy getting ready for Christmas and have neglected our blog. Here are some pictures and random thoughts to fill in the gap.

James is our happy elf. He makes us smile with his antics and his joy. We are looking forward to sharing Christmas with him and spending time with all the Howells in VA.

Daniel has been spoiling me as we await Christmas. In the background of the above picture you can almost see the Christmas chart that we got last year for Christmas (it's on the wall above the piano). Each day I pull a piece of paper from that day on the chart and there on the paper is written something nice that he will do for me. So far I have accumulated back rubs, a clean house, scrubbed toilets, a fancy dinner, and books read to me while I work on things around the house. Thank you, Daniel!

In early December, we had a second Thanksgiving with some friends of ours in New York. They were cooking a turkey and the fixings and invited us over to enjoy it with them. It was a lovely evening with good talk, food, and friends.

I have to blockade the treadmill while I use it because James is fascinated by it. Dan thought it would be fun to see how he would do.... maybe now we have a way to get some of James's energy out.

Not that he needs it much. When he wants to, James can sleep like a rock. Aaaahhhhh...... my heart melts.

We went to the Christmas party for my department at work last week. It was interesting. They had an entertainer singing songs with the kids and telling knock-knock jokes. I learned some really good ones. Just ask me and I'll happily inflict them on you.

James was enthralled by a six-foot plus Frosty. He kept trying to get to him. In this picture, I'm trying to get him to turn around to look at the camera. No such luck, Frosty is just too interesting.

J-walking

James officially walks. They grow up fast... or so everyone keeps telling us. We believe it. His 8 month birthday is tomorrow and his 8th tooth is coming soon. We can't believe it. We are amazed, awed, and, of course, extremely proud.

ABC's

The other day, I was spelling my last name over the phone. Charity and I got to thinking how we might spell our name in a way that would not be helpful at all. Today on the radio, I learned how from this song:




I just hope this doesn't affect James to0 much.... ;)

Elven folk

It must be that season... Just the other day I saw one of Santa's elves snooping around our living room, obviously scouting out where Santa will need to put the presents. I had my camera handy and managed to take a picture of the elf while his back was turned...and before he vanished in a twinkling, with a wiggle of a nose, or whatever they do to teleport. For as much fame as Saint Nick's henchmen seem to command, I thought they would be a little bit taller in person.

High chair

We inherited a high chair from a good friend, but it didn't have a tray attached to it. Over the past few months, we have been trying to find a cheap alternative. Apparently, they don't sell baby tray liners individually at the stores. So we looked at storage box lids, dinner trays, Tupperware accessories, utensil organizers, plastic storage boxes, trashcan lids, paint roller trays, cookie sheets and lunch trays to no avail. Finally, we just bought a board of oak and some edging and I made one myself.

I think it looks nice, even if it is a bit squarish and big. It reminds me of the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. It would have been nice to have a tool shop with a band saw and a mouse sander to make the tray look a little more like the chair. But, alas, that tool shop has to wait for my dream house.

James has taken a liking to it despite its appearances and has ground a lot of his food into the wood as a token of his appreciation. Bon appetite, little buddy!

Thanksgiving 2008

We went down to Virginia for Thanksgiving. We have so much to be grateful for. Family, health, the gospel.... the list goes on. It is humbling to remember how much we have been given.


James enjoyed his first Thanksgiving. He tried new foods and had fun playing with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Josie, and Uncle Ben (and us too, of course).

To commemorate the day, James got his fifth tooth on Thanksgiving Day. He has continued to gnaw and drool since then, so we know there are more teeth in the offing. Or maybe he just likes the look of all that good food.:)


Grandpa showed James how to play a piano that is more James-sized. Because of the electronic quality of the sound and his tendency to lean on the keys with his elbows as he reached for the knobs, his music sounded a little dirge-like.

The Howell boys went window shopping at the electronic gadget stores. Fun was had by all.

We found a cart for James to sit in and he loved it. He was amazed at the glow and allure of all the big screens and wires at the store. We think he has been officially indoctrinated into the Howell Gadget Club.

P.S. James just sprouted his sixth tooth this morning. Number seven looks pretty close too. The poor little man is not feeling well, what with all those teeth trying to come.

For those who want to make turkey the easy way...

This is how to make 'em:
1.Make rice crispie treats,
2.Roll them into balls.
3.Open a sandwich cookie,
4.Stick the ball to the cookie bottom with a dab of frosting,
5.Stick the cookie top to the back of the crispie ball with frosting
6.Place candy corn 'feathers' between the sandwich back and crispie ball with frosting
7.Place a candy corn on the front with yet another dab of frosting

Voila! Sweet turkeys!

And for good measure here are some good Thanksgiving jokes. Hee hee. Enjoy!

Q. What happened to the turkey that got in a fight?
A: He got the stuffing knocked out of him!

Q. What goes “gobble, gobble, ha-ha-ha, plop”?
A. A turkey laughing its head off.

Q. How many cooks does it take to stuff a turkey?
A. One, but you really have to squeeze him in!

Q. What would you get if you crossed a turkey with an evil spirit?
A. A poultrygeist!

Q. What do you get after eating way too much turkey and dressing?
A. Dessert, of course!

James advances

James has been making some more developmental advances. He has started to practice balancing. He is so cute. Don't mind my messed up hair in this video. It was one of those days...



His most recent is his ability to clap. I love the sense of accomplishment he exhibits. Charity, by the way, is extremely adorable in this video as well. ;)



Today we went and got a flu shot for James. He is such a little man. He did not peep nor cry nor even grimace when he was stuck with the needle. Just a 'what's going on' look, and a rapid return back to his pleasant state. I think James is a perfect baby.

Sleeping in...

Get to know you questions....

We had an enrichment awhile back that was aimed at helping everyone get to know each other. They put a lot of questions in a bag and had us pass them around the table to answer one question at a time. I liked the questions and thought you all might too. Perhaps you can use them on your blog or just use them to give you ideas for what to write in your journal tonight.


If I had more time, I would.... Read more of my books, get back to studying Hindi, learn, learn, learn....

What's one thing for which you'd like to be remembered? I don't know.

It's Monday morning at 7AM. You'll find me... on my way out the door to work.

My favorite cookie is... oatmeal raisin or peanut butter.

I wanted to be a ____ when I grew up. (Chemical Engineer and Linguist)

A fun or interesting experience that I had this past month was when... I went shoe shopping at the mall. We were able to try shoes on, discuss pricing, benefits, costs and then go to the Apple store to do more research online. It is amazing how much information is at our fingertips almost anywhere now. It would be interesting to see how that is affecting today's business models.

If you could take a trip to any place in the world, where would you go? India or the Philipines

What living person, other than family members, do you admire most? I don't know.

Do you have a favorite sport? If yes, what is it? Swimming.

If the TV is on, I'm watching... MASH or Good Eats.

What would you rather do, give a talk in church or bungee jump? Both sound fun.

If you could only eat one food, and nothing else, for three days in a row, what would it be? cold cereal.

Where did you grow up? Here goes.... Wyoming, Kansas, Utah, Wisconsin, Minnesota, California, Colorado, Brasil, and, most recently, New Jersey.

If the refridgerator is open, I'm grabbing.. soy milk for cereal.

What was your favorite childhood toy? Tommy (I'll post more about him later)

What is the best book you've read lately? Made to Stick

What is a favorite pastime of yours? Reading.

What is your most treasured posession? James.

Would you rather live in the country or the city? City with a car to see the country when I want.

Name a goal on your life's to-do list. Run a marathon.

Baking

The other day, I went to the temple to work. Little did I know that Charity had it in her plans to make tons of yummy food. I didn't have any dinner, so when I came home late Saturday, I found all this waiting for me. Needless to say, I spoiled my appetite for several days...

Cinnabonn Clones

Super easy Peanut Butter Cookies: Yellow Cake Mix, 2 eggs, 1/4 C peanut butter, 1/4 Oil. Thats it!

Super easy chocolate cookies: Fudge Marble cake mix, 2 eggs, 1 c Oil.

Let's Dance

Hope this makes your day:

Bedtime

Daniel made the bed with James in it the other day. James absolutely loved it.

If he is anything like me, he will quickly steal all the covers and lay in such a way as to monopolize the sleepable real estate.

Good thing he has his own crib.

Bathtime

James has decided that he is okay with taking baths. Now that he sits up really well it is a lot easier on us too. This is especially good since he has started eating solid foods; smearing food all over his face, squishing food in his palms and between his fingers, and caking food on his clothes (under the bib, somehow). He likes to splash in his bath and is generally very good about letting us clean his hair, what there is of it.:)


He also has serious moments as he talks with his bath toy.


Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest. . .

james-o'-lantern

We've had this outfit since James was born. When we got it we thought it was huge but we were lucky to be able to sqeeze James into it today. It probably won't fit tomorrow.

So of course we took the opportunity to get as many pictures as possible before he outgrows it.

We hope you all have a safe and happy Halloween!

Behind Bars

Meet our favorite inmate, James.

We got gates last weekend and it wasn't a day too soon. He's cruising around the apartment, pulling himself up on anything he can reach and walking along it as far as he can. He's happy about it as long as he has company and attention. At this point, he probably thinks the gates are just something nice to hold onto. Soon, he is sure to figure out that behind them lies untouchable (for him) treasure.

Daniel was inventive and found a magnetic latch that holds the gate to the wall when it is open. So we don't run into it when it is opened. Very clever!

In addition to getting the gates installed, Daniel also rearranged the furniture in the livingroom. He moved all the bookcases to the office and the bedroom. Managing to make it all fit and look good too.

Since the TV was on the bookcases, it has moved too and as a result I am less tempted to vegetate after work. A side-benefit that I appreciate since it can be hard to keep my momentum going when I get home. I also like the fact that this means the piano is the central piece in the living room and I have gotten more practice in lately.

Thanks, Daniel!

Random Factoids for Daniel

I stole this off my aunt Gayle's blog. I hope she doesn't mind.

1. Where is your cell phone? Under the computer monitor
2. Where is your significant other? Making money.
3. Your hair color? brown
4. Your mother? Gayle's sister
5. Your father? a Professional Electrical Engineer
6. Your favorite thing? Dreaming
7. Your dream last night? I dreamed I invented a draftsman's square that was expandable and used a parallel linkage system so that you could adjust it to any angle and any length. Cool, huh?
8. Your dream/goal? Have a nicely designed house full of family.
9. The room you're in? The kitchen
10. Your hobby? Drawing
11. Your fear? Failing in what I am passionate about.
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Accomplished in my profession wherever that is.
13. Where were you last night? In my part of the bed.
14. What you're not? Dead
15. One of you're wish-list items? 21" Wacom Cintiq Tablet (forget it--its $2k)
16. Where you grew up? Winchester, VA
17. Last thing you did? Steal this list
18. What are you wearing? 1997 BYU Bike Rally long sleeve T and Worn-out cargo pants.
19. Your TV? Recently moved to our master suite...mu-hah hah hah
20. Your pet? Various fruit flies, at the moment.
21. Your computer? Custom built Athlon 64 X2 3800+ on an Asus A8n-SLI Premium Mobo. Want more specs? I can spout them off if you want...
22. Your mood? Pretty good.
23. Missing someone? Yup: Charity, who is only a mile or two away at work.
24. Your car? Subaru Legacy SUS
25. Something you're not wearing? Top Hat
26. Favorite store? I suppose Fry's Electronics, but there are none here in the east. :(
27. Your summer? Is after Spring
28. Love someone? James and Charity
29. Your favorite color? - The color of freshly sprouted leaves on a grove of maple trees in the spring back lit by a partly clouded sky.
30. Last time you laughed? When Charity gave me a back rub that tickled more than it rubbed.
31. Last time you cried? When I was last sad, of course. I just don't know when that was exactly.

Hope

My family. I love them. They are my people; comfortable, right, and known. We all came together to be there for Cryssy at Matt's funeral. It was a Spirit-filled occasion and a wonderful testament to the truthfulness of the gospel. I look forward to the day when I can be with all of my family and friends. When distance and death no longer separate.

Running Partners

Do you know how good it feels to have a wife who likes to take care of herself and us by extension? We feel that James is old enough to go running with us (er, well, riding in a stroller while we are running, that is). So Charity and I have started to go jogging again. I must admit it feels great to run as a family for two reasons. First, of course, is the health benefit. Second, is that James looks so adorable in his outfit (thank you Kristen Crate!).

p.s. I think I look kind of fat in the last picture...

James is no couch potato

James had his six month (and a little bit) check-up today. He weighed in at 20 lbs 2.5 oz and is 28.5 inches long. The doctor was impressed by his ability to pull himself up to a standing position and his ability to crawl. She recommended getting baby gates, baby door locks, and plastic covers for our power sockets since she doesn't think it will be long before he's into everything.

Bottom's up

James has been learning to crawl and now spends most of his floor time on his hands and knees. He really wants to walk and skip the whole crawling thing so he isn't happy about it most of the time.

When he wakes up in his crib he cries from hands and knees to get our attention, even when he is half asleep. So it isn't surprising that we found him asleep with his rear in the air. He must have decided to take a short break from the crying and fell asleep. Too cute.

Incidentally, we have had to lower his crib mattress down a notch since he was the height of the crib railing when he was up on all fours. I was worried that he would launch himself over the side. Instead, every once in a while I hear thunks coming from his room has he rams his head into the crib bars (sometimes through the bumper, sometimes not). Ouch. Hopefully he will decide that isn't going to work and try a different tack soon.