Sunday, November 30, 2008

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.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

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!

Friday, November 21, 2008

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.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Sleeping in...

Thursday, November 13, 2008

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.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

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...


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.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Let's Dance

Hope this makes your day:



Monday, November 3, 2008

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.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

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. . .