Go, Mighty Cougars!

The semester is rapidly closing at BYU and I couldn't be more excited. It has been almost seven years since I started at BYU and I will finally don a cap and gown next month. It is a little embarrassing to admit that it has taken me SO long to finish, but I feel that what I have a achieved at BYU has been so much more than just a degree. Here are a few of the things that have happened since starting at BYU:

Spent a summer working in NYC

Worked for EFY
Got married

Had a child

Faced the dreaded C-word: Cancer

Became close to fluent in Spanish

Supported our family (with lots of help from Dave) and have finished with next to no debt

Strengthed my testimony more than I ever thought possible

This list may not seem impressive to anyone else, but as I think back to all of the trials that I've had to overcome and lessons that I've had to learn, I realize how grateful I am that I made the choice to attend BYU. There is no other university in the world that could have helped me grow in spirituality and in education the way that BYU has allowed me to. I will miss being an official Cougar, but once a Cougar, always a Cougar!

Talking

Emily says so many words now, and I thought I would document her vocabulary. So far, she can say (not just mimics, but she associates the word with the object): mama, dada, yes, no, keys, ball, block, bath, woof (like a dog), meow, quackquack, Nancy, Robbie, Grandma, Grandpa, amen, hi, bye, more please, string cheese, french toast, milk, pizza, bite, yogurt, that, thanks, all done, yummy, pray, bath, and night night. That's all I can think of right now, but the vocab grows everyday. I think its so funny that most of her words have to do with food-she is definitely her father's daughter!

December Highlights

We did so many fun things in December and absolutely loved being on vacation over Christmas break. We were able to spend a full week in Concord with Dave's family and then spend a few days in Washington with my sister's family and my parents. It was a TON of drving and after we got back, Emily would cry any time I got on the freeway. I don't think she wants to go on a road trip any time soon! Here are some of the hightlights of December:
1. Llamas walking down our street on Sunday

2. Emily's first time playing in the snow

A little timid in the beginning...

Crying when I made her come back in.

3. Yoga poses

4. Christmas in CA

5. Trip to Leavenworth

Soo Long!

It has been so long since I've posted-we've been so busy! I'll get some pictures up soon for the "Best of December and January." Dave and I both started school. I'm student teaching right now and will finally walk across the graduation stage in April-YAY! Emily is getting bigger and too smart for her own good everyday. More to come!

Ward Christmas Party

We were so excited that Dave had the night off and we were able to go to our Ward Party. Emily sat on Santa's lap for the first time, which went way better than I anticipated. She was a little unsure at first, then he handed her a candy cane and she was like putty in his hands.

Thanksgiving in Tehachapi

We had a lot of fun spending Thanksgiving in Tehachapi, and we did a lot while we were there, so of course, the time went way too quickly! Here are some of the things we did:

We played with Hunter,

We ate lots of yummy food,

We went to Chuck E.Cheese with the family,

Emily learned how to pose like Spiderman :)

We threw Ryan a surprise party,

And we tried to keep Emily entertained on the drive home.

So much fun! We're sad it's over, but Christmas is coming!

Monkey-ing Around

Emily got into our medical supply cabinet (athletic tape, band-aids, etc: not medicine thankfully) and as her "punishment," Dave hog-tied her with some pre-wrap. She actually thought it was pretty funny.

Our little Dr. Emily.