Trips, Holidays, and Loads of Fun

In mid-December we went to Utah to attend the wedding of Becca, one of my mission companions. Liliana handled her first airplane trip like a champ - although she refused to nap either at the airport or on the plane. We had a great time visiting with family and friends while we were in Utah. Liliana got to play with her cousins, Kaden and Daxton, and I got to spend time with my parents, and my siblings (Renee, Joey, and Ren's husband, Larry). David and I really enjoyed the spirit that was present during the beautiful wedding ceremony. It was only the third live sealing I have been able to attend and it was wonderful.

Upon returning to Washington we were hit with a long stretch of cold, snowy, and windy weather (must be the effects of global warming). The iced over snowy roads made for interesting driving conditions when we went to David's extended family Christmas Eve party. Also, as a result of all the snow and ice, a number of flights were canceled at the airport. This made our plans for flying standby to California to visit my grandparents impossible. We were told that Christmas day was a good day to fly standby because most people were already where they wanted to be so there was usually some space available on the planes. However, with the tens of thousands of people who hadn't made it to their destinations, that changed everything. We have been continuing to check flight availability and we're hoping to make it to L.A. tomorrow so Great Grandma and Grandpa Jovet can spend some time with Liliana (and us, if they're interested).

The day after Christmas we had a little game night with some good friends and their spouses who all happened to be in town for the holidays. Then yesterday we attended my Grandma Thompson's Christmas party and got a picture of Liliana with Santa (my great Uncle Joe). I thought Liliana was going to cry or at least be unhappy about sitting on his lap, but she just kept looking at him like she was trying to figure him out. We even got her to turn around and smile for a picture!

Well, the new year is fast upon us. Liliana will turn one year old in less than a month! David will finish his last class this quarter and graduate in March! I should be done with my degree by June. After that....the sky is the limit! I wonder what new adventures await us this year...

Giving Thanks

Liliana's first Thanksgiving has already come and gone. She tried a little of almost everything on my plate and seemed to like it all. We celebrated Thanksgiving with David's family at his aunt and uncle's home on Angle Lake. Liliana was one of three babies in the family who were celebrating their first Thanksgiving. Liliana, being a curious kid, picked up a set of 1 pound hand weights after dinner (I guess she wanted to work of some of those extra calories) and was holding them up and out, showing them off to anyone who would pay attention. I managed to snap a couple of photos before she held them up to high over her head and the weight carried her backwards. Her face changed from a big grin to a look of complete surprise as she tipped over and ended up lying flat on her back. After a taking a moment to let what had happened sink in, Liliana began to cry very loudly. I'm pretty sure she was more upset by the shock of what had happened than hurt.

Liliana has a seventh tooth coming in now. She decided to try out that new tooth on me one morning when I was nursing her. Let's just say that I let out a yelp, she drew blood, and I refused to nurse her for a little while after that. Luckily for her, she hasn't tried to chomp on me again because I won't hesitate to wean her instantly if she pulls that once more!

My great aunt Deb gave Liliana a little rocking horse. Liliana has figured out how to rock it back and forth as well as bounce up and down on it. She really likes to play on that toy. The other day she got a little confused between trying to rock it back and forth and trying to bounce up and down and she started shaking her head back and forth, not going anywhere. It was pretty funny to watch.

We set up our Christmas tree on Saturday. Liliana enjoys pulling the ornaments off the bottom branches, but doesn't seem to pay much attention to the tree as a whole. Luckily David and I were thinking when we purchased our decorations on our first Christmas together and bought all plastic decorations (the ones that look glass, but are kid friendly).

Liliana has begun to say, "hi" in response to others who say it to her. It sounds more like, "eye-eeee" but it is really cute. She is also waving like a champ now (before she would only wave sometimes - I guess she just had to be in the mood - but now she'll do it any time someone waves to her. Another thing she is doing is standing without support - though she gets nervous and sits down and soon as she realizes that she's doing it. It is amazing to see how much she is learning and growing. I can't believe that she's 10 and a half months old already! Time sure does fly when you're having fun.