Up to This Point...

It's a bit sad how quickly time flies--my New Year's resolution to blog weekly never even had a chance...nor did the reformed goal to blog once a month...oops.

So, well, in to February, I come back again, hoping to capture in a brief, picture-filled post, everything that has happened in the past nearly 3 months. In a few words:

Rosie.
Grad school.
Work promotion.
Christmas, holidays, and family.

That about sums it up.  I'll add a few quick notes between this long line of pictures and end with a promise to be back on soon--and with some pictures from 2013! (we've switched recently to taking video rather than pictures since Rosie has been so mobile and entertaining, but I don't know how to upload them...)

My apologies, none of these Rosie pictures take place past her 6 or almost 7 month mark--she is almost 9 months now and crawling EVERYWHERE and standing up and shuffling around objects. She actually has hair now and refuses to stay still for diaper changes or bath-time--she loves to be MOVING! She likes the car unless it stops too long at a traffic light and then she starts complaining.  She is not afraid of other kids anymore and loves playing with her cousins Elizabeth, Matthew, and William as well as her neighborhood friend Cedar.  Rosie never went through a shy stage--it might be because she stayed with so many different people while I raced up to campus to go to class or teach.

For Thanksgiving we left the chilly Utah weather and headed to sunny and dry Arizona to see Rosie's other cousins (Alyssa, Rebecca, Samara, Westin, and Celeste) and enjoy hiking with Grandma and Grandpa.  The food was stupendous.

Rosie's 1st Christmas brought some wonderful memories as well.  Dustin and I dressed up--plaid shirts, ear-muffs, gloves, etc.--in order to "cut-down" and set up our oh-so-authentic 3 foot fake tree.  Fun times.  Rosie got lots of fun gifts but had more fun waving paper and bows around then she did getting presents--she'll get it better next year, I'm sure :) We loved seeing the beautiful lights at Temple Square over the break as well.

She is the chubbiest, cutest baby ever and she and I have so much fun at home avoiding the stairs and exploring each nook and cranny.  I love this girl so much!

Dustin has gone from a one-man-band at work to hiring, training, and managing his own team, so he has been extremely busy.  I SURVIVED my first semester of grad school (whew!) and have been even more busy this semester since I began to teach a freshman writing course as well.  My students rock, though, and so far everything has worked out.  We are super busy but loving every moment we have together.  2013, here we come!!!