January...Bliss?

Ahh, January has arrived.  This is Jeff's favorite month.  He sees new possibility each time January rolls around and this year he's already on a roll of reading his new genre of books:  graphic novels.  He's started another health challenge (aka BET) involving push-ups with a co-worker, and he's been partaking in lots of play time with his kids.  Welcome, January!

"Ugh.  It's January," is more my outlook on this wintery month.  I am trying to rest a bit more--I have been fighting cough/cold/congestion since conferences back in November.  This week I went to the doctor for the second time in the last month and found out I have a BROKEN RIB from a coughing spell I had in December.  Well, I guess that's why my side hurt...I thought it was a muscle that wasn't healing.  Sigh. This month marks the last few weeks of working 3 days/week before I switch to working 2 days/week...c'mon, February!!!  Now THAT is my month.

Josh and Grace have welcomed the routine of going back to Dianne's and are loving their new set of toys scored over Christmas.  Hopefully they adopt their father's approach to January and not their mother's...

Lochhead Christmas, 2011 (er, 2012!)

This year we celebrated Christmas with the Lochheads on New Years Day.

Oh, Henry!  This little reindeer is so sweet!  (5 months)

 The kids' table is growing...Josh got promoted for this holiday...we thought about tying him to the chair...

 Gracie, Josh, and Janers

 Gracie was quite the helper, running from opener to opener...

 Jen, Kevin, and Ryan supervising the newbies:  Lauren and Henry

Pappy was there and feeling fine, though Granny was sick and had to stay home.  She was greatly missed!  Harvey did his best to behave without his better half present.  :)

 Sweet "Gi-gi."  She was also getting over sickness...

We missed Drew and Annie at this year's celebration.  Two days prior, Annie's grandpa took a turn for the worse and D & A returned to Longview just in time to say goodbye before he passed away.  We were so glad that the timing worked out that way--but they were definitely missed on the 1st!

Next year we'll have another little Lochhead joining this cousin crew!  Can't wait for Drew and Annie's little one to arrive!  (I think we'll have to add on to the kid table in the coming years!)

Happy New Year!

 Auntie Julie and her family invited us to spend a couple of nights with them at their timeshare outside of CDA for New Year's Eve...we had such a great time!  I should've captured pictures of game-playing, puzzle-working, swimming in the indoor pool, and kids in the converted playroom with their cardboard-coloring playhouse, but, alas, we were too busy having fun to take pictures!  :)  These were the few I caught:

 Waiting for the daddies to bring the van for our excursion to the thriving metropolis of Harrison, ID...

 ...loaded in said van...

...and Gracie and Alea posing in complimentary robes.  Gracie was so excited b/c she got to stay up until midnight with "the girls."  They watched Ella Enchanted and Gracie talked her way through it, even though it was so, SO late.  "We are watching a LOT of TV.  My mommy says that if we watch too much TV our brains will turn to mush and we'll talk like this:  Bluh-buh, bluh-buh..."  Quite a tired riot!

We had a wonderful time!  Next year Julie is not escaping my camera!  :)  We love you, McInturffs!

Cousins Night IN, 2011

Kevin's eyes say it all:  Though Cousins Night Out has changed form

throughout the years, the CRAZY FUN remains...

No movie theaters, restaurants, or laser tag...

...but this year's night of pizza and chocolate mint dessert at the Showalter abode fit the bill.

Did I mention the cousin wrestling pit?  Made it the wildest Night Out yet...

...that is, unless the "artistic" pictures with the Bloomsday runners really happened...

December Stay Home Days

We loved our two weeks of "no work days for mommy and daddy!"  We were truly blessed to have time to celebrate Christmas with family and friends AND have days to be lazy.  One day Gracie even stayed in her jams until AFTER naps!

One of their favorite pastimes is The Daddy Wrestle.  Just recently they've found a way to turn Daddy into a horse--I love how Josh holds on to Grace.  Notice Jeff's pained smile...tough love.

Moser Christmas

Oooooh, what a time! The Moser gathering always proves to create...unique memories.  This is Dad's "calendar picture" for next year--somehow he always has good ones taken of him over the holidays.  :)  We drove to the farm on Christmas morning, after staying overnight with Scott and Colleen (Seahawks, 4:00 Church, and pizza make for a great Christmas Eve!).  Ben and Kelly arrived from Warden in the early afternoon, and we dove into the unwrapping giddiness after the kids woke up from naps.  This particular picture, by the way, is of Dad experiencing the noggin massager that he found in his stocking.

You'd better BELIEVE it was passed around...

Josh was very excited about his Toy Story 3 eating set--silverware, plate and cup.

Kelly, Ben, and little Clementine--NOT twins, in case my Christmas card confused anyone.  The second unborn babe mentioned in the card belongs to Drew and Annie.  Darn those rumor-starting sisters...

Legos!  Megan had Josh's name...and he had hers!  La-La-Loopsie dolls were given in return.  Notice how he's checking out the DVD--our little TV addict!

Abby and Gracie had each others' names--Gracie got a pillow pet and Abby got slippers that were VERY fuzzy on the inside (the only requirement when selecting slippers).

Kelly's brother works for Hollister, so Kelly and Ben made Brooke's entire Christmas with this gift.  Brady got his lures...and other manly fishing things that I don't know much about...

Mom gave me this great wipe-off wall hanging that my Aunt Sheyanna made!  I plan to write our weepy dinner menu on it, in attempt to get me more excited to cook...  :)  Cool, huh?  Nice work, Shey.

A boat!  Almost better than the gifts...

And then the butcher and the baker tossed overboard the candlestick maker...

Megs and Abby...American Doll pets!

Katie loves the 3 Kings...she was born on the Epiphany, you know.  :)  Rockin' Elmo and Joshy meet for the first time...THANKS, G'ma Joan!  :)

Ben is building up his shop--score!  Jeffrey unwrapping his clothes--notice the Sounders jersey I gave him for his birthday...

It takes talent to fall asleep amidst a room full of CHRISTMAS NOISE.

 And the only thing cuter than a boy and his stick horse...

 ...is his uncle who can't resist showing him how it's done!

Josh and the Big Wall...

The kids love to wrestle.  Dad is their favorite climbing toy, but they'll tackle any innocent victim sitting on the carpet.  Papa and Gracie love G'ma Joan's cookies.  I'm seeing some uncanny resemblances in these smiles...