recent moments

warning: this is the first mega photo post of 2009. and it has definitely earned the title "mega." i figure most everyone would prefer seeing pics over reading anything i have to say... so, here you go. feel free to skip the text if you don't care about the particulars.

santa blessed ryder with his very own tricycle for Christmas. he's doing awesome!... cruisin' along just fine.

down in the courtyard playing with our chalk buddies. thanks, aunt stacie!!

one of our recent family home evenings was about family - specifically, who is apart of our family and how we can make each other happy. it's so fun to hear ryder later talk about our lessons and the things he's learned. while playing in the courtyard one day, he asked me to draw our family. i am so not artistic, but he was pleased.

todd and ryder heading to the UCSF pool (indoor, of course) for an afternoon of fun. don't you like todd's facial expression?

we've been "teaching" cannon how to sleep. he's had naps mastered for awhile, falling asleep all on his own. but nighttime is a different story. for some reason, he thinks he's suppose to eat every two hours - both morning and night. so, we've been letting him cry it out. todd can't take it. all of the crying breaks his big heart. one night, after almost two hours of crying, i found todd sound asleep on ryder's floor. at least one of us is getting some sleep.

building forts is a favorite pasttime around here. and what better to do in a fort than cuddle up with 100+ stuffed animals, 10 pillows, 3 books, 1 blanket and 0 clothes?

ryder heard me taking pictures and peered out to see what all of the commotion was about... i love how you can just barely see his little eyes. he is our very imaginative little boy. the other day, out of the blue and with great animation, he told me a story about how i was flying in an airplane, saw a stranded turtle on a cliff, and successfully saved him with my trusty rope as the turtle started to fall. mom saves the day again!

todd rarely makes it home for lunch these days. something about patients, research, work and studying has to do with it. but we were lucky enough to have him here with us one sunny afternoon in the park.

our january was quite warm and sunny. we made our way over to crissy field to enjoy the scenery. i didn't want to leave!! it was so gorgeous and relaxing!

todd and ryder with the beautiful golden gate.

todd had to teach his class a lecture on 'caries risk' recently - and he'll teach it again to the third year students in a few weeks. his presentation slides close with this great photo. ryder loves brushing the sugar bugs away!... most of the time.

if we could only get ryder to eat his food all on his own!!... he definitely knows how. he just doesn't like to do it. he would much rather make binoculars out of his sippy and fork. and why not? you can find some great animals around and under the dinner table with such great binoculars!

our man "canny" helping me make dinner. he loves to grab (or pinch) anything and everything within reach - including but not limited to my hair, any lose clothing, skin, ears, toys, hot oatmeal, book pages, ryder's applesauce, etc. making dinner with my "helpful" little man can be tricky sometimes.

ahhhh. bella. ryder's true love.... at least according to us. what is he going to do without her for these next four+ years?! bella was over at our house the other day, and we had a little diarreah incident. no worries, though. she was happy to take a bath and use the snowman towel! she's so darling!

...and as luck would have it, ryder paid jen back by blessing her with the same scenario at her house. but this time, ryder was the one in need of a bath.

"canny-can" (as he is affectionately called by ryder) enjoying his bumbo. it's taken him some time to learn to like this thing... but we're doing fine now.

cannon and his "arranged" best friend noah (bella's brother). won't it be fun for cannon and noah to be best buds and roommates at byu and then be there to see bella and ryder get married? we can't wait. :)