It’s been fun to watch Amelie and Calder together, especially now that Calder is a little more aware of his surroundings. I love it when he just gazes at her, as if in awe of everything a toddler can do. And she is such a sweet big sister. She loves bringing him toys that she think he will like and playing with him. I’m looking forward to watching them grow up as siblings. And although I’m sure there will be some not-so-great sibling moments, I’m excited for these two and all they have to look forward to together.

Just hanging out in their jammies.

Calder: "I love you so much, Amelie! I just want to get as close as I possibly can to you!" Amelie: "No, wait! Too close! Too close! Let go of my hair!"

This has been an exciting month in our house. First of all, on the 5th, Calder rolled over for the first time. After that first roll, he became a rolling champ. It’s almost like he can’t help it–when you put him down on his back, he just rolls over to his tummy.

So strong!

This month also marked Amelie’s graduation into a toddler bed. I was worried that it might affect her sleep or that we would have some kind of issues transitioning her into it, but she’s been great! She was so thrilled with her “new bed” (that’s how she refers to it) and practically begged us to put her to bed the first night. She loves her bed.  There was, of course, the time I heard her crying in the middle of the night and found her sitting on the floor next to her bed, sad because she had fallen out. And then there was the morning when Bryce found her asleep on the floor by her bed. I guess she was just too tired to get back in bed! And this morning, Bryce went in to get her and found that she had been sleeping on her pillow, lying across the width of the bed.  But, other than some creative sleeping positions, this transition has been a breeze.

So excited about her new bed!

And here’s one more picture for the road:

Gotta love a baby after a bath.

Well, it’s 2009! I am excited at the prospect of a new year and the promises it holds for our family. 2008 was a terrific year for us, but I’m sure 2009 will bring its own surprises and joys. We rang in the new year in Riverton with the Haymonds (complete with a batch of my Mom’s famous artichoke dip). The next morning, Bryce and Amelie had fun in the snow while the rest of us stayed warm inside.

Shocking as it may be, considering that we live in Utah, this was Amelie's first real adventure in the snow. She loved it so much and would have played in it all day if we had let her!

A real life winter wonderland.

Calder hanging out with his Grandpa Haymond.

Calder is such a sweetheart. He always has a smile for you.

Happy as can be.

What a wonderful season of the year! We had a terrific Christmas here in Utah filled with lots of family time, gift sharing, and excitement. It was especially fun this year because Amelie was old enough to sort of grasp the concept of Santa. When we came home from visiting with family on Christmas Eve, the first thing she said as we walked through the door was “Go sleep!” She knew that Santa would come while she was sleeping. We left out cookies and milk for Santa, burned the last bit of our advent candle, and then it was time for bed. In the morning, Santa had left Amelie some great goodies, including a Teddy Ruxpin. Christmas morning was lots of fun as we opened gifts and enjoyed Jewish coffee cake. Later that evening, we exchanged gifts with the rest of the Haymond family. One of the most memorable gifts of the year was one for Mark and Brenda that we gave them the day after Christmas. In the Haymond house, it is a long-standing tradition to watch the song, “Keep Christmas With You” from Sesame Street. Originally, I believe they listened to it on cassette tape. Then, they watched the scene on a VHS tape, and now they watch most of it on DVD. It’s a great song that reminds us to keep the spirit of the season with us all year long. This year, I got the brothers together and had them sing the song for their parents, with me playing the violin and Angela accompanying on piano. It was very special and a memory that I’m sure we will all treasure. I am so grateful for a time of the year when generosity and good cheer are abundant and when we can remember the ultimate gifts of hope and salvation given to us by our Savior, Jesus Christ. We only wish we could have spent it with all of our loved ones. Here are some pictures from this wonderful time:

Amelie--pretty in green.

Here's Amelie playing with Bryce's childhood train set.

This year, we had the first Haymond grandchildren nativity scene. Amelie was Mary and Calder had the honor of being baby Jesus. It went suprisingly well and was a sweet reenactment of those holy events.

Surrounded by stable animals... 🙂

Bryce and Amelie looking through the fun album Grandma Austin sent with pictures of her two cats.

Raven and Amelie enjoying the morning.