Holiday Happenings

We enjoyed Christmas Eve with family.

We had a wonderful dinner and program at the Princes.

Grayson was able to open one gift.

He loved opening presents this year.

Christmas morning was a dream for him!

This was our first Christmas on our own.

We had a wonderful time, but it sure was quiet!

At this time and always we are so grateful for the love

of our family, friends and our Savior Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas!

Visiting the White House National Christmas Tree

Arizona's Tree

Left of the National Christmas Tree is the White House
...You can't get very close to it

Strider's school Christmas party

Grayson with Santa...

Very excited to get a candy cane!

Strider's Nicaragua Nativity displayed at the DC Visitor Center.

We have visited lots to see the lights and the Temple

-especially since Grayson loves seeing the Angel Moroni!

The next pictures are of an amazing natural display

at the Botanic Gardens. Grayson loved the trains the most!

As you can see we've been trying to stay busy because still- NO baby!

We sure have been enjoying our time with this little man though...

Poor Little Guy

Yesterday was a rough day for Grayson.

He fell down the stairs from our front door to the sidewalk.

No stitches, but it was close.The inside of his

lip has a huge gash. Bad mom moment.

So glad he's ok. What a trooper! He is acting like himself today

and somehow still trying to give kisses.

December Details

Strider has been studying like crazy lately and will *thankfully* be done with finals and his first semester of Med School in a week. That's right 1 week... which means we get Strider at home for 2 weeks. Hooray! No school or tests.

It also means baby #2 can come anytime from then until January 3rd (when Stride goes back to school). We have our hospital bag packed and we're excited to get this baby here when he's ready! I am about 36 weeks and will be starting my weekly apointments next week. We have a few names in mind, but nothing set in stone yet. Grayson is aware that something is coming, but won't really get it until we bring his little brother home. However, this morning he came in telling me "brother soon".

Next I had some pics to add... Before you view them I should probably preface it with the fact that Grayson and the baby will be sharing a dresser and I rearranged Grayson's drawers and he didn't seem to know it when he brought Strider down his jammies the other night.... Needless to say Strider thought I'd get a kick out of our white trash baby... he was right!

Gettysburg

Thanksgiving weekend we took a family trip

to learn more about Gettysburg.

Sitting with Abraham Lincoln-

President at the time of the American Civil War.
Grayson in front of the Visitor's Center.
Here we went to a film, museum and cyclorama
painting about the war.
Grayson had fun... and loved saying "Gettysburg!"

Stride & Little G

Next we went on an Auto Tour while Grayson took a nap.

This first picture shows the terrain and cannons to the left

This is the Virginia Memorial with

Confederate General Robert E. Lee atop...

He followed his fellow Virgianians when the state seceded.

He lost so much in the war even one of his popular estates,

which was turned into the Arlington National Cemetery!

These next 2 pictures are of the battlefield below on Little Round Top

The statue of Father Corby- who spoke a few words with his

right hand raised before his Irish Brigade went to battle.
AKA "Fair Catch Corby", as its resemblance to a football

player giving a fair-catch signal.

Pennsylvania Memorial. The bronze tablets below contain the names

of every PA soldier present during the time of Gettysburg.