We spent Chinese New Year with the Utah fam. As always, Malinda totally outdid us with some amazing dishes. For some reason my crunchy rice and mushy stir fry weren't a huge hit. 

After the holidays, things picked up with our house and we got a great offer last week! We still haven't found a place to move to, so anybody up for us bunking with them? :)  We have to be out of the house by February 10th! Luckily, I've been able to find several places to rent that allow dogs while we keep looking for a home. So we're packing up all our stuff again...

Look at this wonderful man! He does all the nasty work while I sit inside the warm house and play with Sydney. Thank you, baby. I'm such a lucky girl.

It looks like we have another basketball fan in the house. Our friends Adam and Mary Rose hooked us up with some great seats at the Jazz game last Saturday and we all had a blast, especially Sydney.

don't ask me who they were playing against...my brain doesn't store sports data for very long

The noises didn't seem to bother her a bit. And I think she ended up understanding more of the game than her mommy

thanks, guys, for such a great night!

luckily Sydney takes after her daddy's tall genes and won't have to be chosen last for sports teams as she gets bigger. :)

halfway through the game she got tuckered out. How do babies sleep through all that noise?

I had big plans for this moment. I waited six long months with great anticipation. I researched guidelines and suggestions from the La Leche League, doctors, and friends, determined to do this perfectly. And then suddenly one night, at the last minute and totally unprepared for the event, I felt a sudden urgency to just feed her right then and there. She was still on the mend from a cold, it was 9 at night, the kitchen was a pigsty, and some people in the house were in a grumpy mood (I won't mention names in case he reads this). :]  I just grabbed a banana, a big bowl and spoon, and started feeding her. I broke all the rules, but it didn't seem to hurt her -in fact, she really enjoyed it, and has been loving real food ever since.

I might need to invest in some baby spoons...

I think Haley was a bit jealous that she's waited 2 years and still isn't allowed people food

Sydney was so eager to get more, I could barely keep up. She finally grabbed the bowl and tried to feed herself.

All in all, it was a successful night. And her enthusiasm fixed everyone's grumpy mood. 

Since the whole family only gets together every two years, it's pretty important to get some family shots done. And what better place to take them than the beautiful beaches of southern California?! I had a lot of fun doing them, and we got a friend to help press the shutter for the big group shot. We'll see how much bigger the family will be in another 2 years...maybe a few more grandkids and even another spouse or two! :)

I'll probably do some head swapping later to get all the kids looking at the camera (almost impossible to achieve on the day with 7 little tykes!)

Tony and his wife, Sarah, with Ryan (4), Leah (7 wks), and Ben (2)

Malinda and James and sweet little Mason (16 mos.)

Marshall & Jennie and Isaac (2) and Meili (7 mos.)

me and my babies (by the way, Sydney turns 6 months tomorrow!)

such a beautiful couple!

Grandma & Grandpa and their 7 grandkids!

and, of course, you always have to get some diaper and bare bummie shots on the beach

the three youngest boys, Isaac, Ben, & Mason

goofy Mason, testing out the sand

The great part about spending a 2 week Christmas break with the whole family is the chance to play with all my adorable nieces and nephews! I absolutely LOVE kids, and I happen to be related to some of the cutest ones on the planet. Here are a few pictures of Tony and Sarah's little ones that I took during the break. 

Ben (2) with his teddy bear that he carries around and sleeps with every night. Ben is such a sweetie and so cuddly!

Ryan (4). He's so sharp and has such a fun personality. He picks things up so fast. I showed him how to use my camera, and within minutes he was taking great pictures!

Leah (7 weeks). Absolutely precious! Still in that rolly-polly stage. She looks a lot like her daddy and her big brother, Ryan. 

Nothing beats southern California weather! A couple days after Christmas we spent the day at the beach playing in the sand, kayaking, and even swimming! What a wonderful break from cold and snowy Utah. I think I see a bit of color and freckles returning to my face. Sydney loved being outdoors and posing for her auntie in her sun hat. Afterwards, we all went to the Ventura Harbor pier for some fish and chips for dinner and enjoyed the beautiful sunset. 

Every year when our family is together during New Year's Eve, we always end up with a sorry attempt of a party, where most of us drop off before 11pm. So this year we vowed to make it a big bash. But we ended up watching a movie and just pausing it 5 minutes before midnight, and then running around the kitchen finding party goodies, grabbing our cameras, and trying to find an accurate clock. The girls gathered around the microwave clock, counting down the last few minutes, when we suddenly heard car alarms in the neighborhood go off, and all the boys of the house starting to dance around the house blowing their noise-makers and banging pots and pans. So we missed the whole "counting down" experience and ended up with a very silly and disorganized 5-minute party before turning back on our movie. 

pretending to have a wild party

my dad running around like a loon with an apron on his head 3 minutes before our clock said 12

all the noises woke up Sydney, so she got her first New Year's Eve party, and her mommy got to spend the rest of the night with a restless child!

Sydney was very excited to join the party, as you can see