First Trip to the Zoo

Woohoo! Who doesn't love the zoo, right? Last Saturday was the Melaleuca Zoo Day, and even though Ellie is not even three months yet we figured, "Why not?" We arrived just as the wind was blowing some giant, gray clouds in but fortunately the rain held off and we enjoyed the cool weather as we walked.

Doesn't our child look so thrilled to be there? =) She had a hard time containing herself.

This was taken in a big bird cage you walked through, and there were two little duck-like/chicken birds (the scientific name) that kept trying to escape every time someone opened the door. It was funny. I guess they were feeling a bit like "jailbirds."

Here's Eric posing by some "manly" animals. Is that Eliora waking up?

Zebras! They even had a baby zebra with brown stripes. "Look, Ellie, a baby like you!" Thank goodness she didn't come out that big...

Eric's "SCARED" face.

Eric's "SCARY" face.

Next the pelicans. Ellie was about finished with the stroller by then.

And finally, one of my favorites: the peacocks. You know, for a little place like Idaho Falls, I'd say the zoo is fantastic. There's a good variety of animals, it's clean, creative, and not so big that you spend hours walking and only see half of the animals. I think it is a great place for any kid (or grownup) to spend the day and look forward to many more trips in the future. =)

Thoughts of Randomness

It has been a while since I posted anything. It seems all my time goes to taking care of Eliora, and then if I get any brief break, I use it to clean my living room which is a disaster of exploding memory boxes, pictures, and old school reports from both Eric and I which I am trying to sort through. I don't think I realized how long this project would take when only done in 10-20 minute intervals. And no, I won't be posting any pictures of it because it's HIDEOUS.

But let me move on. Blogging has taken a backseat for a bit and now I need to catch up. Ellie is a Smiler now!!! Yay! And her mommy loves it. Of course, she has to be in a pretty content mood, but that's not too difficult. She is also good at "talking" with little sing-song notes that are adorable and seems to love the sound of her own voice (as do we).

And here is a picture of the cute little princess taking a bath. I love her tiny, soft, baby body and watching her try to figure out how to move those little legs and arms. She has grown to love the bath and can kick up a puddle if you don't watch out! Daddy is also fun to watch bathing Ellie because he is so meticulous. And she sure smells sweet when he's finished!

Next we move on to a subject I'm not so thrilled about. Can you see it in the picture? I know it's small but the fact that you can see it at all attests to its size.

SPIDERS!!! I could have put my hand next to it for size comparison...YAH RIGHT! This is the famous eastern Idaho brand of "hobo spider." They're big and poisonous, and this is they're most active time of year. I hate them! I don't mind so much when I find them outside in "wild nature," but when I find them in my house, then they are in MY territory and have got to go. And of course being the ferocious warrior woman I am, I send Eric to take care of it =).

This next sad picture is a great illustration of my shopping experience about a month ago. Ellie and I went to get our weekly groceries and about halfway through she began to fuss. It got bad enough that I had to take her out of the car seat and hold her to prevent a major disturbance in the store. Things calmed a bit, but she really wanted to be bounced in my arms and that requires two hands. So shopping was longer, soon she wanted to eat, I struggled to balance my floppy infant while pushing a grocery cart, and even putting items into the cart was a challenge (forget bagging vegetables!). Bah! By the time I finally reached the checkout we were both VERY ready to leave. Fortunately, a very kind woman who had talked to me earlier in the store was there to help me get all the groceries out of the cart and bag them. It was a simple gesture of kindness that was so meaningful in my moment of frustration. Her example made me want to reach out more to others and follow the Spirit's nudges for good. How grateful I am for a Heavenly Father who is aware of us, and sends others to help! And for those willing to listen when he sends =).

Finally, I write of an exciting event last month that came much sooner than expected: our first wedding anniversary! Yay! Eric and I both agree that it passed MUCH faster than those months leading up to getting married. Time seems to have flown! And yet, haven't we always been together? We spent the evening at home but dressed up for a candlelit dinner in the kitchen. We took a bite of our wedding cake top as tradition requires, and regretted not having eaten more of it last year when it still tasted like cake and not freezer (good thing we had a backup dessert). And finally to top off our romantic evening we had a slow dance. Of course, Ellie was fully awake and so she joined in too. It was a joyful event for the whole family =). I'm so grateful for the kind man who became my husband, and for the precious daughter we were able to bring into the world because of our union. I LOVE BEING MARRIED!

(Thank you, Eric)

Life Is Precious

Well, here are some more pictures of the princess. I don't have any fabulous new stories to tell other than to say she is wonderful and growing quickly. We go in to the doctor today to check on her progress so we will find out how much she has gained (if only Mommy's weight would go down as much as she goes up...). She turns one month old on Wednesday. Wow, that went fast. We love her. She is sweet and fun, and I am anxiously awaiting her smiles which will soon come.

I was digging through my cedar chest this past week and pulled out my old blessing dress. Just for fun, I tried it on Ellie (even though she didn't much like so much dressing and undressing). I was amazed at how much she reminded me of me in her expressions and looks. Fortunately she has plenty of Eric in her as well. What a blessing for us both to be a part of the miracle of her creation!

Last night while with some friends we learned that a couple in our ward might possibly lose their two year old little girl during the night. She'd had flu-like symptoms the day before which turned out to be meningitis and was in the hospital. This was so unexpected. It made me sad to think of this wonderful could lose their sweet, little girl overnight. When we got home and I held Eliora again I started crying to imagine how I would feel to lose her. Life is so precious; it is a gift every day. The small inconveniences are nothing in the eternal weight of things. I am grateful to be alive, for the life of my daughter and husband, and for the One who grants it to us. I hope I never take it for granted.

First Time to Church

First off, doesn't she just look adorable in this little dress? I love little girl dresses. This one is still a little big for her but I didn't really care. How fun it is to have a baby girl!

So, this past Sunday was our first Sunday at church as a whole family, and honestly it feels like everything is different. First off, getting ready for church was much harder. Ellie finally finished her morning feeding at 8:30, leaving me with half an hour to get ready...yah right. Needless to say, we were late. And second, your whole mindset changes when you have someone depending on you 100%. I felt slightly out of focus as I tried paying attention to the speakers while keeping in tune to what type of cry Ellie was giving (hungry? wet? more attention?). I can definitely see that the world of parenthood is a whole new world.

With that said, I must also mention how beautiful this new world is. This is the time when all of the virtues we learned so much about growing up come in to bloom. This is when we must put into practice every Christlike characteristic we have ever tried to develop, and then try to develop some more. And this is when it is most rewarding. Watching my little baby sleep, or feeling her tiny fingers wrap around mine while she is eating makes me unbelievably happy. Such small things that create such big feelings. It is wonderful! And I love being a mommy.

I know Eric feels much the same way. Last night in our home evening after singing "I Am a Child of God" he mentioned how he has never before looked at the song from a parent's perspective, but now he does (WE do) and the meaning of the song has taken on added beauty. Let me add one more thought from last night's lesson. This is from a talk by James E. Faust called "The Greatest Challenge in the World - Good Parenting":

Parental teaching moments need not be big or dramatic or powerful. We learn this from the Master Teacher. Charles Henry Parkhurst said:

“The completed beauty of Christ’s life is only the added beauty of little inconspicuous acts of beauty—talking with the woman at the well; showing the young ruler the stealthy ambition laid away in his heart that kept him out of the Kingdom of Heaven; … teaching a little knot of followers how to pray; kindling a fire and broiling fish that his disciples might have a breakfast waiting for them when they came ashore from a night of fishing, cold, tired, and discouraged. All of these things, you see, let us in so easily into the real quality and tone of [Christ’s] interests, so specific, so narrowed down, so enlisted in what is small, so engrossed with what is minute.” (“Kindness and Love,” in Leaves of Gold, Honesdale, Pa.: Coslet Publishing Co., 1938, p. 177.)

And so it is with being parents. The little things are the big things sewn into the family tapestry by a thousand threads of love, faith, discipline, sacrifice, patience, and work.

Look What the Stork Brought!

Well, happy day, and what a surprise: our little girl made an early entrance into the world and has already captured our hearts. She is so precious, and we feel very blessed to have her in our family. And we LOVE being parents! I loved what Eric said earlier this week. He mentioned how he has been thinking how cool it sounds to think he is a daddy, but even cooler is to think that he has a DAUGHTER. I have walked in on several occasions to find Eric holding our sleeping baby in his arms and studying her face. It is so sweet. I love that! It is so fun holding Eliora, looking at her tiny, perfect body, listening to her tender squeaks as she sleeps, watching her dark, observant eyes scan your face, feeling her little fingers wrap around yours...truly there can be no greater work on earth than that of being a parent.

Let me sum up how it all happened. The Friday before she was born was my last day of work (yay!). I had what felt like menstrual cramps all day but thought they were merely Braxton Hicks contractions because they were too short and too irregular to be the real thing. The next day was my baby shower with my family attending, and the cramps continued. Still, I didn't worry. We spent the day shopping, planning, and doing activities together while my parents were in town (I even worked on taxes...while in labor I later learned). They left just before 11:00. About an hour later as I climbed into bed, my water broke. I remember jumping, and gasping, and Eric looked over and asked what was wrong. I think I had a stunned look on my face when I said, "I think my water just broke."

Fortunately my sister and her husband had decided to stay the night. We ended up going to the hospital on very short notice with the intention of just making sure the baby's heartbeat was good and then coming home to wait for labor to be regular. At the hospital, after being monitored for about 20 minutes, it was clear that contractions were very regular, long, and getting stronger. We stayed, and called my sister to bring all the extra things we didn't think we'd needed to bring. When my dilation was finally checked, they found I was at an 8. Holy cow! It was going way faster than we expected. All that kept going through my head was, "This is way too fast. I'm not ready, I haven't cleaned my house, I haven't finished my shopping, and our midwife is out of town. She can't come yet!" But come she did. She was born not 4 fours hours after arriving at the hospital and we were parents before we had time to blink. Crazy!

Eliora was born on Sunday, March 28th (which happens to be my sister, Heather's birthday) at 3:43am (you can bet we didn't get any sleep all night) which was three weeks early. She weighed 6lbs. 9oz. and was 21 inches long. She has a good amount of brown hair (very different from her mommy who was bald at birth) and beautiful, deep eyes (they look so wise). I remember when she was coming out and the doctor saying, "She's got a lot of dark hair," and thinking, "Dark hair? She won't look like either of us!" But I love it. She's very cute. And, I should note, even with how caught off guard we were and how mentally unprepared I was to give birth, we were able to do it without medication. Eric was by me the whole time, encouraging me and helping me. It was so nice to have him there and feel how much he cared. I couldn't have done it without him. It was incredibly intense and difficult, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. I've already been brainstorming what new things to try for next time since in this last one I forgot so much of what we learned in our class. Oh well. All is well.

Eliora is here, and we love her more than words can describe. It is amazing how you can love someone so much in such a short amount of time. Clearly it is a gift from our Heavenly Father, showing us in just a small way how He loves us.

Last Trimester!

Well, I honestly feel a little uncomfortable with the prego-pictures (not on anyone else - just me), but I did promise Heather I would post a photo, so here I go. We are now entering the final trimester of our pregnancy! The belly is something to get used to, and I know I still have three months to go, but yikes I feel huge already. I love maternity pants because they are so comfy. As far as other clothes go, I've always worn my clothes fairly loose so most have room to stretch.

I love watching when Eliora is in a big kicking mood because my stomach twitches in the weirdest ways and it makes me laugh. How does she even have room to move in there? What is she doing, karate? Sleeping has become a little difficult at times, especially because I love to sleep on my back and that's not really an option anymore. Eric is very good though at tucking me in or giving me a little massage when I need to help me relax.

I took my glucose test last week and it looks like all is well (or at least, they haven't called me so I'm guessing that is a good sign). Our Bradley Method birthing class continues on - once a week - and it has been very educational. We are slowly easing away our fears of the birthing process and gaining confidence in our ability to have a baby without medication. I think it will be a great experience and am praying no unexpected complications arise. I especially look forward to working together with my husband as a TEAM to bring this precious life into the world. I know he will be key to helping me through the whole process; he gives me courage to do it.

And I mustn't forget to mention my Heavenly Father. It is He who gave me this great experience of carrying a special spirit child within me and helping to create a body for her. He has given this blessing to both Eric and I. With all of my excitement, anxiety, anticipation, and worries, I have an increased appreciation for my Father in Heaven, and ALL parents who sacrifice so much on behalf of their children. I hope I can learn to be as they are.

Our Snowmen

Here is a funny. It makes me smile more and more whenever I think about it.

Eric, with his cute creative self, made me a surprise last Saturday. We had just received a heap-load of snow and it was everywhere, including our street which by the way doesn't get plowed so the cars struggled a bit. Anyway, we both had to work but Eric arrived home a few hours before I did. While I was away he got busy making some snowmen in the front yard. If you can't tell from the pictures, one is a boy and the other a girl. He, of course, is the boy snowman and you'll notice that on his twiggy little arms are some buff snow "biceps." He also carved a six-pack into his stomach to show what a macho guy he is. The girl snow-woman is me and she had been given a generous amount of snow to her midsection (for "pregnant" - Eric won't let me say "fat"). When I drove up and saw him working on these snow creatures I couldn't help but shake my head and roll my eyes, all while smiling.

But that's not the best part! When I got out of the car and voiced my opinion of our look-alikes he said, "Should we do a c-section?" to which I promptly replied "No!" with a shocked face. I thought he was joking until he started chiseling away at my snow-woman's stomach with the shovel. He had something in there and I couldn't help but be curious. Finally he removed enough snow to show a small cave with a "snow-baby" inside: a mini snowman with three snowballs and stick arms and everything! It caught me by surprise. At first I was just impressed with his creativity, but then a part of me thought how strange it was at the same time. I think I reacted with, "That's sick," and Eric just laughed. Even so, it was kind of cute and silly all at once. Now I just look back and still shake my head and roll my eyes, still smiling. What a funny husband I've caught! He certainly makes me laugh and keeps life exciting.

P.S. - The snowpeople are holding hands if you didn't notice.

Thank Goodness for Little Girls!

Sorry, I'm a bit slow at getting the info out, and I don't have a great picture yet, but WE ARE HAVING A GIRL! I think 90% of guesses said it was a boy, but the feminine genes have won out. This is a rarity on Eric's side of the family seeing that Eric's dad has 3 brothers, his mom has 3 brothers, Eric has 2 brothers and only one sis, and two nephews. However, on my side of the family, girls seem to be the norm. I have many girl cousins and only sisters. But at any rate, we are both very excited. Eric told me a long time ago that he always thought it would be fun to have a girl first and I guess he got his wish. We have decided to name her Eliora Kristine Jones. Eliora, I think, sounds very pretty though it is not common at all. We thought it would be nice because we could call her Ellie for short. It also means "the Lord is my light" which makes it even nicer. Kristine is my middle name, named after my mother, which will now be passed to her, and then Jones of course comes naturally. Eliora Kristine Jones. I think it sounds lovely, and Eric agreed. She is starting to kick a little more and from the ultrasound 3 weeks ago she looks very healthy and is growing fine. We're just anxious to meet her! I know, we have a ways to go, but still, it's like waiting for a very special Christmas present that takes 9 months to prepare and that there's no way of peeking at until it's born (though I guess you could count the ultrasound as a peek). I wonder what she looks like...what her personality is like...whose facial features she resembles. Only time will tell! 4 months to go!

The Baby Kicking!

Well, I don't have any cool photos to illustrate this post, only description. This past week was the first I really thought I was feeling our little baby kick. I've suspected it before but could never tell with all of the other strange changes in my body and weird digestive moods. On Thursday I had my day off and was doing something seated on the couch, very relaxed. I felt a few bumps from the inside, very quiet and small, and thought they must be the baby because nothing else could have caused them. It was an exciting revelation for me because there aren't too many outward signs yet that a baby is growing. Sometimes I look for that little reminder that there really is something there and I'm not just imagining. 18 weeks! Crazy. We go to the doctor this week and then will schedule another visit two weeks later to find out the gender. Wahoo!

A Bun in the Oven!

Ta dah!!! A miracle is born! Oh wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. A miracle is on the way. Yes, we're having a BABY!!! Can you believe it? I can't believe it! In fact, I almost thought it had to be fake or that my mind was just playing tricks on me until we visited the doctor and had our first ultra sound. It's for real! I was only 10 weeks along then, but still they were able to poke it and we watched it move. It was only about 3 centimeters long then - about the size of a cinnamon bear. Now we're at about 13 weeks (tomorrow) so it should be a bit bigger. My all-day queasiness is finally starting to wear off and food is beginning to be appetizing again. What craziness! My body is going through all these changes, and so are my emotions. But one thing is for sure, and that is that Eric and I are very happy and excited. We look forward to this next step - and challenge! - in our lives and all the responsibilities that come with it. Best of all, my child will have Eric for a daddy, and my daddy for a grandpa! Can it get better than that? Maybe grandma =). Our due date is Aril 19, just a few months after my sister has her second. Our kids will be friends, of course. Now if only we could cut the distance...

On a personal note, I just wanted to say how much I look forward to being a parent. Of course I know kids are A LOT of work (you don't need to be a parent to see that) and I could never count the many sacrifices my own parents made for me, but there is nothing in the world that could be more rewarding. To live your life for someone else, to give everything for them, that is the whole point! That is at the heart of Christlike living and everything that He taught: lose your life to find it. I know there is so much to learn in family living, especially being a parent, and I know children are a great entrustment from Heavenly Father. Thank goodness we have so many good examples to follow. Here's to the best legacy we could ever leave.

Our little cinnamon bear!

Here's our baby with its hand in front of its face. Can you see it?

St. George Honeymoon

Can you believe I'm actually doing my blog again?

So, at the request of some, I need to put up some pictures of our honeymoon adventuring in both St. George and McCall. Both were GREAT! We had so much fun.

This is a picture at the end of the Johnson Canyon Hike. It was actually closed for the season, but they had a special tour-guided group going and we were able to participate. It was great being able to learn about different elements during the hike. Plus, it wasn't too long and had a beautiful scenic ending spot. This is Eric in front of the ending cliffs. It's amazing to see all that green in the middle of a red rock desert. We passed a beautiful arch, some tadpoles, and plenty of lizards on the way.

This is us outside the St. George Temple. It's a very beautiful building with a lot of cool history. A very different style than many of the new temple designs, I still love it's pure white and elegant feeling. We had a lot of fun going through the visitors' center and learning about the Temple as well as many other church historical sites.

This is us at our "Honeymooners' Picnic." St. George has a ton of bike trails spanning the city. We really enjoyed going for rides and listening to all the frogs in the ditch as evening fell. On this particular afternoon we packed a lunch and stopped at a quiet little park in the middle of the city. It was so relaxing. Eric was even kind enough to run and get me emergency allergy medicine so I could enjoy the breezy outdoors even more.

This is us at the top of Dixie Rock. It seems to be a common city tradition to climb the rock and watch the sunset, so we tried it out. The rock gives a great overview of the entire city, plus it's nice to just sit and watch everything light up as it gets dark. The Temple looks beautiful lit up. We sat up there for a while just enjoying the evening with a few others who decided to make the climb. The best part was just being there with my HUSBAND (what a wonderful word!).

A big thanks to the Irvines for letting us stay at their place while we were there. It was very comfortable and luxurious =). We were so glad to have access to making smoothies and watching movies on a big screen and coming and going when we wanted. The bikes and the pool were also greatly appreciated bonuses. You're the best!

McCall Honeymoon

So here are some pics from our McCall Adventure. It was a complete change of climate from St. George so we experienced a good variety.

This is my "Husband" (yes!) on his bike. What a stud! We had to rent bikes instead of having them provided (like in St. George...thanks Scott & Michelle) but they were pretty comfortable. They were called "comfort bikes" with a larger seat and shocks to make for a really smooth ride. The only downside was that there was very little traction. At one spot we were at a steep dirt hill and Eric spent about five minutes getting on and off his bike just to ride it up the hill because the tires kept slipping. Silly boy. He's so determined.

Our bike ride took us up through Ponderosa State Park's wooded trails. It was beautiful. We rode to a lookout point over the lake and really enjoyed the view. On the way back Eric coaxed me into taking an intermediate mountain bike trail. Whew! It was a little rough. The first bit caught me off guard quite a bit with dips, large tree roots, and sharp corners. I fell off several times and almost made Eric crash into me from behind, but we made it through. In fact, once I got used to the trail, it was pretty fun. It was a nice scenery change and made the ride interesting. Eric was right. I should trust his judgement more.

This is us at the lake. One evening we took some icecream sundaes to the dock and watched the sunset (we have a thing for sunsets and cool clouds) with our dessert. The weather was perfect (the mosquitos thought so too). Another thing I loved about McCall was that it wasn't a big town. It was a quiet little mountain town which meant we had the dock to ourselves. It was peaceful. And very romantic =).

Never mind the blurriness of the picture. The point is: we went kayaking!!! It was so fun! It was another one of Eric's great suggestions. I was nervous because I thought they tipped easy, but to my surprise not only was it very stable but much faster than a canoe. We kayaked across the entire lake - 3 miles if I remember correctly and it was a blast. We sang several of our own versions of "Row, Row, Row Your Kayak" (Eric's verses were hilarious) and did some splashing =). One of my favorite things was when the wind stopped and the water was silky smooth. I had to touch it because it looked so nice. We sat for a bit just to look at the water, sitting in the middle of a lake, surrounded by beautiful scenery.
What an artist Heavenly Father is!

This last picture - let me explain. When we got back to the beach, Eric really wanted to take a picture of us in the middle of the water. So he set up the camera on a bobbing dock and pushed us off hoping for the best. I thought it turned out pretty cool despite the blur. It's enough to see what's going on and makes me smile to remember my thoughts, "Please don't let my camera fall in the water!"

Honeymoons rock! We both agree, and decided that we need to go on more. In fact, I think it will be a lifetime pursuit. How does that sound?

Our First Home

Finally I have surfaced for a bit of blog air, but it is going to be brief. You will soon read why. Eric and I have spent the better part of the past month - no, a bit more - house hunting. And boy, it is a time consuming chore. It also was an adventure I must add. We've had a great realtor who kept us well informed and taught us some of the ins and outs of home buying that first timers like us might not know. Plus our parents gave a lot of much needed advice (they're so wise and experienced =). After walking through many homes and asking many questions, we finally picked a house we liked. And then after a bit of bartering, our offer was accepted. We just closed the whole deal yesterday, and Eric moved his few belongings in. I can barely believe it. We have a house! An actual building with walls and a ceiling and windows and doors (and a mortgage) and it is beautiful! We have yet to gather furniture and supplies to fill the space, but that is just a minor detail.

I also must write of Eric's sweet surprise for me. We got some help from buddies to move Eric's things over along with our couch, but before I could walk in Eric insisted that he carry me over the threshold. I had almost forgotten about that little tradition, but I thought it very cute that he remembered. He carried me in to the living room where it was dark and told me he had a surprise for me. When he stepped out of view, I saw a beautiful mahogany piano with some fancy ribbons, a card, and a vase of my favorite flowers: lilies. Once again, I couldn't believe it!!! This man is too good to me. It is a beautiful piano, and definitely one unexpected surprise. I look forward to the beautiful music it will fill our home with in the upcoming years. =)

The upstairs bathroom.
My Crazy Man standing in our soon to be bedroom.
The kitchen is still a mess, but will be great when it's clean.
Wow! A Piano!!!
He's just "too marvelous for words!"

Super Soccer Man

That smile of his just makes me melt!      

He's so fast, only looks like a blur as he flies by... (the blue & white one in the middle)

Eric the Blur!

Here's round two of today's blog posts.  Eric just joined a soccer team with some work buddies and has been pretty pumped about it.  They play every Tuesday evening and today was his first game.  It was an intense game; both teams were really good.  In fact, the only goal was scored within five minutes of the game's end (by the opposing team, unfortunately).  As a completely impartial bystander (wink wink),  I would have to say that Eric did absolutely fantastic.  He is very cute on the field - I mean - very MANLY, BUFF, and INTIMIDATING, and is a great motivator for me to be more active.  Way to go my Athletic Studmuffin!  When do we get to play racquetball again?  

Starstruck

Please forgive me at being such a horrible blogger.  I rarely update our info, or even respond to anyone else much.  I'm trying to get better at it, but it's gonna take some time...

Anyway, this is some info from over a month ago.  Eric, being the thoughtful man he is, went to work with lots of yellow construction paper and tape just so I could fall asleep under the stars =).  I love it!   Of course, sleeping on a bunk bed means that they are RIGHT above my nose but they still are magical nonetheless.  I also wasn't too thrilled at putting any pictures of my bedroom on our blog, but if that's what it takes to show off my man, so be it.  

Merry Christmas! (A Little Late...)

Merry Christmas!  Or at least, we hope it was for you.  As for us, we had a great one this last year (that makes it sound so long ago, but it was less than a month).  We spent the holiday in Boise with my family doing crazy things like making gingerbread houses, braving icy roadways for skating on more ice, building a tiny snowman of un-packable snow, games and movies and sweet goodies, and best of all just being together.  On Christmas morning Eric surprised me with the biggest stocking of my life, and HE WAS IN IT!  It turns out that he was sleeping under the Christmas tree the whole night waiting for my appearance.  When I found him in his very red sleeping bag, he popped his head out shouting "Merry Christmas!" and handed me a box of chocolates.  It was so cute!  He always has a sweet surprise to make me smile.  How lucky I am!!!  Anyway, before we knew it the week was up.  The time passed so quickly we barely noticed.  All I have to say is that my family is amazing and I am so grateful Eric is joining as a permanent addition!!!  =)  Life is sweet.