Duplex for Rent!

Our tenants are looking for someone to take over their contract, so your chance at having the most awesome landlords/neighbors is back up for grabs! But seriously, if you know anyone who would be a good tenant and who is looking, please send them our way! You can refer them to our KSL ad here. Thanks friends!

Holiday Recap

Our Christmas break was restful, fun, and best of all--full of family. Scott got a few days off of work and school, and we soaked in every minute. We spent time in Salt Lake together, eating at the beloved Red Iguana and walking around temple square. We spent Christmas at the Tessems, binging on amazing Norwegian food, watching movies, playing games, and just relaxing. Over the break we also got to go to Logan to see the Stewarts, where it was more awesome food, more games, and more relaxing. Troy came home from New York that week, and we got to spend some time with him and with Melinda's family. It was a perfect break and it was so awesome to be with family! Here's a few pictures of the break:

With a Thankful Heart

If you have read this blog, friended us on Facebook, or you've known us for any amount of time, you might know that Scott and I are pretty much Thanksgiving's number one fans. We enthusiastically defend the holiday from naysayers and overzealous Christmas fans. We look forward to getting Halloween "over with" and let Christmas know where it belongs. We spend weeks planning our Thanksgiving menu and generally have a couple of practice Thanksgiving dinners to test out new recipes.

Having recently been accused of being, (thank you Jordan), "food worshipers," I did a little introspection. Does our little family just love Thanksgiving for the excuse at gluttony? Okay, a little bit, I admit it. But it's so much more than that. It's spending slow, quality time with family. Gathering together, playing games, sharing food, enjoying each other's company. And it's a rare time when all of us have our minds on our blessings and have thankful hearts. So lest we come across as mere food worshipers this month, I thought I'd share a few of the grateful feelings in my heart:

I'm grateful for Scott. With his crazy work schedule and class schedule, I don't get to see him very much. And I'm super grateful that after six and a half years of marriage, I really, really miss him and totally dig being with him! Our few hours together are sweet ones.

I'm grateful for Ellie. She's my great little friend and companion and we totally adore each other. It's hard to be too lonely with her around.

I'm grateful for baby #2! (Man, this poor girl needs a name)! As terrifying as the thought of a new baby is for me sometimes, I know we need her in our family right now just as much as she needs to be here with us right now. And guys, I know you think my ultrasound pictures look like there's an alien inside of me, but I think she's adorable!

I'm grateful for a belief in life eternal. And not just living beyond death, but marriage beyond death, and family units existing beyond death. This weekend I attended the funeral of Dave Holcomb, my former professor and employer. He died far too early of a brain tumor. And I just received news of our new camping buddy, Kali's brother-in-law, Rusty, passing away tonight in motorcycle accident. He was so young and still so newly married. I honestly believe that mortality is but a brief part of God's plan for us, and that while the grief and the heartache remains for those left behind, they will both be with their families again.

I'm grateful for seasons. In every literal and metaphorical sense of the word. There's beauty in each, and the change is good for the soul.

I love you guys. Thanks for being our family, our friends, our neighbors. I really am grateful for each one of you.

And because these are just too cute not to post, I'm grateful for best buddies:

It's a Girl!

We had our gender ultrasound a couple weeks ago, and found out we're having another girl! After all of the boy predictions, I was genuinely surprised that it was a girl, but definitely pleased. I'm very excited that Ellie's going to have a sister close to her age. When we told Ellie she was going to have a sister she said, "Brother." We said, "No, a sister." To which she responded, "Brother too?" Haha, not this time kiddo. She seems to have grown used to the idea of a sister though. I hope the idea only continues to grow as they do. Sisters are awesome.

This little girl's name is as much a mystery to us as ever. With Ellie, we knew her name the day we found out she was a girl. But we're at a loss with baby girl #2. We have a list entitled "Names We Don't Hate" going, but none that we just love and feel right, so all suggestions are welcome!

And I know you've all been eagerly awaiting a picture of the baby bump, so without further ado:

Please try to restrain yourself from saying, "You're huge!" I keep getting that and it's just not as endearing at 4 months as it is at 8 or 9 months. ;)