Happy New Year! Again, it's amazing how time flies with a little one! Elliot amazes us everyday with how much he is growing, learning, understanding, and smiling, as usual. He has his first "real" cold right now and still manages to smile although he seems to have forgotten how to sleep! We had a great weekend in Pinetop with our dear friends Jaime, Clay and their little Tula. Jaime had the brilliant idea of putting the kiddos in the laundry basket to create a baby safe sled. Clay pulled them around the front yard with a rope tied to the basket...hilarious!
Here they are in an inflatable rubber duck bathtub. This is definitely blackmail material later... 
Jaime and I strapped the kids in their Ergo's and we all went on a walk while the babies slept. It was suuny and cold and snowy and quiet...Perfect.
Just had to get out the camera...another adorable moment!
We spent a belated Christmas with Jason's mom and Paul or Grandmarie and Hoppa, as Elliot knows them... Minutes before this picture, Elliot was tugging away at Hoppa's beard...santa?
We spent a family day at the cabin in the snow. I went sledding for the first time in forever...I had forgotten how it makes you feel so weightless and free. Even though there was plenty of snow it was 70 degrees. Only in Arizona!
Elliot got to taste his first snow and decided it was delicious. The cousins had a blast finding the "freshest" snow to offer Elliot. Now for the bragging part...
Elliot now weighs 20 lbs and is in the 100% percentile for head growth, which means...as we were told, that 100% of kids Elliot's age have heads smaller than his! We say, big brain, big head! He is sitting independantly and pulling to kneel or stand on just about everything. He wants to crawl SO bad...he's close. He got his first tooth last week without much fuss, he just woke up one morning and there it was. He is eating like a little champ and has loved absolutely everything he has tried so far. Favorites right now are bananas, avocado, cheerios and beans of all types. He LOVES to bounce in anything that will and flaps his arms at the same time as if he could take flight. So fun to watch the joy...
I have started back at school (boo!) and am looking forward to "almost" being done...two semesters to go.
Jason's probationary year as a firefighter ends next week! He is no longer a rookie and will most likely be switching stations. He is thrilled to have this year over and is still loving working for Rural Metro.
My parents have been little jetsetters this holiday... traveling to London for New Years, a trip years in the making, and then heading to D.C. for the inaguration...so lucky! They were able to watch one the the first dances when they attended the Western Ball that night. We have missed them like crazy and have been living vicariously through them.
It was so nice to hear from all of you over the holidays! We are wishing you peace and love and hope and change for this New Year!
All our love,
c, j, and e
