My apologies for not posting anything for a while. I have had some projects that I've been working on, not to mention a new calling for my church, and with the holidays and work being insane, this post is long overdue.

December was a crazy time for us, because our complex raised our rent and we were entertaining the idea of possibly moving, but as we searched for somewhere else to live, we didn't find anything the piqued our interest or seemed to be worth the hassle, so we've decided to stay where we are. The ward we are currently in feels more like family to us than any other ward either of us have been in, and even though our rent is higher, we're actually glad we're staying. We've been in this ward for over six years now, and I'll tell you, it's going to be a rough day indeed when we finally have to say goodbye.

But enough about that...

Because this post is so long overdue, I'm going to do my best to condense it and to not be too long winded. For those of you who know me personally, this is a challenge, for sure, but we'll see how it goes:

In October, my dad and Colleen, my stepmother came out to visit us for a weekend, and it had been over a year since they had seen Charlotte in person. She did great with them, and we had a wonderful time! It was so good to see them after so long, and it pleases me so much to see how happy they are with one another. The weather was beautiful, so naturally Ander took them on a guide trip which was a success, and we got to go and see Ander's brand new boat, which was being processed and worked on at Bass Pro Shops. It was so much fun to spend the weekend with them and show them around our favorite spots in Austin, our little home!

In November, Granny Lisa and Auntie Katie came to visit for Thanksgiving, and Charlotte gave us the best gift we could have ever asked for for the holidays. She started walking all by herself! And let me tell you that the old sayings are true: Once the child starts walking, the parents start running. Charlotte loves to walk around, making any outing we take now much more of a chore since she wants to be on the ground, but it's so much fun to take her outside and let her go! She loves the outdoors, (just like papa) and actually has begun to throw huge fits when we bring her inside, so I'm not sure whether to be grateful for that or not. I believe she started walking at Thanksgiving because she had an audience, and who wouldn't want to take more steps when you have an entire cheer squad applauding your every move? Thanksgiving was great, and it was once again wonderful to have family here, even if our apartment is small and doesn't much space for visitors.

 

 

In December, Uncle Joe came to visit for one night while he was on tour with A lot Like Birds, and we got to take him to dinner downtown with little Charlotte in tow! We ate at a sandwich joint which was relatively empty, so after dinner we put Charlotte down and let her go while we cracked up at how excited she was to be walking around the restaurant. Joe looks wonderful, hairy, happy, and healthy, and I was actually worried that Charlotte would be nervous to be around him, much like tiny children are afraid of Santa Clause, but Charlotte bonded with Joe instantly, which was a great mommy moment for me.

 

A huge thank you to everyone who came and visited us, we had an absolute blast with each of you! We miss you dearly, and look forward to more fun visits in 2016!!