Christmas 2007

Merry Merry Christmas!!! I know that we are a few days late...but better late than never!

We had a wonderful white Christmas just the three of us. Unfortunately, we did not make it out to California this holiday season, but maybe next year. We have been talking about what traditions we would like to have as a family. This being our third Christmas and we still don't really have any "traditions". Turns out we found one. Zachary ended up sleeping with us Christmas Eve night. Poor little guy was not feeling well and still isn't feeling well. He had a bit of a cough on Christmas Eve and wasn't sleeping very well that night so we brought him to bed with us and he

slept like a log the rest of the night. We really didn't get Zachary anything for Christmas other than a ball and some books. The rest came from the grandparents. He liked to tear the paper....we just had to start it for him. I think that he would have enjoyed himself more had he felt better.

And as I said before we had a White Christmas!!! It snowed like crazy on Christmas Eve night. We had some friends over for dinner and it was still snowing pretty bad when they left that night. Good thing they only live a few doors down from us. Joe shoveled the driveway and sidewalks while I took care of the cars. It was beautiful! The snow just glittered in the yard. I wanted to make a snowman so badly but the snow was just too fluffy.

We are so very grateful for this time of year to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Not only are we grateful for this holiday but we are grateful for the sacrifice of his life for ours. As it has been said by the prophets...God be thanked for the matchless gift of his Son, Jesus Christ.

Recent Pics

So here are a few pictures of Zachary from the last week or two. Just so everyone is updated and knows that he is still the cutest little boy! (Cause I know y'all were really concerned)

Zachary has a sudden facination with Joe's hats. If Zachary is still awake when Joe gets home from the restaurant he almost falls out of my arms reaching for his dad and then reaching for his dad's hat. He'll keep the hat on for about a minute and then takes it off so he can chew on it. We have had to exchange the hat for some old ones that he can chew on as long as he wants to.

This is from last weekend. Since you can't read his shirt it says....Chicks Dig Me. And it has a little baby chick on it. Way cute!


Zachary loves to hang over the end of the couch and try to reach for the tree. Try as he might he just can't reach it just yet....thank goodness. Several of my friends have been over and consider me lucky since I can decorate my whole tree and they are only able to decorate the top half of their trees due to their little ones. I'm enjoying it this year while I can. I may be encouraging Zachary a little too early though....as you can see I give him a string of beads off of the tree that he can play with. Maybe next year I'll just surround the tree with a gate. Won't that look pretty?!


This was a picture that I couldn't resist taking. He was so tired that night that he just passed out in Joe's arms.

And this one is from tonight's bath. What a cute kid! I think that he might be starting to look a little more like his mommy and not so much like his daddy. Or maybe it is just wishful thinking.

On a little side note....maybe you can see it in some of the pictures...Zachary has a bruise (or what looks like a bruise) just to the right above his right eye. It has been there since he was 3 or 4 months old. It just appeared one day. I was a bit concerned so I showed the doctor on one of his Well Baby visits. The doc said that it was just a bunch of cappillary (spelled totally wrong) veins gathered close to the skin's surface. Then he goes on to tell me that he knows of a great cranium plastic surgeon that I could call. I almost had to ask him to say that again just to make sure that I heard him right. As I am just staring at the doctor he asks me if I want the surgeon's number. I said is the bump/bruise going to go away? He said that it would eventually. I told him that I would pass on the number. Unbelievable!!! The reason that I am finally blogging about this is that if one more person asks me if... Zachary bumped his head, or he must be crawling due to the bump on his head, or did he fall off the couch...I think that I just might scream. People must think that I beat my child. I feel like I am always explaining his bump/bruise....especially at Church. It seems to me that it is the same people over and over that are asking. I think that I am just going to start telling people that Joe likes to head butt him in the morning. What kind of a reaction do you think I might get?

Temple Square

This past Sunday we went to Temple Square with our dear friends, Chandra and Spencer. Both Joe and Spencer are big goof balls so we had a great time. And it was also a great reminder of the reason why we celebrate the Christmas season. I took so many pictures you would of thought that I was a tourist and not someone who lives minutes from downtown Salt Lake. We got a lot of snow on Friday and Saturday so it was quite cold out. We made sure that Zachary was bundled up nice and warm. And headed out. I like to think that he enjoyed looking at all of the lights. But I think that all he probably saw was my face jumping out in front of him constantly to make sure that he was warm enough. We didn't make it down to Temple Square last Christmas due to moving into the house but there were some things that were new. Up near the Church office building they had luminaries. Some were bags but there were a ton that were metal. They looked so cool! Each bag said Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays in a different language. And the metal ones had various pictures of the manger

scene. Not only that but that had several large Nativitys from various countries set up around the Church office building. It really was a great

time to walk around the Temple and reflect the Christmas season. I am grateful for the birth of my Savior and pray that someday Zachary might understand the importance of this holiday season.

Busy Weekend

We were quite busy this past weekend! I knew that there was a storm coming in and I wanted to make sure that we had something to do while it was snowing. I hate to drive in the snow. Not because it is snowing but because people in Utah don't know how to drive....but that is a whole other subject to blog about. Anyhow this is the first Christmas in our house and I wanted to get a Christmas tree. When we lived in the "love shack" (as we so fondly call it) there was hardly any room for Joe and I let alone a Christmas tree. So for the last two Christmas' we used the tree pictured above that my sister had bought for us. It worked for the 15 inches of space I had to work with. We debated on getting a real tree...I've always had a real tree and from the sounds of it Joe had several Christmas holidays with a lovely not so real tree. But now that we own our own home I would hate to see it catch fire due to a Christmas tree. So I went to Home Depot and purchased our not so real prelit tree.
It doesn't look so bad all lit up with its ornaments. Zachary loves to stare at the tree. He seems so facinated by it.

Here is a picture looking up the street from our front porch. As you can see we got a pretty good snow fall for here in the valley. I would say we got about 6 to 8 inches. It snowed all day! Joe was at work so I was the lucky one to shovel the sidewalk and driveway. Everytime I heard someone start up their snowblower I wanted to curse! But by the time I was finished it wasn't so bad. I even took Zachary out for a little bit.

Our friend let us borrow a snowsuit for Zachary that she had bought at the DI a while ago. It is a little big for him but it did the job. I couldn't believe how deep the snow was in our backyard. I set him down and he sank down until the snow was at his waist. He thought it was so funny.

Later that night we had our Ward Christmas Party at church. Unfortuately Joe had a huge catering at the restaurant and couldn't make it. It was pretty good food, delicious desserts, and good company. Santa even showed up! I didn't think that Zachary was going to last until Santa showed up...but he did! Other than trying to pull Santa's beard he did really good.
We hope that y'all are enjoying the start to your own holiday season!

Thanksgiving

We had a GREAT Thanksgiving! We packed the car all up on Wednesday evening and headed down to St. George to spend a few days with Jared and Andi. I think that I was more excited than Joe to go. Joe had the week off from the restaurant and spent a couple of days fishing and hunting pheasant before we went down south. It was really nice for him to get away from the restaurant for a little bit. He went out and bought Zachary a new carseat. I'm such a first time mom....when I saw Zachary in his new seat I got a little weepy...he is getting so big and he was so happy in his new seat. He constantly is trying to look out the window to see everything passing by. What a cutie!

Joe cooked the turkey on Thanksgiving and the rest of us tried to help out where we could. It turned out awesome! But of course it did...my husband IS a culinary genius! It was wonderful to spend some time with

Andi, Jared, and the kids. Zachary enjoyed watching the kids play and run around the house. He sure did take quite the liking to Logan. He got so excited when Logan would come sit next to him or talk to him. Joe and Jared were able to go out and spend some time together shooting pumpkins in the hills. (Some of you might think that is not exciting but have you ever seen a pumpkin explode?!) And Andi and I got to do some shopping. Andi has lost a ton of weight and looks incredible! She is my new inspiration to work off some of my own weight.

Thanks to the "other" Davis family for such a wonderful time! We hope you are having fun at Disneyland!

Zachary the Scholar

Zachary loves books! I'm so excited about this. Ummm maybe cause I am such a bookworm myself. He has been reaching for everything lately. But the things that he reaches for the most are his books. He practically leaps out of my lap or arms when he sees them nearby. I took this picture on Sunday before Church. Usually he is laughing or making noises at his books but he was concentrating so hard on this one. Maybe he'll grow up to be a professor of some sort.

Just on a side note....Joe and I are always discussing the things that Zachary could be when he grows up. A couple of weeks ago I was watching Grey's Anatomy and Zachary happened to be up still. So I was talking to him during the commercial break (why only commercial break you ask? NOTHING gets between me and Dr. McDreamy!) and I said, "Zachary you could grow up to be a nurse!" Joe's response when he heard that was, "Two words....Gaylord Focker." If you haven't seen the movie Meet the Parents go rent it.

Kitchens

So I just finished reading Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone. He can be a bit crass at times and the language isn't always appropriate. BUT...it did give me a very good insight to the world of kitchens. And I feel like I might know a little bit about what my husband goes thru day in and day out at the restaurant. Joe has come home with some stories...some of which I am sure I got the PG version. It can be a harsh enviroment! I am proud of him and the job that he does. I am proud that he doesn't let the temporal things of the world affect him. He is a good husband and a great daddy to our little prince. Both Zachary and I love him very much!
I asked him the other night if he ever gets tired of being asked about food. What is your signature dish? What is a good desert recipe I can use for my dinner party? What is a good set of knives I could buy? These are just a small example of the things he is asked. But food is his life (aside from Zachary and I). This guy lives and breathes food. When he isn't at the restaurant he is working on new receipes at home. Whether that be writing them or cooking them...and I am the lucky recepient of the tastings! So if y'all are ever in town...I know a good place you could go eat!
Keep up the good work my love!