Christmas, Christmas time is here... and gone.

Little Poser

Picture day @ pre-school. How they got Emmitt to pose like this I'll never know. We've tried every time we take a picture and he never cooperates. And if he does cooperate he is always hamming it up.
Also, never mind the homely outfit, Lorie didn't send him off like this on picture day (heaven forbid it). Emmitt didn't tell us and we usually let him dress himself. Nor did we know that the pre-school sent the pictures home to preview before we had to buy until they asked for the $ to collect it. Freaking $18 bucks for some less than average pictures?!? RIP OFF!!!
Anyway, I'm over it. Life goes on.



Yes, ours is the one not looking at the camera, nothing new.


Seriously, how do they get him to do this?


There's the ham and cheese. That's my boy!

This year's family pics

These images are brought to you by aprilfphotography.com. She is our neighbor and does fantastic work. We especially love that she was willing to trade her services for Lorie's hair services. (still not sure who is getting the better deal here, Lorie is great at hair but April is amazing too at photography) I realize that I am the odd one out in these pictures when it comes to looks, but don't I have a lovely family? Man I lucked out in the wife department.

Life is going good and fast right now with family, school, work etc. At times Lorie and I only see each other for about 15 minutes a day, but I've been told that I am better in small doses anyway.

This one's for mom.

Just because I know that mom doesn't facebook I know she probably hasn't seen some new pictures of Ruby that were taken by a professional in our neighborhood. Thank you to April for your wonderful work.

She's walking!!!! She's a walker!!!!! (with a "What about Bob inflection")

It's a little bit like Frankenstein, but it's bipedal so it counts



This started out cute until Ruby ends up crying.



Notice the gentle push out of the way by Emmitt. I think he's not camera shy at all.

Random recent videos

Trying a bit of "tough love" for nap time. Testing out her new walker toy.

More new toys for her birthday. Camera shy.

Emmitt caught goofing off on candid camera @ the dinosaur museum.

Ruby is already one!!!

I can't believe a year has already gone by. I forget how much kids grow and how fast they progress in their first year. Ruby is almost walking now and she's already showing the funnest personality. Her birthday this year fell on an interesting day. My grandfather Clem Hively passed away earlier that week and his funeral was held on the same day as Ruby's birthday. So we were able to remember a wonderful grandfather who just left us on the same day we celebrated the beginning of a new life of my daughter. It was a little bitter sweet.

We were also able to hang out with Matt & Lacey and eat @ Iggy's. I freaking LOVE the calzone at Iggy's. It is the best I've ever had. Ruby also got an ice cream for her birthday there and couldn't get enough. She had more sugar in one day than her entire first year.

Then to top it off on Sunday we had to speak in church. I forget how much I hate public speaking. I don't mind teaching a lesson in a class setting, but just me talking for 10 minutes gets old.


Never seen someone eat cake like a sandwich before.

"Is this okay mom?"

"Nom nom nom nom"

Mission completed

"Somebody hose me off"