Merry Christmas to all, and to all...

well, we'll talk to you after the holidays!

**More details about Wood baby #3 to come!**

Giving thanks (a little late)...

Well, 2009 hasn't ended yet, but hasn't disappointed with its blessings to the Wood family. Just a few of those that I'm very thankful for:

• This dimpled smile
  
 
• These curls
  
  
  

• This almost-doctor 

• A first turkey that may not look like much but turned out awesome!
  

• A great grandmother who has yet to be blog-thanked for coming out to see her grandchildren!

• A new home, which means being that much closer to being done with the journey that is medical school.
• Family far away that we'll be seeing in a few weeks!!
• Which then brings us to my extreme gratitude for this little traveling contraption

• Of course, more thanks sprinkled for good friends, good health and good memories made
• Most importantly, the many opportunities had this year to strengthen our testimonies of Him 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Oh, and the girls had a little something to say that they were pretty thankful for, too.

HAPPY BELATED THANKSGIVING!

Lazy days...

Well, it's felt that way at times, anyway. Like I said previously, my mom and grandmother had came up for about a week to celebrate spooky festivities with us. My dad actually came up with my mom for the weekend before flying out on business. It was nice to have him see the house all set up since he had helped us move out and get all the preliminaries in order for us to start moving in. These were more the lazy days I was referring to. My parents pulled in late Friday night and we decided to chillax at the mall the next day. We had fun walking around, going to the best stores (i.e. Disney store, Hallmark). We even made someone's day a little better by fishing their child's $6 bouncy ball out of the mall fountain (and when I say "we" I mean Christopher with a little anchoring help from my dad).

Back home, we hung out playing, coloring, talking, eating and watching college football, of course (it was a Saturday, after all).

Sunday morning, rise and shine!

Christopher and I had been asked to give a talk that Sunday so it worked out well to have the parentals there to keep the kids in order for Sacrament meeting :). We left early so we could get lunch and then drop my dad off at the airport. I loved how crazy Alexis's hair was in this picture. I just had to share.

Oh, and we had to make Halloween cookies, too. You know, to send off with Grandpa on his flight.

Mmm-hmm.

We had such fun...thanks for coming, Dad. Wish the visit could have been longer!

Happy Halloween...

This Halloween, Kira called all the shots. Months ago she decided that she would be Jessie the cowgirl (Toy Story 2) and Alexis would be a black kitty cat. I wasn't planning on going along with Kira's costume mandate for Lex, but it was an easy costume to put together and she looked super cute...so I caved.

We attended the ward trunk or treat Friday before Halloween. The whole walking-in-the-dark-to-get-things-from-strangers scenario didn't quite catch on with Lex, but Kira enjoyed it and raved over her little bag of candy. The rest of the time, she was content to help me "make kids so happy" passing out goodies at our car. On Halloween, I guess we kind of abused our kids by not taking them out to trick-or-treat in the neighborhood (it was cold, one child had absolutely no interest, and the other was excited to be the benevolent candy-bestower). But Kira had fun seeing all the teenagers kids dressed up and dumping handfuls of treats in pillowcases.

We weren't complete loser parents, though. My mom and grandmother (who came to fulfill the annual tradition of coming to see granchildren for Halloween) took Kira to a Halloween activity up at the library on Saturday afternoon. Alexis HAD to take a nap so I didn't get to go but saw great pics. The local library is attached to a museum, which is actually an old mansion. Perfect for Halloween! The attic was a bit too spooky for some.

But pretty cool otherwise.

Hope everyone had a purr-fectly "Yee-haw" Halloween...these two did!

Happy Fall...

Give me an 'A'...

Our outspoken, strong-willed, lovable little imp in all her glory.

Totally reminds me of paparazzi photos taken of celebs on their days off. Where would we all be without the girls' stuffed companions?

What a cheeser!

Lexis sushi

It's hard to resist that little laugh.
And what post would be complete without her sassy little counterpart?
Oh, how we love you, girls!

Dear Significant Other,

How are you? Nothing new or exciting to report. In fact, there are dishes still in the sink and dirty laundry waiting by the washer. The day did start out with good intention- kids dressed and fed, (their) beds made, and the commencement of the first day of preschool downstairs. I even swept and picked everything up before leaving a newly enlightened Kira (weather was the topic of the day) to her good friend Marry Poppins and taking a tired youngster to her bed for a nap. Things slowed to a halt after that. The computer and the lack of desire to go down and start laundry yet again distracted me. Then I was thinking that I hadn’t posted anything lately and you’re so good about checking out the blog to see what new things I decide to share with the online world. I went through recent events in my mind and thought about yesterday. You know, I never did thank you for letting me go shopping alone. No little hands pulling down boxes when I go over the invisible line of demarcation down the aisle or little bodies deciding not to stay where I put them and instead experiment with new (and dangerous) ways to ride in a shopping cart. And then, I totally forgot to show my appreciation for all the box-moving, furniture-pushing, and floor-mopping involved with reorganizing the basement so that we now have a large, clean, inconspicuous area for our kids to mess play and learn. Nor did I express full gratitude to be away from the kitchen for a while and not concern myself with making dinner. In fact, your suggestion to treat myself to a dinner from Olive Garden was just what I needed last night. Thanks to you, I have a new love of eggplant parmesan. This is getting a little lengthy and I know that you have things like studying, driving, doctoring, serving, and sleeping to do. I just wanted to express my appreciation for the little things you do that I tend to overlook because of all the daily casualties and stresses that cloud my vision. I could go on and on now that some of the vapor has cleared and I am thinking of the little car repairs I don’t have to worry about; the good sport you are when I want to play new games; the running and wrestling and dancing and all energy-exerting things that you do with the girls so I can take a break, etc. Sometimes difficulties, self-interests, trials and all things negative creep into life and make it tough. It’s all a part of life, I guess. Nevertheless, no matter what, I’m glad I don’t have to do it alone. Thanks for bringing your good-looking self home every evening, excited to see us, willing to eat whatever I do or don’t slave over for dinner, filling us in on your day so that we feel a part of your life, and always making what’s going on here a priority in yours. Please drive home safely; no need to excite us with more driving “adventures” in downtown Detroit, though I’m sure you’ve had enough excitement with that yourself. Can’t wait to see you.

Yours, truly and sincerely, for always and always,

Me

Black- The New Neutral...

Well, at least for me. I'm worried our house will become a black hole since the start of my new relationship with this. Sydney, I stole your stuff in the garage! I hope that's ok...I decided to recycle instead of tossing it. I'm finding myself wickedly glad that you guys forgot stuff ;)! Anyway, these are evidence of my baby steps in developing a new hobby. Hopefully soon I can venture outside my dark circle and incorporate some color!

I only have a before and after picture for the side table.

Still working with what to put on it.

I attempted to distress it...I think it needs more.

Before

After

Zoology...

This past weekend we celebrated the end of Christopher's surgery rotation with a family excursion. So off to the Toledo Zoo we went. We got there right after it opened, scoring an awesome parking space, and getting us there in time to see the shark feeding. We really enjoyed the little aquarium and I wish we would have taken more pictures. But we did get a year pass so I'm sure we'll be there soon enough for more photo ops. We covered just about everything except the Science Museum, the kids petting zoo area, the butterfly conservatory, and the rainforest exhibit, which just gives us more fun and new things to do next time. We wondered how well the trip would go since this is the first time to the zoo for our kids. We psyched Kira up for a week, to the point where at night as we were trying to get her to go to sleep, she'd recite a l o n g list of animals that we would be seeing at the zoo. I think overall, it was a success. Alexis struggled a little due to sleep deprivation, but we finally got her to nod off for about 20 minutes. The girls were good and it was fun for Christopher and I to go to a zoo again. Here's just a fraction of the cool "aminals" we checked out. (Sorry, Kira had no love for the camera that day.)

There was a beautiful garden.

He's a biggun'

Penguins in the background

Mommy and Kira

Sleeping hippo

George

Finally...

This seal loved to swim upside down

Kira and Daddy

Courageous Kira had to do it by herself

Our favorites

"Roundee-round"

We even scored a free caricature. Guess who.