Birthday & Blessing Party!

We have a new nephew! His name is Henry. He is adorable. He was born February 18th @ 8 lbs. 3 ozs. & 21 inches long. He was 3 weeks early, but very healthy.

Sarah was scheduled for a C-section, but went into labor early and was able to have a natural birth (as she originally wanted). Dustin and I were both at Church meetings when we got the call that Chris and Sarah were on their way to the hospital. We were on nephew duty, so we got the pull-out couch ready for a slumber party.

Christopher (7) was very concerned about his mama and the "new baby." I guess he saw a birthing show on TV and was a little worried that everyone would be okay. Matthew (5) had a difficult time understanding that he was going to have any brother beside Christopher. When he finally saw Henry, he was so sweet. He asked his mom if they could keep him. "Is he going to our house?" he wanted to know. When Sarah said yes, he decided it was time to go play. There would be plenty of time to get to know his new brother.

Sarah's mom flew into town a week or so later, and the following weekend we blessed Henry. Chris and Dustin's dad, Robert, couldn't be there on Sunday because of his responsibilities as Stake President, so Chris got permission from the Bishop to bless Henry at home on Saturday. Robert's parents were able to come over to attend the blessing.

Four Generations: Great-Grandpa Bevan, Dad Chris, Grandpa Robert, with Baby Henry

After the blessing, we all sat down for a delicious dinner, if I can say so myself (seeing as I cooked it). We had roast beef, Dutch oven potatoes, Olive Garden salad, and sauteed green beans. For the birthday cake we bought an Olive Garden Black Tie Chocolate Mouse Cake. Yum!

Licking the candles (not my real age)

For my birthday, Dustin got me a red Schwinn cruiser bike (7-gear). Dustin has a red Schwinn that he restored. It was found buried in a friend's front yard. So now we have matching bikes to ride around our neighborhood. It is really a lot of fun.

Valentine's Day

I have stalled in writing posts for this blog because I wasn't sure what to write. No more excuses. I am just going to write what's going on with us. Hope I don't bore everyone.

Dustin and I didn't have any big plans for Valentine's Day. Our anniversary was 2 weeks ago and my birthday is in 2 weeks, so we've had occasion to celebrate. We also don't like the crowds at restaurants on V-day.

Friday, Dustin called me and said to get ready because he was taking me out for a surprise. We ended up going to look at turquoise jewelry, something to match a pendant Dustin gave me last year. We didn't find anything either of us loved though. It was a wonderful thought. We will look more another time.

Saturday, Dustin went coyote hunting in the morning with Chris and Erik. They had a good time with a few successes. In the afternoon we cleaned out the garage. Then in the evening Wes and Mikelle and their 3 kids came over. We ate on heart-shaped plates and the kids helped me make giant rice crispy "kisses." This is a tradition from when I was little. I'm not sure where my mom got the idea, but each year we would make rice crispy treats and shape them into a giant "kiss" with a funnel. We write a Valentine message on a strip of paper and wrap the treat in shiny foil. We would give them to friends and teachers. This year I had funnels of different sizes and the kids enjoyed deciding which was the appropriate size for our Valentines. We had a good time getting sticky!

Sunday was church and Dove (my favorite) heart-shaped chocolates all around.

Last night, Monday, we met at the big house (Dustin's parents') and celebrated our nephew, Christopher's, seventh birthday. He got to choose his favorite food for the birthday meal. We ate steak, white rice with butter, Olive Garden salad, Martinelli's sparkling apple cider, and Olive Garden's Black Tie Chocolate Mouse Cake for dessert and the birthday cake. It was a fun evening. I especially loved when Christopher was practicing his surprised faces for when he would open his presents. It was hilarious as his mom coached him: "Okay, more excitement. Now, this one do a Pratt-version. Bigger eyes. Let's see a surprise dance..." I hope that Sarah got some good photos.

Sarah is in the final stretch of her pregnancy. Technically, she has 3 weeks until her due date. But she is scheduled for a C-section on March 2nd, if she doesn't have him sooner. She informed me last week that she has given up trying not to waddle. She is now a constant waddler. The baby doesn't have a name yet, and so her 2 boys just refer to him as "the new baby." Last night Matthew blessed the food. It is really cute when Matthew asks in his prayers to "please bless the new baby." His sincerity and love for his brother that hasn't been born is sweet and quite touching.

Our Valentine's Day (weekend) was filled with friends and family, good food, and love.

Fishin'

Dustin and I enjoy fishing, me probably a little more than Dustin. We got fishing poles for our nephews for their birthday and Christmas so that we could teach them to fish. Fishing at a stocked pond in Colorado:

Matthew reels in with Carli, while Dustin helps Christopher at the end of the dock.

Christopher patiently waits for a bite.

We got some nibbles, but nothing that was reeled in.