Merry Christmas from Miley Cyrus and the Clawson's

This Christmas will be our fourth as a married couple, but our first tree. What better way to do it than in double time and with a little holiday teeny bopper pop tunes. Chas actually paid $2 for this song. But it was so worth it!

Merry Christmas!
Love,
Miley Cyrus and the Clawson's

Thanksgiving in AZ

Chas and I went to Arizona for Thanksgiving and it was so much fun. Both of his Grandmothers are there and lots of other relatives. His Grammy Walton turned 89 on turkey day so we had a huge family/feast/fiesta with the Walton side. Olive liked meeting her distant relatives but she liked WALKING more. That's right my sweet 9.5 month old took her first steps in the desert and has been progressing every day since. She also picked up a few words that we have been working on. This past week she started using them much m0re frequently and clearly. Her word repertoire consists of the following:

dada
light
ball
up
(sign) milk
(sign) all done

she also loves to do the sounds for sheep, doggy, and cow

BAAAA WOOF WOOF MOOOOO

it is so freaking cute

here are some pics from the trip

Chas thought there were too many pictures...he might be right but it's for posterity so just skim :)

Four generations

Corbin and Alice (Chas' brother and his sweet wife with a baby in her belly)


Many of the grandchildren

The turkey roaster, called the China Box. It was very efficient (5 turkey's at once) and probably the best turkey I've ever had.

My baby and me

Pretty cake for the woman of the hour

The next day we went to the Mesa temple and after had a fun time at Gary and Fran's. Olive liked playing on the various scooting devices and we had fun scooting her around.

Family Portraits

Olive and I got a chance to visit family a couple weeks ago. We went to California, Seattle and Utah. While in Seattle I took some family pics of my sister's cutie family. They are so fun and Olive loved getting to play with her big cousins.

Here are a few of the goods.

lame-O-rama

I thought I was doing pretty good on the blog front. I guess I let it get to my head though because I completely fell off the blogosphere. Anyways, Olive is now a 9 month old baby and we have lots of pictures and catching up to do.

First things first...Halloween numero uno. The pictures speak for themselves but I do have to toot my horn and mention that I did sew this costume with the help and guidance of my sweet mother in-law. It turned out great and if you know anything about my abilities in the craft department this is big.

Ta daa! Olive as an Olive.





Here are a few from the pumpkin front yard. It can't really be called a patch since it was down the street in front of the local Methodist church.

happy birthday 6 month old baby

How did this go by so fast. I am six months and becoming such an independent mover and shaker. The past month things have really changed for me.

Check these off the list of things I can now do:

I can roll over and back and over again
Sit up
Play with toys and reach and grab
Say dta dta (I say what sounds like da da but I prefer the "t" sound to the "d") I think that guy everyone calls Dada likes this.
I can drink a bottle and hold it on my own (somewhat)
Pick up the pacifier and put it in my mouth all by myself
I enjoy the cinema (Babies First Sign by Baby Einstein)
Avid reader and eater of board books
Speaking of which, I'm expanding my culinary pallet. I have been known to eat something other than moms milk. A little rice cereal and pureed spinach or prunes. These are not my favorite and the rice makes me a bit constipated hence the spinach. Too much information?


Here I am eating prunes, don't worry not chocolate pudding.


To do list for the next six months:
I have a secret plan to do away with afternoon naps. The trick is to slowly wake up earlier and earlier until mom and dad don't know what hit 'em.
Stay awake on my morning walks with mom
Crawl or walk whichever one I like best.

Until February...

Bath time

We love bath time at Mema's farm. This is Olive in the kitchen sink. They are a little blurry but you get the idea.





Now that Olive can sit up, bath time is way more fun. I can set her in her little tub in the tub and she can play with things and splash. She can even roll over and end up on her tummy to get a face full of water. I watched he maneuver into tummy time all on her own and realized how fast she is growing. Her little legs almost hang over the edge of the baby tub, and before I know it she will be maneuvering all over the big tub on her own.

Here are a few baby bath pictures a proof. When her first boyfriend comes to the house this blog will come in handy. Blackmail should be a permanent chapter in the parenting handbook. Hopefully that won't be for like 25 more years. Don't you just want to pinch those little buns.

Morning Walks

Olive and I like to go for walks. It is the best when we make it out the door when Daddy leaves for work. It is nice and cool then and the sun is not blazing on her little legs. Getting out the door at 6:30am is hard work and more the exception than the rule. She almost always falls asleep, but does a great job of supporting me on the long, steep hills. She is my water girl and sometimes entertainment. I always find myself looking much more at her than the beautiful surroundings. Here she is in her six month old glory.