Early December

One morning Sasha and Jack were in her room. I was in the kitchen and heard nice soft voices and lots of giggling so naively thought they were "playing" well together so I took an extra couple of minutes to check my e-mail before going to check on them. When I made it down to her room I discovered that Sasha had greased Jack's hair with a whole container of Vaseline! Oh what a mess... I hardly had the composure to snap the photo above.

Sasha's school picture this year taken in September (finally scanned into the computer)

My mom, Megan, and I did our annual Christmas baking day this year again where we baked 8 different kinds of cookies and candy. My favorites this year were the snowballs and buckeyes. Sasha's were the hollyberry cookies. She was a really big help this year with cutting out the cookies and applying sprinkles. My dad had Jack duty most of the day which suited both of them well. Jack has taken such a liking to my dad in the last couple of months, calling out his name when he's around and preferring to be held by him.

The annual Yoder family Christmas photo.

That night Uncle Jim joined us and we had a little birthday party for Megan. Sasha was a hoot. She wanted to go around the table first and have everyone say one thing they were thankful for. Then she wanted to go around again and this time say whether we had to go to the bathroom or not. If we said "yes" she said "You're on the list!". No secrets around our house...

Phil and I continue to be amazed by the quality of life here in Santa Fe. There is just an incredible vibrancy and passion to this city which we were again reminded of this holiday season. The downtown plaza was decorated beautifully with lights and farolitos (the candles in paper bags) and there were a lot of tourists milling around which actually makes it feel even more festive. We got several big snowstorms in December which lent to the magical feel of the season.

Sasha on the morning of her school holiday concert. She is in the front row below. She sang her heart out despite having a low grade fever and cough.

November

Sasha spends the night with grandma and grandpa down in Albuquerque at least once a month. She has her own bed there and all her little routines which she loves. Jack relishes the undivided attention he gets from Phil and I on those evenings when Sasha is away. These pictures were from one of those times when he was hamming it up as an "only child" for a day. He trots more than he walks these days and is very coordinated. We are on the verge of taking down the baby gate once and for all since he is very good on the stairs now.

We went down to my parents house for Thanksgiving. It was a lovely late fall day so we were able to go to the park and go fishing after the big meal.

Jack is content to just wander around these days. After a morning in the house he will often bring me my shoes and his coat, his way of telling me he'd like to go outside for some fresh air.

Later that weekend we went to get our tree and spent the rest of the day decorating the house. Sasha was so into it this year especially all of the little ornaments, setting up the angel chimes, and doing the advent calendar (3 different ones). Phil found out Thanksgiving weekend that he passed his neurosurgery oral boards! Did I ever doubt he would? No, but it is so wonderful to have that huge looming test behind him. The letter that came said that he is not up for re-certification until 2021. Sasha will be 13 and Jack 11. Crazy.