Christmas '09

On Christmas Eve Katie got pajamas from my mom to continue the Sykes family tradition. It was started by my great-grandma and celebrated by my grandparents. It is one of my most happy Christmas memories as a kid. I felt very nostalgic to see her in the footie jammies. She kept stroking the fuzzy softness while chewing on her candy cane with the other hand.

Here we are on Christmas morning, visions of sugar plums still lingering in our heads. Jonathan surprised me with a kiss just as the camera's self-timer when off. Katie with another candy cane just for good measure.

Just the Three of Us

This was our third Christmas away from our families in Utah. We hosted a big Christmas dinner (turkey and salmon included) with members of our ward who stayed in town and didn't have family nearby. 18 adults and 9 kids were crammed into our humble abode with great success.

I would have taken pictures of the event, but I was too busy eating and having good times with my friends. So, I'll just say that it happened, and it was a great Christmas.

Happy New Year!

Katie's Dance Moves

Here is some footage of Katie dancing:

She loves the "horsey" song. It is one of those annoying kid songs that gets stuck in your head and leaves you humming it throughout the day....and I've posted it just for YOU! Enjoy!

I've taught Katie how to twirl at the end of the song. Sometimes she gets so dizzy she falls and can't get back up! At the end, she always claps and begs for more...

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Winter in Florida

Winter is in full swing across the country.

I hear about blizzards and freezing temperatures.

Then I open the windows and walk outside without a jacket.

It's pretty surreal.

I love enjoying the outdoors all year. Otherwise, I'd be dealing with a restless toddler who is stuck indoors. On this particular day, Katie got stuck in the kitchen drawer. At first she thought it was funny, then she panicked until I helped her out.

The winter flowers are blooming. Katie is frolicking.

Gardens are thriving. Katie is trying to pick the flowers.

Proof that Florida has autumn leaves...in December!

Everything is so green and vibrant

Plastic Snowman in 80 degree weather?

They are everywhere.

'Tis the Season!

Toy Catalog

I was surprised when we got the toy catalog in the mail. Who knew that shredded paper could provide a child with hours of entertainment? After all the effort of researching and buying an expensive toy, Katie often prefers the tags and the boxes and the wrappers the toy came with.

I think this year for Christmas, she will be getting the fat JC Penny catalog, and I'll enjoy this age while it lasts.

Halloween '09

This year, I decided to get crafty and make Katie a tutu for Halloween.

It was the easiest project, and highly recommend it for any little girl who wants to get frilly.

As soon as Katie looked out the door, she spotted her kitty friend and let out a shriek of delight.

She is crazy about animals.


This is Mr. Jingles, the neighbor's cat.

He continues to be friendly despite the torment he endures at the hands of our toddler.

Most of my pictures of Katie are a blur.

Its hard to keep up with her lately, but her enthusiasium for life keeps things exciting.

He runs and hides in the bushes.

Poor little kitty

Yes. I'm in shorts and wearing flip flops.

It was beautiful 80 something degree weather here in Florida

Happy Halloween!

Mr. Clean

On a Saturday morning, after I returned home from grocery shopping , I found Jonathan doing the housework and singing to Lady Gaga, very much looking the part.

He always knows how to make me laugh...and the floors smelled lemon fresh.

Thats the Power of Pine Sol, Baby!

Katie Turns ONE

~12 Month Old Stats~

Weight: 22 lbs. (52% percentile)

Height: 29 inches (32%)

Head Cir: 18 inches (30%)

Her hair is dark blonde with curls

Her eyes have changed from blue to a blue-green hazelish color

She only has two bottom teeth

She started walking at 11 months.

Favorite Food: Green Beans

Words: "Da Da" "Ma Ma" (means bottle) "Ba Ba" (Also means bottle)

"Bye Bye" "Hi" and "Off" (light switch)

She loves animals, books, and dancing

We celebrated her first birthdy with a strawberry cupcake.

Doesn't she look thrilled? It was bedtime.

She hesitantly poked at it.


Jonathan tapped some frosting on her lips for a taste.

She didn't really like it.


Finally we broke it up and fed her a piece.

Katie's Birthday was a milestone for us as well.

We survived our first year of parenthood. Yay!

Happy Birthday Katie!

This video is for those of you who haven't seen Katie walk...

Warning: If you are prone to sea sickness, don't watch. Sorry.

Daddy's Little Girl

Pardon me while I get sentimental... but one year ago today, I gave birth to my first child. She was a such a tiny person wrapped in a hospital blanket, and I still remember how surreal it felt to be a new mother.

We lucked out. She was such a good baby. Slept through the night, almost from the time we brought her home from the hospital. Rarely cried. Ate like a champ. Always seemed to have a peaceful smile on her face. She was perfect in every way.

When I thought about what to get Katie for her birthday, I realized that the most precious gift I could offer her, was already given---the day I married her father for time and all eternity in the temple.

Jonathan is the best father I could ever ask for. He brings the power of the priesthood into our home and is always attentive to his family. Katie's face lights up whenever he walks into the room, and he is always able to make her laugh.

Looking back on his years in dental school (pretty much our entire married lives) I've watched him work and sacrifice and sweat and slave to earn his dental degree. Those years were intense for both of us, but I've never been more proud of him than on his graduation day. He has paid the price to be who he is today, and it will bless our family for generations to come.




So, when we sang "Happy Birthday" to Katie, I gave Jonathan a big hug. He is the best birthday present a little girl could ever ask for!

Arachnophobia

For Labor day, we went on a 3 mile hike through a state park called Paynes Prarie which is 10 miles outside of Gainesville. It was hot and muggy outside, but we were up for a little adventure, or so I thought...

We came across one of these. It was the biggest spider we'd ever seen.
It spanned Jonathan's hand. It made my skin crawl

Sidenote: The reason I'm looking off in the distance is that I heard sudden rustling in a swamp 25 feet away. We had just passed a sign that said:

"Don't feed the alligators. $500 fine"

If the previous photo was a little too disturbing.

Here is something to calm your fears.



Awwww. Butterflies in Love.



Eeeek!

In high school biology I was assigned to collect insects and mount them.

This little guy would have been the envy of the class.
Guaranteed "A+"



Halfway through the hike we looked up, and to my horror, spiders were hanging from the canopy of trees right over our heads. They were in all directions. We had no choice but to walk under them.

I began shrieking. Jonathan rolled his eyes.


"You're overreacting," he said.




He counted them. 35, 36, 37....gigantic spiders.
"Awesome!" He exclaimed.

I thought I was going to faint.


Now, to be fair, I was expecting Florida to be buggy, and it isn't.
To my surprise, there are many lizards and bats, but until now, I haven't seen anything unusal or an overpopulation of creepy crawlies or mosquitoes.


We finally made it out alive and survived to blog about it.
We had the summer of a lifetime. Hope yours was great too!

Orlando Temple

We are grateful to live near a temple.

The Orlando temple is about 1 1/2 hours from Gainesville.

Even though the most "magical place on earth" is in town,

I think this place is pretty cool too!

The temple district covers all of Florida, Southern Georgia, Barbados, and Guadeloupe.
I'm sure that those who take a boat to get here are excited for the new temple announced in Fort. Lauderdale.

Scalloping

This isn't the best resolution pic, but it captures J's first scallop.

We went scalloping several times this summer.

They sit on the bottom of the ocean, and you scoop em' up and saute them with butter.

Our friends' 6 year-old son speared his first fish.


Our friends call their boat the "Big Red Ugly" but I think any boat with a view like this is pretty amazing.


We were off the western coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico.
The water is clear, warm, and shallow for miles.
We saw all kinds of fish and sea creatures.



Trying to hang on at 40 mph.

Might I add that the name "Marissa" means "Goddess of the Sea"
That would probably be applicable to me if I liked seafood. I don't.



Jonathan with his scallops.
He likes to eat them cooked or raw.

Princess of the Sea

Lovin' Florida