Roll Tide!

Bamers LOVE college football.  In Alabama there are two major football teams that you must choose between and swear all loyalty to: the University of Alabama who has an elephant as a mascot but uses the term "roll tide" for a cheer... I don't really understand why but you can read about it HERE .  Then there is Auburn University with a tiger as a mascot but "war eagle" is their saying...also something I don't understand so you can read about it HERE.  One can be eating at a restaurant or sitting in class and one person will say "roll tide!" and all the other University of Alabama fans will join in a chorus, "roll tide!" while all the Auburn fans snicker and vice versa.  True Story. This is one aspect of the south no one warned me about.  Matt and I don't watch football and because of that we have been put in some awkward situations.  

We were invited to watch the national championship college football game at a friend's house and we debated about going for a few hours.  So dramatic, I know, but I can seriously count on one hand how many times I have actually watched a football game and of those times I don't think I ever watched from start to finish.  But we decided to go!  We even dressed Yvonne in Red and white for the University of Alabama colors.  The whole drive over we were stressing and wondering if they would know that we couldn't care less about football but we were going more for the camaraderie and food or wondering if they were die-hard fans that were going to be on their hands and knees clawing at the carpet in anticipation of their team winning.  When we were walking up the steps Matt bursts out, "Just, Just act normal!!" We ended up having a nice time and our team won!

Evenings are a time for dad and Yvonne to hang.  Matt will play with Yvonne, read to her and in special cases sing to her! And he always tops it off with a fun bath.This picture makes it look like Yvonne was dancing:)  And look at those pants! Brother-in-law Ben says he likes Matt because he is always wearing the same pants - apparently a good quality to have!

On one of the warmer days we went to the Botanical Gardens! Woot! Woot! I love this place.  We have gone there a few times now and still haven't seen all the gardens!  This time we discovered the tropical/citrus gardens.  I found a banana tree!  We also saw a coffee bean bush, cacao tree, guava tree, grapefruit tree, and a lot of other rare (for the US) trees.

Matt found a star fruit tree! Yvonne is now sitting face forward in her stroller.  She is big enough now that we don't need to attach the carseat to the stroller.  She is loving it! She feels like she can see the whole world now.  

Cute baby Yvonne in her pink dress, ready for church.  I don't put her in pink very often (surprisingly it's not a very popular baby girl clothes color right now) but now I want more pink for her!

 For MLK day we went on a short hike by our house.  It is seriously like 1/2 mile away.  It was pretty chilly (39 degrees F) so we made it quick.  Matt carried Yvonne in the Osprey baby backpack and it was awesome! Baby and Dad had a good time!

Matt was able to help the youth in our ward with Baptisms for the dead.  He really enjoyed going.  He was also able to help the missionaries teach a couple who are investigating the church.  One of the questions the investigators had was about why we call them "church meetings" instead of "church services" because it is a service - you go to take the sacrament.  So now I am going to say church services! 

HO-HO-HOme for the Holidays!

Thank you UAB for giving Matt a whole month off of school!! Yes, no school for Matt from December 11- January 11.  It has been wonderful.  We planned to go to Utah for 3 whole weeks during the break - why not right? Gotta take advantage while we can!  We did a lot over the breakt-everything is not mentioned but we had fun, maybe even a little too much fun! I don't think we will be able to handle 3 weeks again! 

Also, thank you Alabama for incredible running weather! We even ran a race December 12 in shorts and a t-shirt!
I talked to my sister Kim on the phone and we decided to run 16 miles together to welcome in 2016 (kinda crazy...but I just feel like I have hardly run in 2015 because of pregnancy and what-not).  Matt was my mobile aid station on my prep run (about 12 miles).  He pushed Yvonne in the stroller and carried my water.  We saw this huge Christmas tree and had to get a picture by it!

The race we ran was a trail relay.  The total distance was about 27 miles and we ran it with another couple.  Matt and I did about 7 miles each and the other couple did about 6 miles each.  It was a lot of fun! We ran at Red Mountain State park.  Matt started the race against this other lady's husband (we were all doing the relay) and she just started talking smack on our team.  "Yeah, look for my husband he will be wearing blue." Our team said, "Our guy is wearing orange, look for him too."  She said, "No, my husband will be coming in first..blah blah blah." Guess who showed up first??? Matt!! The lady was so concerned talking to Matt, "Did you see my husband??? Did he get lost? Are you sure he's behind you? This isn't like him! I'm going to have to have a word with him!" Ha ha!  But in the end - they did beat our team!! (by only 9 minutes)

                                        

So we get to Utah and this is the weather we have to run in...Matt ran with a ski mask a few times...I just chose not to run...

With the peer pressure of Kim we decided to run 16....kilometers! Not miles! We ran on New Years Eve and it was a bright sunny day.  It was only about 16 degrees but we had a great time! I love running with my sister.  We just talk the whole way and the time flies! Welcome 2016! Grateful it isn't 2026:)

Another thing I loved doing during the break was crafting! I crafted solo, with my sisters and with my mom.  Us sisters made baby headbands throughout the break.  We had a table set up with all our supplies and we crafted away.  Yvonne is modeling one of the headbands below.  She is also sporting her Mean Girls onesie that says "On Wednesdays we wear pink."  My mom embroidered them and we made one for cousin Lettie too!

 I sewed a holiday dress for Yvonne and a bow tie for Matt.

I was going to make myself a holiday skirt...but never got around to it.

Sisters and Sushi!! Linda was with us too! I haven't had sushi since the summer.  Spending time with family was our #1 favorite part of the holiday break! It just so happens a lot of family time ended up being food time too.  You can ask Matt all about the smoker...  Matt and I went to Leatherby's in Midvale with Kyle and Natalie (I don't know why they ever got rid of the Provo Leatherby's?!) It was so good visiting and the ice cream was yum! Plus we had done an amazing sealing session with my Uncle Bob beforehand that was really wonderful.  It was so nice to go to the temple, especially with family.  We also loved going as a family for Leslie's endowment session - such a special place to be! 

                  We stayed up way to late some nights and could not get up in the morning....

Yvonne puts everything she can get her hands on in her mouth! Yes, even her baby cousin! Elette seemed to be OK with it...so the Moms just sat back and watched.

Leslie holding Yvonne at cousin Ryan's art show - he has some pretty awesome photographs.  Plus he named a lot of them after Neil Diamond songs!

On our first Saturday in town we picked up Ben from the airport and headed to Logan for the annual gingerbread house walk.  Yay for family!! I felt lucky because it was actually a warmer day to be walking around town.

                                                                        Cute Santy

Watching Yvonne open presents was the best! Of course she loved the wrapping paper and boxes! 

I wanted to hike Donut falls real bad.  I have never done it before so a few of us braved the snow (Yvonne included-she didn't have much of a choice) and hiked to the cave with the waterfall.  It is up Big Cottonwood Canyon and the views were worth it!  Matt went on a couple other major adventures without me.  He went to a cave with my dad and some cousins the day after Christmas.  I thought they were never going to get back-but they finally did a couple hours after dark.  He had a good time! On New Years day he went with the group snowmobiling and hiking to the Hot Pots up Spanish Fork Canyon.  We did the same thig last year with the same old snow mobiles...so I opted to stay home with Yvonne.  The group had a fun time even though the snow mobiles broke down.  Everyone smelled like gasoline when they walked in the door.

We did family photos with Matt's family when everyone was in town! Bridgett (http://www.bridgettj.com/) is such a good photographer! Here are just a few of them:

 The one below is of all the girl cousins! Can you tell which one is the mean one? When Yvonne sees hair she can't help but pull it!

The cutest babe on the block!

Love Love Love my little family! It was so good seeing our extended families but the BEST part of my break was having more of Matt and Yvonne taking up my time!