Hiking in Arizona

 

...and spending some time at the nature center at the entrance of White Tank Mountain Park...

Goodbye Christmas!

This clock was always so cool when I was a kid at my grandparents house. 

It would chime every hour and slowly turn from the sun to the moon as the day progressed.

 I was so happy my grandma still had it since she got rid of many of her possessions when she moved down south.  

For Christmas we had my grandmother's friends over to share a potluck style dinner. I made these name tags for all of our guests. Halfway through I realized I hadn't made any representing the real reason we celebrate and I made "Ronda" and "Sachie's" name tags and felt a lot better. ^^

Pretty things from around the house...

The rose paintings were another thing I was glad she kept. As a kid I thought those were the bee's knees!
... I was also pretty set on being a rose gardener for a brief period (maybe that's why I dug those rose paintings so much?) before I wanted to be a professional back up dancer, an opera singer and then to my most favorite

(which I am still to this day very much into) a wardrobe specialist for far off fantasy movies like the Chronicles of Narnia or Snow White. For now I think I'll just stick to sewing costumes for this bub.vv

Here I'm texting my mom, telling her I miss her and Washington. I missed the cold and all things green.
She told us while we were there that she wanted to be referred to as "Nana" for Onyx.
I love it! Grandma just didn't fit her. 

Table settings and more pretty things...

All of us getting our baby snuggles in before company came over.

I love him more everyday.

A Toasty Christmas

This year we spent Christmas in Arizona with my Grandmother. 

It was so odd to have the sun shining and palm trees swaying in the wind when I woke up Christmas day.

My little boy is growing, and it's happening so fast I can see it. 

Freakin' me ouuuuut.

We hope you had a splendid Christmas.

-Challice, Jared and baby Onyx.