MERRY CHRISTMAS

Dear family and friends,

We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! We are so grateful to have this special season to remember the birth of Christ and spend extra time thinking about his birth and life! Please take the time to look at some of the things on this link: http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=6be803bb4c19d110VgnVCM100000176f620aRCRD&locale=0

Thanks for all those who have sent cards-I love the photo ones! I haven't decided how I feel about sending cards--the list just gets so big, so we kept it under 10-so we aplogize but hopefully we can get the computer fixed in a couple weeks and get some fun photos up...lots of love, Elizabeth, Saki and Meresiana

Computer Down

Dear Family and Friends,

Our computer is broken, and I'm unsure when it will be fixed, so blogging and email responses will be spuratic. Please accept our apologies. Our fun news-we now have a 8 week old black kitten with green eyes! We are very lucky it is patient with Mere poking it and loves to play wildly and is willing to be held too. A very fun and good natured kitten!

love to all this Christmas Season! May we all slow down to focus on Christ, the reason for this wonderful time of year! Elizabeth, Saki and Meresiana

11 month portraits

Meresiana is now 11 months old, meaning in less than a month she will no longer be a baby! In some ways time has flown, though many sleepless days and nights have dragged. Every month she is even more fun and I never thought I would miss having a baby, but I'm starting to! Good thing I'm two months pregnant :)






Saki and I made a goal to attend the temple once a month, so as he had this weekend off, we decided to go Sat. We drove up and back in one day and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The San Diego temple was beautifully lit up with Christmas lights, but my camera doesn't work well in the dark. I am so grateful for the temple and the blessings and peace I feel there!

temple and relaxing at home-Saki surprised me with a movie and a chocolate silk pie Wednesday after scouts!!!
sorry-I don't know why they're posting sideways...

When Saki was at the temple I played with Mere at the park and then Saki watched Mere while I went. Mere really enjoyed spinning the drivers wheel and going down the slide on her stomach (I kept my hand on her so she didn't do a face plant at the bottom. She's not walking yet, but she's very agile and unfortunately has no fear of falling, so she would crawl right off a ledge if she could.

Thanksgiving in San Anselmo (near San Fran)

    
Saki's Aunty Asena and Walu dancing with Mere. 
  
Mere with Tua and Nau. 
  
Playing at the mall. 
  
Thanksgiving meal :)
   
Mere talking with grandparents and window shopping (Saki's parent's live right by downtown). 
    
Mere got into the fridge and started eating a tomato. 
    

San Diego Temple :)


As you can see below Mere has become very attached to her "Bearsie" so I try to let her have it just when she sleeps or is in a new situations so she can see something familiar.





My dad came to visit for the weekend (tail end of a business trip), and had fun taking Mere to the park while Saki and I went to the temple. Then Saki and my dad attended the temple with the youth of our ward and Mere and I napped and did a little shopping at a nice health food store they have in San Diego and the distribution center (church things). It was so great to attend the temple, we are setting a goal to go once a month now, it was so close in Vernal (2 1/2 hrs for us now). . .

I am so grateful to have temples and be able to be sealed to Saki and my family and children for time and all eternity! I can't imagine being married for this life only, to die and not have my family and children bound eternally!

Early Birthday Gift

Mere got an early birthday gift from her mom and dad-only because her mom couldn't resist and wanted to play herself--(non-toxic) ball pit balls to go into her pool. It'd be fun even deeper, but they get pricey with shipping and all :(



Here's Mere with her dad and below you can she she is enjoying exploring and climbing onto things-this shelf isn't very high, but there's a picnic basket she keeps trying to climb onto and she doesn't realize she can fall right off.

We have sod!

It's getting chilly here in the evenings. . . windy too, fun!
Our new sod-now Meresiana can play without eating dirt.

We're an apple computer family : )

Halloween

  

   

Meresiana was a fairy and Saki and I were Reese's :) We went to the ward trunk-or-treat and had dinner then, as I wanted to be more healthy I handed out glow in the dark trinkets and bracelets and playdough (all for $4 at the dollar tree) and was reminded that most kids really just want candy :( so I got some candy-a small bag for anyone that might come by our apt Friday and NO trick-or-treaters! I was so sad, I love seeing the costumes. . . though Saki and Meresiana got my hopes up by knocking after their walk and saying trick or treat. . . I was excited for a minute :( 

Here's a new video of Meresiana "walking"-she gets nervous if you just hold one hand, but she can still step. . . and some old videos of us at the beach in San Diego with Robert and Camille in July. 

Well-the videos won't load-I'll keep trying, sorry!!!

The town of Calipatria and beyond

Coming soon. . . where we live, work, and play!

Four Tag-my favorite number by the way Michelle

    

You can see the funny face she makes when she's excited about something. . .

    

I've had this dress hanging on the wall in Mere's room to add some color and I realized this week it might actually fit her now! So she wore it to church today and looked adorable! It is just sweet how the little skirt flares out and I am so thankful to the wonderful family in Vernal who gave us this and many other clothes their granddaughter grew out of! 

A) Four places I go often: Market Square (the grocery store in our little town across the street from us-cheap but limited produce:), Walmart-yes hanging out at walmart has now become our way of getting out of the house for a change of scene the new one is close by and quite nice, church, post office (our town is so little everyone has a PO box cause they don't deliver mail)

B) Four people who email me regularly: my dad and others it varies-mostly blogging and lots of fun ichating with my brother Thomas

C) Four of my favorite places to eat: haven't found any I'm too keen on-but I'm sure there's a good mexican place out here since we're so close to the border-Saki likes Subway

D) Four places I would rather be right now: the beach, the temple, with family, always anywhere with Saki!

E) Four people I think will respond: surprise me : )

F) Four TV show I watch: we don't have a TV but we enjoy watching Monk and Perry Mason (old black and white show) online