T1,

These posts are going to get harder to write as you grow older. As a baby you make rapid physical changes, but the mental developments aren’t really manifest yet. At this age though, you change dramatically from day to day and it’s getting hard for me to keep up. And I LOVE it. Go ahead and outpace me as much as you’d like little one, because there are few things that make me happier than watching you grow, develop, and embrace the world around you.

I’ve been writing down notes about you on my iphone for months now, but it’s hard for me to capture your personality in a few paragraphs. You’re determined, sweet, forgiving, excited about life, fascinated by the world around you, and love to be with other people (though you love to soak up every second with your dad most of all). Everyone who has spent time with you, whether it’s for a few hours, or on a regular basis, describes you as a sweetheart and a great kid to be around. We agree.

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My life today, the day I turn 28, is so different than where I was at last year. I didn’t know we would have a daughter, I didn’t know how much I would love living on the San Francisco peninsula, I didn’t know my ideas about… everything would have shifted so dramatically (I’ve been watching the Supreme Court arguments anxiously hoping that marriage will be an option for everyone no matter their sexual orientation by this summer, a far cry from what you heard me saying in 2008!).

I didn’t know it was possible to be this happy.

I am so grateful that I was born in the place I was born, to the parents who raised me, to get to spend the rest of my life with the person who means the most to me in the world, to have so many things I want and never have to worry about what I need, to have two delightful children that are going to shape me into a better person, to have so much to look forward to in the future.

Family Photo by Kristin of Dezember Photography

And a little addendum I’m going to attach to this post for my favorite friend Paige, who we left behind in Chicago and that I miss so much:

Looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift for a friend, your wife, or yourself (: ?

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Like members of any other serious profession, mothers need opportunities to network with other moms and learn and share “best practices” in their field.

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Consider this a recap of everything Christmas/Holiday related from 2012.

We kicked things off with a visit to the Los Altos Festival of Lights. We arrived right when it started and found decent seats (bring your own chairs!), didn’t have to park too far away, and found the length to be just perfect for T1′s age and attention span.

I pushed for a real tree, but we decided to get a fake one in the end. This one has a bit of a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree vibe, but it was inexpensive and pre-lit with LED and the perfect tree for us at this point in our life. I hope That Husband knows that eventually I want to go down to Santa Cruz and cut a real one down and bring it home!

T1 spent most of his time managing our efforts.
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Yet another year where I (Jenna) am writing this Christmas card from a different location than in years past. This year we are located south of San Francisco in the Palo Alto area of California. It took me approximately three days to declare that I love it here and want to stay forever. We are so grateful that TH not only has a great job, but one that allows us to live in such a beautiful place.

When 2012 started, we thought we had an idea how things would go. TH would graduate with an MBA from the University of Chicago, we’d move back to Dallas, T1 would continue learn and grow and amaze us with his interpretation of the world around him. The first and last have turned out as expected, but a new job offer for TH has taken us in a completely different direction than previously anticipated.

While I went back to school this Summer my parents generously offered to employ, house, feed, and entertain TH and T1 up in my hometown while I finished up at BYU. I was so grateful to have my mom, dad, and sister present as I walked across the graduation stage (I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English), and three days later we were lucky enough to find ourselves in Poland enjoying the company of TH’s family while eating Krakow Cake in the backyard.

T1 has reached the language explosion stage, and conversations with him become more entertaining as each day passes. He loves preschool, talks all the time about “friends”, and comes home singing songs that I have to look up on YouTube so I can sing along. All those who spend time with him consistently describe him as a sweetheart, and he is developing into an earnest, determined, and meticulous little boy. He loves to whisper secrets to and hug the baby inside of Mama, and though we didn’t find out the sex of our second little one he will always predict that it’s a girl when asked what mommy is having. It’s going to be such a treat to watch him fill the role of big brother.

Our plans for 2013 include surviving with a determined/demanding preschooler and a newborn. We know many of you have done it, so it must be possible… right?

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone!