48 hours of FREEDOM!

Kyle's family came to town for the holidays and whisked Cade to Nauvoo with them for 2 WHOLE DAYS!!! It was a spur-of-the-moment offer from Kyle's Mom so when they pulled out of the driveway I was still numb in shock. What does a mother do when she has 2 days of freedom? Well, for starters, Kyle and I went out to eat-- no place fancy, just a great Chicago eatery. I had been itching for a good pedicure- a common desire of one who is 9 months pregnant I suppose, so we drove all over town to find a nail place that didn't smell like acetone. We finally did find a place and both of us (YES! Kyle joined me!) lounged in chairs and had our feet worked on. SO NICE! It's great to have color on my toes seeing as how I can't put socks on without assistance! On our way home we received a phone call from the cabinet company telling us that our cabinets would be installed the next day. We emptied our cabinets (I have to give Kyle credit here-- he did most of the work!) and then we called it a day! Day #2 was quite productive. I scraped the remaining wallpaper off of Cade's bedroom walls (that was a work out) and painted them! It was so great getting to paint without a little one to worry about. Kyle shined the wood floors and hung the window treatments up. FYI-- up until this point I had kind of been in denial about how large my stomach has gotten. Once I saw this photo I realized why people have been telling me the last several weeks that I look like I am going to pop!

The Woodburys do some White Elephanting

We hosted a Christmas gathering in our home last night and it was loads of fun. To our surprise we had about 30 people come. Cramming that many bodies in our tiny house was certainly a sight to see but everyone was really kind about the lack of space. We served cheese fondue and borrowed a chocolate fountain. It was our first time fonduing so there were some kinks along the way but we'll be all the more prepared for it next time! It was mandatory the guests come wearing a cheesy holiday shirt -- there were some hilarious ones. When each guest arrived they were issued their very own Christmas mug and a dollar bill. They had to keep their mug within arm's reach the entire evening and if caught without it, they had to give up their dollar. Some got clever and attached the mug to their belt (see photo!) The white elephant gift exchange was a hoot-- I got rid of our old chandelier, but the recipients conveniently forgot it on our front porch. Ha ha. We're going to leave it in their car tomorrow during church. Another lucky attendee received an autographed photo of Kyle.

Decking the Halls!

First and foremost, we are thrilled to have our first tree up! I (Michelle) was on the task the day after Thanksgiving. It was a difficult choice, but I finally decided on a 7 1/2 foot Kennedy pre-lit pine. Kyle wanted a real one but who would put the lights on and sweep up the needles???? Yeah--- so there we go. We got a fakey. Cade and I practiced on our little mini pine I bought last year at the after-Christmas sales and he just loved decorating. Once we felt confident in our tree trimming capabilities, we moved to the Kennedy. Cade added his own special touch with some of his toys.

Phew--- much has happened in the last few weeks!

Bye Bye Provo!

In spring of 2006 we moved from Provo, Utah to the suburbs of Chicago. It was nice being finished with school and we were ready to live in the "real world," though there are many things about the student life that we miss. So far life in the big city has been good...we started a business and it is going well, we are attending a great church here, and thanks to Cade--we've made great friends. Currently Michelle keeps herself busy volunteering in church assignments, setting up house, and managing Cade's social life. Cade pretty much runs the show and his favorite things to do are: play with trucks, tractors and trains, visit friends, watch daddy play baseball and soccer, go to Chuck E. Cheeses, and ride on airplanes to see Gramma. His favorite friends are: Afton, Chelsie, Eli, Ty, Jordan, Walker, Avril, Aly, Peanut, Laney, and anyone else he makes eye contact with.