My Handsome Nathan

I'm so pleased with myself for figuring out how to create a collage using Picasa 3. I've been reading up on digital scrapbooking and took to heart the author's advice to just take a whole lot of pictures in order to have a better selection of keepers. And speaking of keepers... here's my favorite keeper of all: Nathan Freeman.

LEAH-Dorable!

These are a few photos we took last week of Leah at our most favorite beach -- La Jolla Shores. If only there really were seven of her!

We're lovin' the spring time here. The days are longer and the nights are warmer. We've renewed our commitment to get out to jog and walk more. It turns out Leah really enjoys taking fieldtrips on her jogging stroller and her Mommy and Daddy do too.

Our Funny Valentine

Leah was our sweet little Valentine for the first time this year. I had been saving a red dress that Leah's cousin Lizzie (now almost 12 years old) wore as a baby for the occasion. Don't you love her sunny smile? Happy Valentine's Day and lots of love from our family to you and yours.

Nathan's My Number One

Marrying Nathan was the smartest and best thing that I've done in my life. He is a wonderful husband, friend, and father. Not only does he work hard to support our family, but he spends quality time with us and does nice things for us. Case in point: When Leah and I flew home from Utah after being gone for five days, Nathan had cleaned the house spic-and-span, bought flowers and chocolates for me, and arranged for dinner take-out so I wouldn't have to cook. He's a thoughtful man and he's my #1! I love you, Nathan!

Leah's First Flight

Leah and I flew to Utah for a few days at the end of January. I was nervous to take an infant along with all of our stuff by myself while Nathan stayed home and worked, but our travel went relatively smoothly. We were busy spending time with all of our Peterson family. Leah loved meeting her cousins, visiting her Grandma and Grandpa Peterson, and seeing her aunts and uncles.

Grandparents Are Grand

Leah was lucky enough to see both sets of her grandparents in January. Grandpa and Grandma Freeman escaped the cold of Missouri for a few days to visit us here in sunny Southern California. We had fun catching up, going to the temple, watching for whales, and spending time at the beach together.

Just Another Beautiful San Diego Sunset

One of our favorite Freeman Family activities is watching the sunset at the beach. We acquired a jogging stroller that allows us to walk, jog, and explore nearby La Jolla Cove. We're pretty convinced thar it's one of the prettiest places on Earth.

Lambiekins

There's something so adorable about babies dressed up in ridiculously cute outfits. I bought a purple lamb outfit long before Leah was born never dreaming how cute she would look in it. See below for proof.

Mom and Dad's Best Present Ever

Leah's onesie says it all. She was truly our best present ever. We loved sharing our holiday with her.

Colorado Cousins Christmas Visit

Monday, December 22 – Monday, December 29: Kim Freeman (Nathan's sister-in-law), her kids, and her favorite babysitter Kelsey came to San Diego to visit us for the week of Christmas. With Jacob (Nathan's brother) doing a tour of Air Force duty in Guatanamo Bay, Cuba, we were lucky enough to have Kim and the kids celebrate the holiday with us. Kim was so brave to drive her kids and Kelsey in her mini-van from Colorado Springs, including a nursing infant. Wow! We had a lot of fun getting ready for Christmas. The girls decorated gingerbread houses and we ate lots of sweets. Kim cooked us delicious hearty meals (Are houseguests supposed to be cooking for their hosts??? We got lucky, I'd say!) and we played a lot of Carcassonne (strategic boardgame). Leah loved meeting her cousins and being surrounded by energetic girls. We met Joel for the first time and enjoyed his easy-going personality. He's just additional evidence that Jacob and Kim are fantastic parents and they turn out cute kids.

This Christmas was much more livelier with kids. Leah wasn't quite old enough to appreciate her gifts, but she'll figure all that out soon enough. Emily did a great job organizing the kids’ presentation of the Christmas story as told in Luke 2 of the Bible. Brooke, Rose, and Abigail were fantastic actresses in the play and expert shell collectors when we visited La Jolla Shores beach.