December is Four!

This year, the birthday cake December wanted me to make for her was a Cinderella cake. She got to pick the 2 cake flavors (since the recipe needed 2 cakes), and she chose strawberry (for obvious pink reasons) and a vanilla cake with colorful sprinkles in the batter (I wonder what child doesn't love sprinkles?). For her ice cream choice, she picked mint chocolate chip. To say the cake flavors and the ice cream flavors didn't go well together would be quite a major understatement...

The back of Cinderella

December with her cake. We didn't have a big party for her like we've had in the past with all of her little friends coming over. Instead we celebrated while Mike and Kim were out visiting us last week and had a little party with family instead. That was special, since the last birthday party she had with any extended family around was her 1st birthday!

Singing "Happy Birthday" to December!

And here's a picture of my boys and their laptops...Isaac loves to hang out with Brad and do just about anything with him -- unless it involves a diaper change

Mom & Dad, Grandpa & Grandma Visit!

These next pictures are from the week we spent with my Mom & Dad and Grandpa & Grandma when they joined us after their missions trip. Here's December messing up my Dad's hair and thinking herself to be quite hilarious

Isaac eating breakfast, with one of his favorite fruits -- mango! It's one of our favorites, too.

Isaac, still at breakfast, but this time he's in one of his favorite mealtime poses, with his right foot up on the table

Headed to the Wild Animal Park with everyone, of course!

Here we are, watching a lady tell us about a cute little hedgehog.

Brad and Dad looking at the field of cacti

The Wild Animal Park recently started doing a cheetah talk, where you sit only a few feet away from the cheetah!

Going on the tram ride. Both Isaac and my Grandpa were feeling a little sleepy!

Flowers in bloom in front of a field of animals

Mother and baby rhino having a snack

Us watching the meerkats, one of our favorite animals at the park

On another day, my parents and our family went on the Sprinter, the train that runs from here to the coast and back. Lots of fun!

We had brought along a picnic lunch to the beach, and after we had finished eating it, Dad started feeding the scraps to the seagulls. They were taking them right out of his hand (I think the seagulls had done this sort of thing once or twice before). If you can see from the picture, it was a pretty chilly, cool, windy day, so we were feeling cold!

December chasing the birds and scaring them away as Dad was feeding them

Walking along the pier

At the end of the pier was a restaurant. We went inside to get warm and to get some hot chocolate and fries. December's a fan of the whipped cream!

Me, VERY happy about my hot chocolate!!

Dad and December resting on the train on the way back

On another day, we went hiking!

We went for a hike in an area that had been burned in the fires that happened a few years back, the ones that hit right after we had moved here and nearly had us evacuated. You can see the black, burned tree and how much of it died...and then the new, green growth coming back in the middle of the tree

Here's a sign that got melted in the fire. The words aren't readable anymore, and the sides of it burned into frayed threads.

At the top of one of the hills we climbed

Mom and Dad with December, at the top of the hill



Even Isaac got in on the hiking action!

We made a cairn and each put a rock on it. December got to put the last rock on and only tipped it over twice before we got this picture taken!

Isaac riding on his Grandpa's shoulders, to speed up Isaac's wandering hiking progress

Brad picked December up, for the same reasons. And she was complaining that her legs hurt from all of the walking...

On another day, we went to the zoo! Here's one of the koalas there.

Testing the prickliness of the cactus

Isaac watching some monkeys eat their lunch

A resting Panda bear

The hippos! with December's hand in front of its mouth

Isaac taking in the sights

My Grandpa with December, being very Decemberish.

The flamingos

A crocodile with December

At the McDonalds in the mall with my grandparents and Mom (taking the picture), while Dad and Brad were at a conference at school

January Days

Actually, this picture might have been taken in February, because it's a fairly recent picture...but here are Brad and December, after December's bath time.

Ha! I was trying to take another picture of Brad and December when -- pop! -- up comes Isaac right in front of the camera, just in time to get in the shot

December's idea -- a picture of silliness

Isaac sitting in and playing with the pots and pans so Mommy has some peace (but not quiet) while making dinner! He loved it, as you can tell!

At the beginning of January, my Grandma stayed with us for a week while my Grandpa, Dad & Mom, and my brother Klynt and his wife Marie (along with members of their church) went into Mexico for a missions trip. Grandpa and Mom & Dad joined us the following week for some fun! I'll put up a post of that next time. But here's me, Grandma, December, Isaac, and Brad (taking the picture) at the Wild Animal Park.

December with the bear Great-Grandma got her for Christmas. Since then, Isaac has adopted it away from December and sleeps with it every night.

The lion sleeping on the truck in his enclosure.

The Wild Animal Park is fun to go to, just to look at the plant life there!

An African Crowned Crane. See the water droplets glistening on his back?

At the airport, picking up my Grandma and seeing Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Klynt (standing in the background with the sunglasses), and Marie off to Mexico.