Family Pictures

This year we took family pictures. With two of my sisters having superb child making qualities combined with my impressive mate catching skills- our family pictures were a little out dated.

The first thing that my dad's clients (or his unforgiving daughters) make fun of  see when they walk into his office an overly large portrait of my mother that looks eerily as if the producers of Napoleon Dynamite used my mom as a model for  the "Portrait's by Deb" logo. 

We convinced our photographer to take non-glamour shots of my mother.

So, there was one success. On the other hand, somehow the photographer knew that may or may not have the tendency to openly silently mock cheesy and awkward engagement pictures. 

Who thought this was a good idea, I don't know. Before I knew it the photographer was telling me to straddle Robert and karma was catching up to me. 

worst.idea.ever.

After a year and a half of marriage, we clearly look like different people. So, now we have something to replace our "young-in" engagement pictures.

Family pictures always end up with a few gems, so here are my favorite awkward pictures: (apart from the previous straddling)

My mom's face (or lack thereof) sums up the past thirty years. "why oh why did I end up with 6 daughters who all have first child syndrome?". That's what two oldest children get for marrying each other. 6 oldest children.

Now in all seriousness, here are our real, noteworthy family pictures:

The Elliotts

Pappy-La-Pue & Mammie

 Call's

 The Family

 Purcell's 

(notice Emerson's incredible ability to stare down anyone.....you'll never guess who he got that from)

 Grandchildren

 Original Wixom's

 Wixom Women. 

 Sisters.

And here is to my parents for having quite the lovely gene pool.

A Merry Little Christmas

After a long week of finals, Robert and I barely made our standby flight to Vegas (thanks to my awesome brother-in-law, Mark). I finally got to meet my two new nephews, Darwin and Emerson. We respectfully refer to them as Winston (Churchill) and Elvis. 

Collette may or may not have taught D to have some serious hair envy. 

And Natalie taught Emerson to be protective of his locks.

This year we spent Christmas with my family, and since we don't all fit in a house anymore, we all head up to a cabin in Utah to spend the week. It was a perfect week, filled with tree hunting, sledding, snow and games (Justin is an avid board gamer, and brings a suitcase just for games.)

  Christmas Eve arrived, and we spent the afternoon going on a 4 mile snow run (co, dad, robert and I), playing minute-to-win-it games, and Christmas Palooza.

Christmas Palooza is our Christmas Eve dinner where each person makes a dish from somewhere in the world they have been. We had everything from Romanian Sarmale, Italian Zuppa Toscana, German Cabbage, Poutine to Finnish Cardamom Bread. 

The nativity was acted out, pajamas were opened, and cookies, milk and carrots were put out for Santa.

And then...... the adults played our White Elephant game. The epic return of handerpants, an iPlunge, Cat Naps calendar..... it was epic.

Overall, it was a wonderful Christmas, and I was glad Robert was able to spend his first Christmas with the Wixoms. Second Christmas down...... a lot more to go :)

We are now back up in the frozen tundra of Rexburg, being greeted with -8 degree weather. It is our last semester of school, and we are both ready to graduate in April! We are heading out with a bang....Robert is taking 17 credits, and I am taking 19. Chances are the blog will take back seat, again.

show me the baby.

Yes, it's been over a month since I have updated this little blog; but, let's be honest, there were some things that trump a blog in life (like school, and my husband, and my job). To do a quick re-cap, Robert has been busy finishing secondary medical school applications, running a business, taking sixteen credits and working up a storm. My professor always says, "don't complain about the pain, just show me the baby!". So, here is glimpse of Robert's "baby":

(so for all of you Rexburgians, you should come to Paint & Fire Ceramics)

Okay, so he hasn't been busy matchmaking, but that is his company's latest commercial. And Robert dies laughing when he watches that commercial. every.single.time. And then he spends the next hour singing "I believe in miracles, you sexy thing".

As for me, I don't really have a baby to show for my semester thus far...... just a husband who keeps losing weight (but since I am his "personal trainer" for the semester, I guess that would be more of my failure. The kid is crazy.) He does have wicked sweet abs now, but I won't share that "baby" with you, I don't know how I feel about posting a picture of my husband's abs on our family friendly blog. awkward.
I have just been loving my job as the head anatomy TA. In all honesty it's probably been my favorite part of the semester. Up until Saturday I was also loving my sewing class, but then we got into a bloody battle and the sewing machine won. I now have a hole in my finger and a nice accent of blood on my bedskirt.

Exactly a month ago, there was also another addition to the Wixom grand babies. This is Nat's little hunk, Emerson.

(this is my favorite picture)

His hair sticks straight up naturally, and I think it's the cutest thing in the world. I finally get to see him on Saturday, and I am stoked.

I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Drive safe :)