February

So I managed to use a single post last time to catch the blog up on almost a year's worth of stuff, but haven't done a thing since then. I love having this blog as a way to preserve our family's memories (like a virtual scrapbook), so I'm going to try to get things caught back up and keep it caught up. Since my last post brought us up-to-date as of the beginning of February, I figured that was as good a place as any to pick up and get things moving again. 

 Sharli is finally starting to get big enough that she and Erik are enjoying one another for the first time. Here Erik was running around the kitchen like a crazy person just to make Sharli laugh hysterically. It's fun to see them starting to build a relationship.

 February was somewhat rough on us. We spent a couple of weeks passing around the Flu. It started while Ethan was gone to Las Cruces to present a paper he wrote to the American Fisheries Society Conference. I got sick first, followed by Erik the next day. Sharli started in with it around the time Ethan got home, and then it was his turn. For about two weeks our house had at least one of us wishing we were dead and/or passed out somewhere trying to sleep through the misery.

 Erik got to watch the LEGO movie for the first time, and it sparked some fun creativity around our house. This is his version of Lord Business.

 Sharli often wakes up from her nap before Erik does, and it drives her crazy that he's behind a closed door where she can't pester him!

 When Sharli's first birthday rolled around, we were all still pretty under the weather. I made an attempt to at least take some pictures of her but, since I was laying on the floor trying to hang on to consciousness, this was the best one I managed to get. Happy birthday Sharli! We didn't do anything special to celebrate that day, poor girl had to wait about a week and then share my birthday party with me.

 For my birthday we really didn't do much. I made a cake, but it was really for Sharli. I think she liked it, don't you?

 The Rice family came over and enjoyed cake with us, then they went home and we all staggered off to bed.

 When we were finally all feeling better, we decided we needed to do something to celebrate, so we packed a picnic and went up the road to the Leopold Vista picnic area. There's not much there, just some picnic tables and a few interpretive signs, but it was just nice to get out of the house!

 After dinner we went for a nature walk and climbed some rocks and just enjoyed feeling good enough to be outside.