Zoe Violet Parker

She's here! 

 

Zoe Violet Parker arrived mid-day on January 3, a little more than two weeks early.  She was about 6 pounds 8 oz., and 18" in length.  And, thank God, in perfect health. 

It was kind of funny, but after an ambiguous stand-off about whether or not I should be in the delivery room, both Mel and I (and Atti) ended up being there for her birth.  By ambiguous, I mean that I would ask Kris if she wanted me there, and she in turn would ask me if I wanted to be there, with the question never really being answered ("I want to be there if you want me to be there," "I want you there only if you want to be there," etc.).  As far as I know, there wasn't even any discussion about Mel being in the room for the delivery.  But, like me, she had a pretty fast labor ... and it just happened that we all stayed.  It's the first time I've even had the option of being in the delivery room, and it was just so amazing. 

I am so thankful and relieved that Zoe is here and in good health! 

Here's a picture that Atti took of Grammie holding Zoe the next day.  I had a mask on because I had come down with a bad chest cold.

Basketball

Kaiya and Teague have both been in a Junior Jazz basketball league for the last several weeks.  Teague loves basketball, practices it a lot at home, and is pretty darned good for a 5 year old.  Kaiya, who is also quite good, wasn't necessarily chomping at the bit to do basketball.  But when Mom said that she had to choose something to stay physically active in the winter months, she chose basketball.

Steph is the coach for Teague's team ... a job that is a bit like "herding cats."  I just love to watch both Kaiya and Teague, and their team-mates.  They have such a carefree abandon to it all.  And of course, Steph ... who is, as you can imagine, a natural when it comes to coaching basketball. 

The Cat in the Hat





One of the gifts I like to give the girls and their families for Christmas is a family ticket to some kind of show, play, etc., to which we can all go together.  This year it was Salt Lake Acting Company's "The Cat in the Hat." 

It was such a fun show, especially for the kids!  Every time I looked at them, they were all sitting in rapt attention.

Christmas 2013

I've had a hard time feeling the Christmas spirit the last few years.  It just seems that the holiday season has become so commercialized and hectic.  The closest I come to feeling Christmas peace and excitement is probably when I am getting ready for our traditional Christmas Eve gathering. 

Because my daughters have multiple "parental units," the parents have learned to work together to divide holidays, usually with a minimum of drama.  I am lucky enough to have spoke for/drawn Christmas Eve, which in my mind is the prime choice.  Everyone is still in a state of anticipation (especially the kids), and I'm not competing for the kids' attention over their Christmas bounty vs. Grammie. 

Also, since they tend to get several traditional Christmas dinners, I have started going with a decidedly non-traditional menu.  The girls always seem to request my chicken noodle soup, combined this year with tortillas with mole poblano sauce, Mexican rice, and assorted other dishes (I can't even remember now ... note to self, catch up on this more often!!). 

Two other traditions that have become entrenched:

Christmas pajamas for the grandkids (pictured here faking sleep)



And Sterling signing "Hallelujah." 



Kaiya and Teague have also started performing on their violin and cello, respectively ... but unfortunately I didn't seem to get any pictures of that.  Next year!

Jared and his girlfriend Jodee also joined us this year.