... and a Happy New Year!

Rhys helped us celebrate the New Year last night by staying up with us until midnight!  He was actually very pleasant to be around, which has me worried.  I could end up being the only morning-ish person in our house.  The ranks are closing in...

I know it's too early for nostalgia, but I keep looking at him as he does his baby yoga (he can most often be found doing his version of downward-facing dog, which we have dubbed downward-facing baby) or pulls himself up to standing on our couch and wonder where the nine months have gone.  He started crawling two weeks ago and seems intent on walking tomorrow.

He's such a beautiful boy and it's incredibly flattering to have him as fan.  Whenever I sing or dance around him, he's bouncing away on his bottom and smiling.  It's nice, even if he doesn't know that there's a much higher quality out there.

Our recent adventures include a visit to Los Vegas to visit Abe's family for a rather low-key Thanksgiving, a visit to the lights on temple square, a visit to the museum of paleontology, his first "solo" slide and a visit to my grandpa Bush's house.  Rhys experienced his first Christmas, which was more exciting for us than for him, I'm afraid.  We swore that we'd just give him a box or toys that he hadn't used in a while for Christmas, but in the end we just couldn't resist.

On the adult front (which enlarging somewhat), Abe finished this past semester with a 4.0!  It was his first ever, and he's understandably proud.  We've enjoyed having a break from school and residents and spending as much time together as we want.

I have been toying more with the idea of performing some, and am trying to ease my way back into it with a community performance of the Elijah oratorio.  I did it my freshman year of college (which is seeming further and further away), so I still have the score even!  I'm also going out and trying to do more mommy dates, meaning I get together with other moms and do something.  It's not really for our children, since they're still kind of young to really interact with each other, but it's nice to be around other adults.  My most recent excursion was last night with a handful of girls I grew up with.  We all have babies now, which is strange, considering we were all last together in junior high school, when we ourselves were children.  I still often feel that way.  Any minute now someone is going to do a double take and then ask me where my mother is, since I'm still such a kid.  I'm glad it hasn't happened yet!

On the photos: Sorry about the binge again!  Also, sorry that some are turned sideways.  They weren't that way when I uploaded them...

Looking at dino bones with Uncle Nick.

Riding a triceratops.  No big deal.

Being sacrificed to a prehistoric crocodile.

Rhys' Sunday outfit.  It makes him look a bit like a hobbit.

Hanging out with his cousin, Emma.

Don't worry!  There was someone there to catch him at the end!

This was a cool cactus garden outside of an M&M factory in Vegas.  I'm not sure I would have wanted the job of decorating...

A Myler family Thanksgiving!

At the Mandalay Bay aquarium, Shark Reef.

I have always wanted to be in an aquarium tunnel, so this was definitely a goal come true.  Next up, actually touching a dolphin!

His coat might be a bit big for him...  He has a difficult time putting his arms down, even when he's awake.

Whenever he sees a camera lately, Rhys has taken to smiling so much that he closes his eyes.  He must be a Bush.

CRAWLING!

I came into the living room one night to find that Rhys had fallen asleep like this while Abe had given Rhys a massage.

Our little elf on Christmas Eve.

Being a celebrity with Uncle Peter.

Merry Christmas!

Yes, he's holding a toy gun.  No, it's not his.  Yes, he loved it.

My first homemade wreath.

A date night at Scheel's.

Temple Square!  And then our battery died.