Valentine's Day With My Boys

Thanks for the cannoli forms Rachael! I have been trying to improve upon my domestic skills, which are currently quite rudimentary and modest. I have a new appreciation for the Food Network and enrichment bread making-type activities. We made cannoli for a fun Valentine treat with some forms my sister-in-law Rachael sent home with my mother-in-law from Milan. I am still not even close to being confidant in the kitchen, as I also attempted to make some "no-fail" eclairs that turned into a DI-SAS-TER! I tried everything I could to save the cream filling that was too thin, running all over my hands and not into the pastries. Although discouraged, I have not thrown in the kitchen towel quite yet.
We spent the day playing and swimming in Midway surrounded by three feet of snow. Emerson played with his sweet auntie Mary so his parents could go the the spa for massages. That evening we avoided the crowds and had a nice dinner at home after the baby went to bed. We also laughed as we read old letters we had written to each other eight years ago. It was the perfect Valentine's Day!!!




I can't help but post some recent pictures of the little guy:

He is a very happy boy and finds such enjoyment and pleasure out of the simplest things. Such as eating avocado . . .

or playing in a box.
He is the SWEETEST boy a mommy could ask for!

Baby Goes to the Jazz Game

JR was excited to introduce Emerson to the Utah Jazz a couple of nights ago. The game had a lousy ending with a loss to the San Antonio Spurs, but luckily it didn't make any difference to the little guy. Here are some phone pictures of the excitement:






















































Late night for this little guy! He fought it as long as he could, but finally gave in and was out until we hit the frigid cold walk to the car. Poor baby boy!

Friends in Dallas, Beaches, & the Strip

Good friends and Texas BBQ!

Good friends are hard to come by, so Emerson and I traveled to Dallas to visit some of ours. We had such a good time hanging out with Rachel, Lucy, and Gracie (and sometimes Marshal)! Rach and I went from living across a small bedroom from each other, to down the hall, to across the valley, and now across states. The distance keeps growing between us, yet we are still so close! Thanks for the fun time girls! I didn't take a lot of pictures, but here are a couple I did take:




Emerson learned about the sippy cup. Everybody's doing it!






Emerson loved playing with the girls! He got so excited every time he woke up and got to go downstairs to look for Lucy and Gracie.

We both looooove eating out, so we made sure to try some authentic Texas bbq.




From Dallas, we flew to San Diego to meet up with JR, who had been working out there all week. Our friends, Annie and Nolan, also met up with us. I absolutely loved walking around in short sleeves and sandals, and feeling the sun on my back. The weather was phenomenal and felt like a dream. I put all of the cold wet snow back home out of my mind. We enjoyed the beaches in Coronado and La Jolla, lots of sightseeing, Balboa Park, and seafood! Thanks Annie and Nolan. We had a great time and didn't even have to steal a dead minivan with no radio this time for fun!



After a few days in CA, we all drove to Las Vegas for some gambling, strip clubs, and bar hopping. OK, really it was more like buffets, walking the strip, and toy store shopping. There are many things I don't like about Vegas, but what I do appreciate is cheap lodging, free parking everywhere, and shopping. I had never been to an F.A.O. Schwartz before this trip and it quickly became one of my favorite parts! I was reacquainted with nostalgic candy and toys from my childhood, played on the classic giant keyboard, and adopted a new baby doll (see pictures below). We came so close to purchasing some linkin' logs, before we realized our son won't even be able to play with them for a couple of years. JR and Nolan looooove seafood buffets and could write a guide to "buffet eating strategy." They wanted to make sure to eat as much crab as possible. We also had to listen to JR turn several Vegas nouns into verbs such as, "Let's buffet it", or "Should we Bellagio it?" Good times!

Benvenuto Piccola Siciliana!

I would like to take a moment and welcome a new little (and I mean little) member of my family. Charlotte Raya Criscione, my new niece, arrived this morning at 4:20 am (Italian time). Tanti Auguri Rachael and Giovanni!!! She weighs a little over 5 pounds and looks incredibly precious. I am excited to have someone I can converse in Italian with at my own level!

Christmas Edition

The birth of my son this year made me appreciate the celebration of the birth of our Savior even more. I am so excited to teach him about Jesus Christ, his life, and his message. We had a fabulous Christmas surrounded by close friends and family. Amid all of the parties, food, and presents, singing at the Veterans' nursing home was my highlight this year. A lot of great family members showed up to sing in our little choir. I was so grateful! I think it will become a new tradition for us. It was fun sharing Christmas celebration through song. When we began, one of the vets came and told us that a lot of the men don't have the physical ability to clap their hands together, so he would do it on their behalf. Little Emerson didn't sing with us, but he sure clapped for us throughout the performance!
My father-in-law talked to a group of vets that showed him a man that goes to the entrance of the building every day waiting for his wife to come for him. What a sweet Christmas message for all of us! His wife won't really come for him until he passes from this life, but because of Jesus Christ she will!



You can't see us because Jr is taking the picture and I am sitting at the piano.

JR gave me several great gifts this year, but the one that meant the most was ballroom dance lessons! I have been wanting to take lessons since we got married and this year he COMPLETELY surprised me with them. A couple of days before Christmas we went to a Christmas party at the studio to eat, watch a performance, and even do some dancing ourselves. I was so impressed at how thoughtful this gift was. I realized how important it is to spend time together, especially with a baby. We had such a blast together laughing out on the dance floor as we tried new moves.




Our new dance teachers














A slide show of Christmas and winter fun

It Was His Only Defense

It just doesn't seem like Christmas to me until I visit Temple Square downtown SLC. I don't wear my pink snow bibs and moon boots anymore, but it wouldn't be a bad idea considering how cold it is! Last night we ventured down with the young women and young men (church youth group) in our ward.


Some of the teenagers from our group.


Thorvaldsen's Christus statue has to be one of my favorite highlights on Temple Square. I like to think of his original in the Lutheran church, Church of Our Lady, in Copenhagen. It's great to be able to stand in awe in front of a depiction of the Savior with foreigners across world. That unity brings me such peace in an unstable world. My Relief Society lesson was on unity this last Sunday. We had such a great discussion and so many interesting thoughts were shared. It made me want to go out and befriend everyone on the street and embrace our differences! I know this sounds like a giant cheese ball, but don't deny that you haven't ever had that feeling before too! I found this quote regarding unity for my lesson from Elder Eyring:

"One way I have seen it done is to search for anything on which we agree. To be that peacemaker, you need to have the simple faith that as children of God, with all our differences, it is likely that in a strong position we take, there will be elements of truth. The great peacemaker, the restorer of unity, is the one who finds a way to help people see the truth they share. That truth they share is always greater and more important to them than their differences. . . That same principle applies as we build unity with people who are from vastly different backgrounds. The children of God have more in common than they have differences. And even the differences can be seen as an opportunity. God will help us see a difference in someone else not as a source of irritation but as a contribution. The Lord can help you see and value what another person brings which you lack."

I love knowing that no matter where someone is from, what religion they belong to, or what kind of background they were raised in, we can all find commonality with one another. We may not agree on everything 100%, but it's the unity which brings us closer and makes us stronger. Right now our world needs this strength!

How Thoughtful

How thoughtful of his mother to hang long silky ribbon, shiny round balls, and sparkly bright lights throughout the house just for his enjoyment.






It looks like King Herod isn't the only threat to Bethlehem. . .