And, We're Back! We are still alive. The past several months have flown by. Here are the snippets from November, December and January. (It's a long one, so sorry ahead of time if I bore you!) November was a month full of trips to the airport, job interviews and time with family. Brooks stayed busy with job interviews on campus, fly outs for several more interviews, and keeping up with school. All that traveling definitely paid off though. Brooks received a job offer from Union Pacific just before Christmas. We are excited for the new adventure and I am so proud of Brooks. Spencer and I took our own trip down to Cedar City to spend a weekend with Cindy and Robb and the girls. It was fun to spend time with them and see all the people and places Cindy always talks about. Robb was gone part of the weekend so Spencer spent a lot of time with four girls. The week of Thanksgiving was non-stop! We went to Alta High's musical - Oklahoma! to see Pearl! We had dinner with the whole Tingey clan on Wednesday. It was great to have the whole family together again. Thursday morning we all ran a 4 mile race in Orem. Spencer even participated! It was a great way to start off the day! Later that day we had dinner with almost the whole Turnbow clan (we missed you Ben and Melissa). Friday we went Christmas tree hunting. Not much snow, but it was pretty chilly! They got some great looking trees this year! Saturday we spent the day in Salt Lake for a cousins wedding. I love being in Salt Lake at Christmas time. It was a great way to finish off the week and kick off the Christmas season! December came and went faster than ever. We went to several great Christmas parties. Family parties, ward parties and roommate parties. I only have pictures from the roommate party, which was a blast, but we had a great time at all of them! Here are the gingerbread "objects" that everyone made. We had a very creative group! We spent Christmas in Flagstaff and New Years in Sandy. It was great to be with family. Spencer seemed to enjoy his first Christmas, especially any wrapping paper he could get his hands on! He wasn't quite sure about all the ruckus on New Years Eve, but it's the best place to be on New Years Eve. I haven't found anything quite like the Turnbow Bash for New Years! Grandpa Turnbow bought all the grandkids a pony for Christmas. It is the cutest little thing. Now they all can say they have their own pony! For Christmas I made Spencer a monkey. It ended up being a tad bigger than I thought, but it turned out great and he loves it. As we entered the new year Brooks, Spencer and I moved in with my family. Our contract at Wymount finished and we had two weeks before we moved. It was a fun two weeks. However, I think being together like that makes moving even harder. Ben and Melissa were in town for most of it so we got to see them a lot which was fun. And little Ben was off track so he got to play with Spencer and Mckenzie all day long! We got to watch little Ben and Amber in their basketball games, tease Pearl about her "boyfriends" and we couldn't have asked for a better helper than Rebecca. Overall it was fun to be around everyone so much. We took a trip out here and found our apartment and I got to meet some people who recruited Brooks. It was so nice to feel like we knew at least someone as we moved in. In our last few weeks in Utah we filled it to the max with visiting friends and family and headed East. Well, I'll end this post here and start a new one now that I'm caught up. This one is way too long anyway. Sorry I vanished for three months! New year, new start right?!?

Happy Halloween!

It is easy to get in the spirit of Halloween when you have kids around. (Whether they are 4 months or 15 year old kids! :) We had a ward party a week before Halloween that was a lot of fun. We all dressed up as cowboys/gal. Brooks actually won best costume out of the adult costumes. There were some really great costumes, but he won for being most authentic. (Thanks Dad for all the 'gear'). On Halloween Spencer and I dressed as a black cat and pumpkin for Halloween at the office. There were a ton of kids who came trick or treating around the office this year and Brooks came to join us after visiting with some people about a job - hence the lack of costume! Anyway, We had a lot of fun and a great Halloween!

Food! Glorious Food!

We started Spencer on rice cereal last week. He is still trying to figure out how to swallow, but he's made some progress! He thinks it's all a game, and since we don't have a high chair yet he sits in his bouncer and throws his arms and legs everywhere like he's trying to knock the spoon out of my hand. He loves to grab the spoon and get it to his mouth, until he realizes there is something on it! It's a fun game for him and entertainment for us! This is only half of it! I wiped the blob of cereal off from his eye before I took the picture! He loves his bibs!

That takes talent!

So I spent a day at my mom's last week and I was making a couple of baby blankets. She recently got a new sewing machine and I realized that the pedal was very sensitive. Any touch to the pedal made it the sewing machine take off. I was almost done with both blankets and don't ask me how I did it, but I sewed my finger. I broke the needle when I jerked my hand away, and sure enough when I squeezed my finger there were two pricks - one on top of my finger (barely missing my fingernail) and one on the bottom. Everyone asked me how I got my finger under the needle, honestly, I have no clue. All I can think of is that I went to straighten the material and my foot barely touched the pedal and wabang! I don't remember who (one of my sisters or maybe my mom) said "Wow, that takes talent!" So I may not be the best seamstress ever, but I've got talent!

BYU Homecoming!

We had quite a weekend last week. Brooks spent his birthday in Seattle for a job interview. He did more interviewing than seeing Seattle, but that's ok. After he got back we finally took him to Texas Roadhouse - his most favorite restaurant ever. He's been wanting to go forever, but we just haven't made it up that way until now. It was delicious! We shared a dish and were both stuffed after (thanks for the idea BreeAnne). They also made Brooks sit on "the saddle" (it's a real saddle they bring out) while they sang happy birthday. I couldn't find my camera in time, but I wish I could have had a picture of it! So if you are the kind of person who doesn't like to be sung to on your birthday in a restaurant I would recommend steering clear of Texas Roadhouse!

Brooks was so excited about his birthday cake that we forgot to sing to him before we dished it up - hence the candles on the single piece of cake. The funny face is because he is helping us sing happy birthday to him.

Saturday morning I ran the BYU Cougar Run - Homecoming 5k which was a goal I set before I had Spencer. There were flurries of snow in the air all morning and the score board at the track said 33 degrees before we started! Brrrrrrr! I didn't prepare as well as I should have, but I did it in under 30 minutes - which was a lot better than I thought I would do. It was fun to have Brooks and Spencer there to cheer me on!

After the race we caught part of the Homecoming Parade. I don't think either one of us has seen the parade in all the years we've been here. We went home and got warmed up before we ventured on to the football game. It was the first game we've been to this season and Spencer's first football game ever! He wasn't quite sure about all the noise at the game, every time the crowd cheered he would start crying. He made it through though even catching a few short naps here and there.

Once again we hurried home to thaw out! It was a great weekend and fun way to spend our last homecoming at BYU!

The Best Two Years!

Two years! Wow, time flies. Brooks and I celebrated out 2 year anniversary last week. Kevin and Kay were in town and were kind enough to watch Spencer while we went out for a while. We decided to go rock climbing. We went to the MUSA opening social a week earlier and I attempted to climb the rock tower they had. I got half way up and chickened out. Rock climbing (indoors) is something I've always enjoyed doing and I was determined to prove to myself that I can still do daring things. Before we went Brooks took off his wedding ring so he wouldn't smash his fingers and the guy that tutored us on belaying asked when I was to become Mrs. Tingey. We explained that we were already married and we were celebrating our 2 year anniversary that night. He offered to play a song for us, but he didn't have the one we wanted! Brooks realized that he really can trust me when he is three stories off the ground hanging from a rope that I am holding. We were definitely amateurs, but we had so much fun! After rock climbing we took a quick trip to Maceys for a KONG CONE. As you can see in the picture this ice cream cone is way too big for one person and definitely more than two people should eat alone. Not only was it our anniversary, but Cindy and Robb got an offer on their condo earlier that day and I thought that deserved an ice cream as well! It was so good to have time with just each other. We love Spencer and were more than ready to take back our parenting responsibilities, but there is nothing like spending a little bit of time together alone. Everyone always says that, but it took me doing it to realize how much we really need it. So if there is anyone wanting to swap babysitting nights for time out alone, we are all up for it.

Job search . . .

Well, Brooks is just going into his 4th interview of the day. Whew! It's been quite a day. Spencer and I have waited anxiously for an update on each one. It sounds like they have all gone well. It's hard to tell from a quick update he gives as he heads to the next one. It's quite a ride - this job search thing. Wish him luck in this one and the many more that are hopefully to come!

While Brooks has been interviewing all day, Spencer and I have been playing! We went for a run this morning. Ok, half run half walk. I am running BYU's Homecoming 5k so I've been trying to get in better shape, it was a goal I set before I had Spencer. I still have a lot work to do. It's very different running with a stroller and without. Spencer and I have found a new game, I lay on my back and put Spencer on my knees (you know like you did when you were a kid pretending to be a plane, or flipping over dad's head - ok so maybe that doesn't make any sense at all.) Anyway, I rock him back and forth and he loves it. Today when I did it he was laughing up a storm until he got a little burp. The burp was nothing, but all the stuff that came out of him mouth landed on my stomach and made quite a mess. Yep, we learned our lesson - never do the airplane if he's eaten within the last hour! :)

Before he lost his lunch!

Isn't he so cute!

Trip to the Midwest

We just got back from our trip to the Midwest. It was a great trip. We helped Ben and Melissa move their stuff out to Minnesota so Ben can start school at the Univeristy of Minnesota. It was quite a drive. Spencer did pretty well, better than I expected. Ben and Melissa, though, they must have been eating something in their car, they seemed a little loopy several times during the 18 hour car ride! :) Ben and Melissa moved into the same complex as Ryan and Angie, who so generously hosted us. They showed us around town and took very good care of us. We were well taken care of. We saw Mall of America, visited both Ryan and Angie's schools, went to Minnesota's State Fair, saw the St. Paul temple, and other sites around town. It was a lot of fun, but I still think the best part of the whole trip was just spending time with Ryan & Angie and Melissa & Ben.

After Minneapolis we headed down to Nauvoo. Spencer enjoyed this ride more than the trip to Minnesota because I could sit in the back seat with him. We stopped in Carthage on Monday evening before we headed into Nauvoo. I learned several things I never knew about the events that preceded the prophets death, which were very interesting. Of all the sites we saw this was my favorite.

We spent Monday evening and all of Tuesday in Nauvoo. The senior couples put on a program Monday night at the cultural hall which was very entertaining. We will say, though, that Spencer was the most popular guy around. All of the senior couples are missing their own grandchildren so they all Oohed and Ahhed at him everywhere we went. We enjoyed the stories of the pioneers, it made us so grateful for everything we have. Especially our car. I can't imagine walking the whole way - it was bearable in a car.

Click here for more pictures of the trip!

The doctor called:

So after more than a week, we finally heard back from Brooks' doctor with the results from the MRI. Thankfully it is not as bad as we thought, well . . . he won't need surgery that is. His ACL is not torn, however he has a "high grade PCL tear and messed up about everything there is to mess up in his knee" - Doctor Kimball. The PCL is the posterior cruciate ligament. It is the ligament that prevents the shin bone from sliding too far backwards. The PCL does not require surgery, but will require physical therapy. We still have an appointment with the doctor next week so he can check out everything else that was damaged, but we are so grateful not to have to go through surgery. {For those who didn't know, Brooks hurt his knee pretty bad while playing ultimate frisbee out in Tabby a couple weeks ago.}

Heads Up!

Spencer turned 2 months this past Monday. He is growing so fast. This morning he had a fun time playing on his stomach. He is getting so good at pulling his head up. He doesn't like it for very long, but he has fun for a few minutes and is asleep again shortly after! It's quite a work out to be on his stomach!

Baby Blessing

Yesterday was Spencer's baby blessing. Brooks did a great job on the blessing. He says it was a lot harder than he thought it would be, but still did a great job. It was so fun to have all of the family together and we are grateful for their love and support. Spencer had a rough morning. He spit up several times and was fussy off and on the whole morning (which is not like him at all). We decided that he was just a little nervous, because he was great for the rest of church and that evening (besides those hungry moments, and dirty diapers) Thanks to Robb and Cindy we were able to have a nice dinner at their air conditioned apartment. With everyone there it was a little warm, but definitely better than it would have been at our place with just a little fan.

Brooks, Grandpa Tingey, & Spencer

Papa T. and Spencer

Yep! I definitely think he looks like Grandpa Tingey!

Thanks to Grandma Turnbow for the beautiful blanket and the cute outfit (even though it was a little warm).

Attacking Birds

It's quite an amazing thing to watch a couple birds put together a nest. With a bunch of mud and sticks they can put a nest up pretty quick. These were my first thoughts as we noticed a couple birds building a nest in our stairwell. I was fascinated by how quickly they put it together and the stuff they used.

However, after going in and out of the apartment a couple times I realized that these birds were no sweet tweety bird. They would zoom in and out without a care that we were there. Several times I felt as though they were flying right at us on purpose. Brooks had a couple close calls with the attacking birds. I was getting more nervous for our safety and wanted them gone before they finished their nest so we didn't have to scare them off with eggs in the nest.

We called Grounds Office, but they didn't seem like they could do anything about it. Brooks used his basketball skills and threw a wad of paper at the birds to scare them away. Check out his basketball skills - The paper has since fallen out of the nest, but we have not seen the birds since that day. I hope they found a safe place to build their nest again.

Famous Face!

There is a billboard for DearElder.com along the freeway when you are driving from Sandy to Provo. Recently they've blanked out the face that has been on the billboard and advertised that they need a new face. After driving by it many times and both of us making a comment on how we should nominate Brooks for DearElder.com face we finally did it. All it entails is his face on that one billboard, on the home page of DearElder.com, and a little blurp about him on the webstie. We'll see what happens, but even if he's not chosen - it was still fun to imagine his face on a billboard! :) Watch for this beautiful face along the freeway!

Precious Smiles

Spencer is starting to react to us more and more.

There's nothing better than his sweet little smiles.

So cute even with a double chin!