Sunday, December 13, 2009

Powell Happenings

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

This has been an exciting week for our little family! Calvin took his first steps without holding onto mommy or daddy's hands. On Thursday, December 10, after Jake got home from work, we were sitting on our bedroom floor facing each other and letting Calvin practice walking back and forth. I was trying to show Jake how Calvin can stand on his own and Jake thought if he can do that, maybe he can walk too. And after a little practice, he did! He took three steps at the most and then would collapse into waiting arms. We are so proud of our little guy! And he is too! He couldn't stop smiling the whole time.

Last weekend was our Ward Christmas Social that I was in charge of. We did a ham dinner with a Talent Show following. Everything went fantastic! We had plenty of food (we're actually still eating ham and potatoes here at home!) and quite a few people signed up to share their talents! Jake and I performed a flute/guitar duet and played "Good King Wencelas" and "We Three Kings". Jake also did a guitar duet with our friend, Adam, and they played "The First Noel". And to kick off the talent show, Jake and three other guys from the ward performed an interpretive dance. It was classic!! (I've tried to post the video, but it's not working. Sad!)

On that note, a change happened this week. I was released from my calling as Activities Chair, that only lasted 3 months, and was a called to be the 2nd counselor in the Primary. I'm pretty nervous about what that entails, but I'm excited to work with the new President. Thankfully, the 1st counselor is a returning member of the last presidency, so she'll know what's going on. One good thing is that I won't have to attend Ward Council now, which is especially nice since we're moving to the 9:00 a.m. schedule with the New Year.

Jake had an interesting/scary experience this week in the clinic. He had a crazy patient he saw who has bipolar schizoaffective disorder. She was having a severe manic episode due to over-medication and couldn't fathom that her mental problems were a more immediate issue than the back aches she had originally come in for. She ran out screaming "Make him stop, mama! Make him stop!" An interesting phrase coming from a forty something year old! After an hour long interview with the patient and her screaming the entire time, the nurses finally took pity on Jake and came to his rescue telling him he had a phone call, which in fact he didn't. Just another day in the family practice clinic....

Other happenings this week, hmmm. We've started getting together with friends for FHE to play Nerts and have pizza. So fun! We have also taken the chance to drive around and enjoy Christmas lights. In Cape County Park north of town, there is a collection of light displays where anyone in town can set up their own display. So nearly every church, business and everyone else has one. It takes about 15 minutes to drive through and see them all. We did that last Sunday before watching the Christmas Devotional. All in all, it's been a fun week! We are really enjoying the Christmas time of year. We hope you are all too!


Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Calvin goes Mobile

Calvin has really started becoming mobile this week! He army crawls all over the place, and I'm quickly realizing that this is going to require even more of our attention. It is actually quite humorous, because if he is really upset that I set him down somewhere, he cries and crawls all the way over to me. I was doing dishes the other morning and had set him down on the kitchen floor to play, which he wasn't very happy about! So he got on his tummy and proceeded to express his anger and frustration all the way over to my feet where he attempted to pull himself up on my legs! I thought he would enjoy his new found freedom to explore and go where he likes, but intead he uses it to get back to me. "I'm free, I'm free...I'm alone." Along with his ability to crawl, he is also getting more coordinated and confident in his walking abilities. He can now slowly walk along the couch while holding on to it and also is getting brave enough to try and stand only holding on with one hand! He will also move back and forth between chairs and tables while trying to balance himself. He loves it all! If you let him stand or walk he is the happiest baby I've ever seen! It is fun to see him grow and develop these new abilities, but it's hard too. I'm realizing that he is quickly leaving babyhood and becoming a toddler. I'm really nervous to think of what that entails. But so far, we've enjoyed every stage more and more, so I imagine it continues to hold joy beyond what I can imagine! Here are a couple videos of Calvin's new abilities.

Thanksgiving with the Powells

We had a very fun Thanksgiving together with Mom, Dad and Mitchel here! Not only did we have a delicious and naturally fat-free Thanksgiving meal...I wish...but we also created many fun memories! Early morning walks, late night Yahtzee, pool games, puzzles, Wii tournaments and a fun time at the driving range! And of course, many cute moments of Calvin's first Thanksgiving. Here are some fun photos from our weekend!
Calvin wants to grow up to be train conductor...maybe on the Polar Express!

Grandpa and Calvin playing at the park.

Calvin's new favorite place to be, atop Grandpa's shoulders!


"Push me higher, Grandpa!!"

Calvin's first olive!

Even Calvin joined in eating the good food...a little mashed potatoes, turkey, yams and cranberry salad. Can you guess which was his favorite? One clue: it was red!