My nephew is cuter than yours.

Doug, Melissa, and Dallin came to visit this week. I haven't seen Dallin since May, and I can't believe how big he is. He will be 2 in three weeks and can already identify every letter of the alphabet and tell you what sound it makes. Amazing. Counting isn't quiet as impressive, but still entertaining. It goes something like this...
2, 4, 9, 6, 2, 4, 9, 6, 2, 4, 9, 6.

On New Year's Eve, we went Downtown to celebrate First Night SLC style. We made noise makers at the children's museum, walked on Mars and the moon at the Clark Planetarium, and counted down to the New Year (six hours early) at the Depot. Then we made our way over to Temple Square to see the lights with a hot chocolate pit stop at a corner street vendor on the way...mmm mmm good. We peaced out around 7:30 and left the wild partying in the streets to the young kids.


Dallin discovered the electric train minutes after walking into Grandpa and Grandma's house. Seeing as how this was my father's train when he was a young lad and is therefore somewhat of an antique, it putted along a little too slowly for Dallin's taste. The train provided him with much more entertainment when it was derailed.


Dallin preparing to ring in the New Year with his homemade noise maker in hand. He shook it like a mad man during the countdown.


Colette was a good sport to wander the streets of downtown with the Hansen clan.


Dallin LOVED playing in the snow...too bad he lives in the South where they don't believe in snow. We (mostly my dad) built this snowman and then we had an intense snowball fight. I was the only one who suffered minor injuries (as usual). One snowball to the neck...red marks and snow down the shirt, followed by a snowball to the face a few minutes later. Also, we like to make it clear that we are Duke fans. I'm wearing my sweatshirt, Doug's got his beany on, and Frosty is wearing my dad's hat.

Clearly 2009 is off to a good start, even though I don't like the odd numbered years. I'm trying to get over that.