Several months ago, our good friends James and Erica Peterson called us up wondering about the possibility of a preseason Sun Valley weekend trip.  We decided it sounded like a great idea.  Ashley could get some quality Grandma Julie and Grandpa Ray time in, and we could have a fun getaway with our friends.  So we bought our tickets and put the date on the calendar.  Time flew by and soon it was time to make the trip.  Ashley was a trooper on the way up to Idaho.  We had a quick visit with my parents before we headed off to Sun Valley.  The lodge is under renovation, so we stayed in the Inn.  It had amazingly long hallways packed with room after room.   It seemed like a good setting for a scary movie.  The Inn also has a large round pool/hot tub like the Lodge had.  We enjoyed getting dressed up in our robes and slippers and enjoying the pool.  We also got some good food at Smoky Mountain Pizza.

We lucked out the next day and had some great snow for skiing up on Baldy.  There really hadn’t been much snow for a long time, and we were up there the day after a nice storm rolled through.  No way to plan that months in advance.  On Baldy, we found another one of our college friends and skied some runs with him.

I always love skiing with Kathryn.  When we only go once a year, or less, it can be a little slow to get back into the groove, but we both did great.  It was an awesome trip.  Thanks to Mom and Dad for watching Ashley for us so we could go.

Kathryn is amazing.  She put together a perfect birthday weekend!  We had a jam packed birthday dinner on Sunday with the Hawkers, Kevin, and Devin.  In all, 11 people packed around our table, with Ashley off to the side.  I don’t think it’s quite a record, but it’s very close.  (Tim took the great panorama picture and Ashley was still sleeping.)  Thanks to everyone for coming to celebrate with us, and for the gifts!

On Monday, Kathryn had her TSO Christmas concert.  Nathan Osmond was their guest performer.  Kathryn did an amazing job and I was so proud of her!  She really is an amazing girl!

A post isn’t complete without a couple of shots of our little cutey.

We had a great Thanksgiving with my family.  We had our whole family together, along with Grandma and Grandpa.   We had fabulous food and lots of delicious pies.  We didn’t have any eating competitions this years like in those two years once upon a time.  An eating competition is a sure way to take the fun out of Thanksgiving afternoon 🙂

One of my favorite traditions is the Thanksgiving shootout.  Ashley got to come along this year and she thought the truck ride down there was the best thing ever to get to ride not only in the face forward, but in the front seat helping me drive!

There was lots of fun cousin time too.  That’s one of the best parts of these family get togethers now.

We celebrated Mom’s birthday.  I guess the candle means she is 1 year older 🙂

We have a 1 year old!

We had a fun birthday morning with Ashley opening presents.  In my opinion, she got way too much stuff 🙂  She is such a good girl that we (Kathryn) couldn’t help it.

We had a great party later that evening.  Mom and Dad made the drive from Idaho.  Mom made a fantastic dinosaur cake for Ashley.

Why a dinosaur cake?  Well, really the whole party was dinosaur themed.  So first, why a dinosaur theme?  Well, Ashley likes to make a rawring sound, so we’d ask her “What does a dinosaur say?”  “rawwwwr!”  Kathryn decorated the place in dinosaur fashion with dinosaur jokes on the mirror, dinosaur silhouettes hanging from the fan, dinosaur facts on the wall, and dinosaur themed snacks in the kitchen.

Now, back to the cake.  When I was 4, I had a great dinosaur cake myself.  Mom was able to borrow the very same cake pan from her friend and make one for Ashley.  She really did a fantastic job decorating it! 

Ashley had her own cake that Kathryn made and our friend in the ward decorated.

It really wasn’t much of a cake smash.  More of a dainty cake test.  Ashley is just too sweet and gentle to go smashing into a cake I guess.  I don’t think that’s a bad thing when we’re talking about babies in the house.

We had a fantastic turnout for Ashley’s party.  She is a very lucky girl to have so many people support her!  Thanks for all the generous gifts!

Kathryn and I made a slideshow of some of our favorite pictures and videos of Ashley first year.   We are so proud of her.

This is an after birthday update.  She has been really liking her sweet elephant ride.

I caught this picture on the crib cam 🙂  “Dad, I know you can see me!  Come get me!”