Hello there and happy chinese new year!

Hello friends and family,
Wow! I feel like the end of November was a very long time ago!! And at first I couldn't pinpoint exactly why...but as I think back, I know exactly why--we've been super duper busy.

I am updating our blog with the highlights, starting with most the recent happenings first--I hope you'll all take a second to read it, or at least look at the pictures (remember to click on the picture here to see the album).

Happy Chinese New Year,
Mariah & Matt

Bridal Shower-Grooms Bath

Bridal Shower-Grooms Bath

The weekend in Seattle was extra special since my sisters-in-law and my mom threw me a bridal shower on Saturday! And if that isn't wonderful enough, my best friend from college, Kiren, flew up from San Francisco, my friend from Vancouver, Jessica, drove down with her husband and little daughter, and my Aunt Suzanne surprised me from LA!! I told Edie that I felt more special on that day than I have on any of my birthdays! It was so much fun!

And my brother Christian was kind enough to throw what he coined as a 'groom's bath' for Matt. The men enjoyed doughnuts (Matt's favorite), a Russian bath/spa, and shots of vodka. Men, women, and children met up later for drinks and food. Unfortunately, I have only a few pics of the bridal shower and none of the groom's bath...but I do have a few of the joint groom/bride gathering. The bath and shower really made it feel like the kick off to our wedding (a long engagement has some downfalls:)).

Little yet Big Eli

On our way back to Phoenix from Erie, literally on the flight home, Matt began 2 weeks of working long, long days on a intensive on-line course for ASU. When I say intensive, I mean fitting 15 weeks worth of class into 12 days, all on-line.

On the book end of this course, just after Matt turned his grades in at 5pm, we hopped on a flight to Seattle for the Silk family Christmas. Yet another wonderful time in Seattle! We all oooed and aahhed over Eli as he opened baby's first Christmas gifts. Check out how cute this little guy is...

Little yet Big Eli

And here's a link to some shots from Silk family Christmas dinner and gift opening...

Silk family Christmas, 2009

Erie for Christmas, 2009

Erie for Christmas, 2009

We were lucky enough to be able to be in Erie, PA with Matt's family for Christmas which was so nice! We were welcomed by snowy, rolling hills in West Virginia where Matt's Grandpa lives--simply gorgeous! And no other house in the world feels more like Christmas than the Harshes (ok Kari, the Schmideke's could be rivals:))--decorations, music, multiple trees, cookies, stockings, the yule log on TV, and of course good ol' Harsh family traditions. Not only is there house full of Christmas cheer but the whole neighborhood is decked out with lights and decorations! We saw Matt's Uncle Tim, Aunt Laura and older and younger cousins. We also visited with Matt's good friend, Pat, from high school and his 2 cutie little girls. And we fit in a Christmas Day movie (a Silk family tradition) with Mike and Jeannine, Sherlock Holmes. And we were also able to have a celebratory dinner with Roy for his 60th birthday!! We packed a lot into just 4 days!

Back working in Health Promotion!

From Bowling Team: Lil' Lebowskis

The first few weeks of December were filled with the beginning of my new job (!)--lots and lots of training and orientation. I am working for the county health department on a brand new program geared towards obesity and injury prevention in 0-5 year olds. my role is the nutrition and physical activity side of things-training child care providers on a cool new curriculum to bring healthy eating and activity into the classroom. it's cool to be part of a program from the beginning and to shape the marketing, structure, and content of it all. and the greatest thing is that my office is young energetic women (and 3 men), so it's fun to go to work:) Here's pic of me and my colleagues from our Holiday Party.

Bowling Team: Lil' Lebowskis

Bowling Team: Lil' Lebowskis

Matt and I joined a bowling league earlier in the fall. We didn't join because we're such good bowlers, well, I am not a good bowler (although I did bowl a turkey last time--3 strikes in a row! That was luck, not skill), we joined to meet some people and have some fun. We are on a team with a great couple, Kent and Juliann, and we call ourselves the 'Little Lebowski Urban Achievers'. You'd have to know the movie 'The Big Lebowski' to understand the name. We now have bowling t-shirts- thanks to my great and creative brother Christian. Check us out in them--let's roll!

Another Thanksgiving in New Mexico

Matt, Sydney and I were in New Mexico with my Uncle Ted and Aunt Maggie for Thanksgiving. As always, we had a wonderful time. I only have one photo documentation from this long weekend in rural NM and I think it sums up time there perfectly. Vibrant, yet calming. Reminds you of somewhere you'd like to call home, yet there are a few surprises--that's their home and land to me. Check out this beautiful sunrise---

From Little yet Big Eli