2011 Christmas Card

2011 has brought many new beginnings and adventures for the Rappleye family. The biggest were our move to North Carolina and the birth of our second girl, Vienna. A couple others have been experiencing our first tornado storm and being brushed by our first hurricane. As the family has experienced new things, so have the individuals in it.

Devin's New Beginnings: At the beginning of the year, I started my graduate studies in Nuclear Engineering at North Carolina State University. In the summer, I began my research project on recycling used nuclear fuel. With two semester under my belt, I am one year away from getting my masters and don't even want to think how far away I am from getting my doctorate. Also new this year for me - running more than a mile. All my life, I have been a sprinter. I ran the longest race of my life on Thanksgiving - an 8k. 

Joslyn's New Beginnings:  This year I made lots of things from scratch: my NC circle of friends, many new meals, craft items, and bread to name a few.  January I found out I was pregnant, and I discovered that I love humidity- even while carrying extra weight. I'm much better at juggling now that I carry 2 babies, a diaper bag and groceries up 3 flights of stairs. This year I learned to run with a double stroller, how to  challenge my mind when most of my interaction is with people under 2, and I've learned again and again that I can't do anything without God.

Cambry's New Beginnings: She turned one in May and took her first steps shortly after and has been running ever since.  She discovered outdoor swings in February and still hasn't found anything better at the playgrounds. This year she rode on a plane for the first time, she got her first hair cut and her first black eye. She  went to the beach and the zoo for the first time and loved both. She is much more reverent in church now that she attends nursery. She's learned to say a many words such as cracker, dada, mama, bee-bee-bee (vienna), dog, shoe, let's go and duck.

Vienna's New Beginnings: She took her first breath on September 14th.  She quickly learned to blink, eat, sleep, poop. She has also added to her skills smiling and cooing, snuggling, patiently waiting her turn, melting hearts, and somehow allowing people to forget how hard life is when they hold her.  We are all just beginning to see what a special little girl she is.

Christ's New Beginnings: Our Savior, Jesus Christ, offers to each one of us new beginnings through His atonement. This time of year, we join with you in celebrating His humble beginnings in a stable in Bethlehem. Even in His mortal ending, He brings to us all a new beginning through His Resurrection. All of our wonderful new beginnings this year, we owe to our Savior. May we all continue to seek new beginnings through Christ's atonement this year and next.

Nativity Celebration

The Apex Stake is so awesome.  We had what is called the Christmas Nativity Celebration.  People in our stake loan out their nativity sets from around the world so they can be displayed for a few days.  Then there are all sorts of choirs that perform on stage.  The first one that performed when we got there was a very Southern Baptist choir that got us all clapping and Amening as they sang.  It was a little odd seeing/hearing this in an LDS building, but it was so fantastic to see the whole community involved in celebrating the birth of the Savior.  I have been so disappointed as I've been listening to Christmas music on the radio, that it is extremely rare to hear a song about Christ.  This event was such a breath of fresh air.

Here are a few of our favorites:

 The kids area was really awesome and our little love bug was a fan

dress up area. Nothing fit Cambers though.  Bummer

Aren't these guys great?  It was awesome to see the first Christmas replicated with actual people.

December Catch Up

We tried to take some family pics by the tree for Christmas cards and it turned out looking like real life instead of the dreamy state I was thinking it would be. haha.  Good enough for me.

love this little cutie

Cambers puts whatever she can on her head.  She's got a hat fetish. 

We went over to our friends' house for gingerbread house making.  I didn't think we were going to make one this year, but the Meyers made it happen.  Cambry and Caroline play so well together now, it made it so much easier to create our candy dream house with only one baby to worry about.

Lookin good

Michael Jordan concentration going on to create this beauty

She's just happy to be here

We had another play date at the Durham museum.  This place is legit. I went to the North Pole one time, and this is EXACTLY what it looks like.  The creators of this did their research well.  Cambry loved pushing the button that made the train blow the whistle.  

"Sure mom! I'll go to the museum too and smile a lot and take a nap on the way home when Cambry's screaming.  I'll do whatever it takes to be pleasant."

Cambry creating a wind storm.  I had no idea she was that powerful

Starring down a Tornado

She was fascinated with all the stuff in the toddler play place.

This black board was seriously such a great idea.  The kids paint with WATER.  Cambry loved it, and she has "painted" our walls in our home several times since this museum trip. Our walls are very clean from 0-3 feet high.

Just cleaning up after the messy tea party.  All in a day's work.

Although she doesn't quite get matching shapes, she sure does love blocks

Thanksgiving Weekend

Tuesday before Thanksgiving we took a little family outing to Pullen Park in Raleigh just by NC State Campus.  It just opened up and it reminded me of what Liberty Park in SLC must've looked like when it was brand new. we rode the little train that was a hit with the Rappleye girls

Vienna is loving it!

Cambers was a little unsure when we entered the tunnel, but overall had a great time.

 We spent quite a while on the stationary caboose.  

Cambers thought driving was pretty awesome

 There is quite a pleasant little boardwalk around this lake.  Walking on planks of wood is so much cooler to a toddler. I'm glad she's around to help us enjoy simple things again.

Wednesday we drove to Charlotte to spend Thanksgiving with uncle Lindsey and aunt Lil.  It was perfect.  It was so relaxing and sooo good to be with family, especially our favorite aunt and uncle (the truth comes out).  Plus, there is a special feeling about the mission home that just doesn't exist in an apartment complex. Cambry loved being in an actual house- so much room to explore, not to mention stairs.

Thursday morning we ran the Charlotte Turkey Trot 8k.  We've been training for the past few weeks.  It's our first race together. We got there a little late, and we could see hundreds of people already running when we were getting out of our car.  By the time we got to the starting line we saw a whole bunch of strollers and figured we made it just in time.  When we started, it was so compacted, it was more like we were in a stationary line than an actual race for the first mile.  About 2 miles in there was a fork in the road where the  5k and 8k routes split. EVERYONE went the 5k route instead of the 8k route.  Looks like we really made it just in time for the last call for the 5k.  HELLO!

Devin finished at a time of 47:34 and I finished at 47:47.  Devin sprinted the last 1/2 mile (while pushing the double wide) and I just couldn't keep up with that speed demon. We think we"ll try a half marathon in the spring WITHOUT  the kids (that thing is a beast up hills).

Our girls were angels the whole ride, which was a blessing. Not many things make me want to stop what I'm doing more than screaming babies.

 Cambers enjoying an actual yard at the mission home.

Friday Lindz became President Thomas again and we stopped by the office so Vienna could snuggle up to Lindz one more time.  These two must've been bosom friends in the pre-existence.  

Thanks for a fun weekend Thomas Family! The feast was perfect as well as the company.

 So 15 minutes after we left Charlotte, we got a flat tire. I don't know anyone that says I hope we have a little car trouble on this trip.  However, we were really fortunate.  My man got to show his girls how manly he really is, it happened during business hours, we were only 2 miles away from a discount tire, they fixed it in an hour, Hobby Lobby was around the corner and we got to do a little Christmas shopping, I got to feed Vienna so we didn't have to stop along the drive, and Cambry got enough wiggles out that made her very pleasant on the ride home.

Really??  What is that??

It was nice to take Saturday morning at a slow pace

Check out Vienna rocking the Bumbo

Cambry... not so much.  She saw it sitting there, and got completely stuck, the goof.

Saturday night we picked out our Christmas tree.  It was so much fun.  Devin and I have never picked one out at a lot before- we've only gone to Fish Lake to chop down our own.  Lot shopping is much easier.

Who knew Cambry is terrified of Red Necks?

This guy is the real deal, straight from the sticks- came to the city in his silver bullet trailer to sell Christmas trees.  He was so fantastic.  He gave Cambry a little pat on the head and she had a complete meltdown. Tis the Season!