Stirland Clan

NEW BLOG!

2011-01-05T08:07:00.001-08:00

Hey friends and family,

We started a newer blog since moving out here to Cali, so feel free to keep up on that one since we won't be updating this one :) It's www.thestirlandcorner.wordpress.com

Hope you're all well!

Rachel & James & Addie

BEBECHA!

2009-05-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of new things listed on Rae's website: www.bebecha.etsy.com

Check it out and feel free to spread the word :) !!

2009-04-11T13:46:00.000-07:00

So it's only been what...6 months? haha. Since Halloween, we've all been keeping busy with school, work & selling crafts online :) (Feel free to check out Rae's website- www.bebecha.etsy.com where she sells lots of her homemade things!) We're all having so much fun with our little family and just got another little niece a couple of weeks ago! Beautiful Sophie Grace Callister is the newest addition - Dave & Aymee's cute little number two! She and Aubree look identical so far so naturally she's an adorable babe. Addie loves her cousins - they're her best buddies. Her favorite thing right now is fishies, socks & books. Oh-and balls! She's just learning how to kick the ball, it's so cute. She gets going pretty quick and runs off dribbling. There's a quick little update, but I'll be sure to be better at updating!

2008-11-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

One more Halloween pic of the fairy

HaLlOwEeN!

2008-11-01T09:44:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Addie dressed up as Fairy Merriweather from Sleeping Beauty. "Make it blue!" She looked so cute and actually surprisingly left her hat on! We went to our ward Chili cookoff and then to Stacy & David's for dessert and playing. It was a fun first Halloween!

Hooray for Fall!

2008-10-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

Since it's my favorite: fall, we had to take some photos in the leaves! Here's Adelaide with her cute cousin and best buddy, Bethany

Holland Slideshow

2008-09-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Planes, Boats & Automobiles

2008-09-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

We have just returned to the states after a two-week adventure to Holland and the Middle East. We had a blast and took tons of pictures to prove it. J We originally were planning on going straight to Qatar to visit Addie’s Grandma Wendy, Grandpa Krey & Uncle D, but found a flight that could give us a couple days in Holland along the way! I was so excited to get to see where Jimmy grew up and put a picture to all of the stories I’ve heard. I was also really excited to see where my Neerings family came from J It felt so neat to be where my ancestors came from-a lot of the Dutch really looked a lot like my Grandpa Neerings! The 1^st flight from SLC to Minneapolis wasn’t bad at all and we were thinking “this isn’t bad at all, we can do this with Addie.” Then halfway over the Atlantic I learned how patient Jimmy is and how much I’m lacking. But overall; Addie was a little trooper granted the trip was over 26 hours total one way to Qatar.

When we first got to Holland, we rented our little Fiat Panda and were on our way. We first visited Jimmy’s hometown of Wassenaar and got some breaky. It is sooo beautiful there! I fell in love with it-so green & tons of my favorite flowers EVERYWHERE: wysteria & hydrangea. We saw the windmills and cobblestone roads, along with the quiet parks that were serene. That day we also explored The Hague where we saw the Parliament buildings and got dinner at Jimmy’s favorite restaurant, The Resident. Addie was like a big celebrity there-a random lady also asked to get her picture taken with her haha. Babies definitely aren’t as numbered there as they are here! She’s a little rare gem.

The next day we went around Amsterdam and Delft. It is again…so beautiful! There were bikes everywhere; they outnumbered cars about 2000:1. They even have a small “road” between the sidewalk and road for bikers. Their bikes get super creative too-fun little child carriers and very old vintage ones. Whenever people get a new bike; their old one just stays on the street and becomes a little decoration of the city. We visited the Van Gogh museum, Rijks museum and the Anne Frank house. So fun and interesting. Addie was our golden ticket in everywhere. We were standing in line at the van Gogh museum which extended about ½ a mile, contemplating if we should wait or not when a lady came and told us to come to the front of the line & I accompanied her on a little lever thing with Addie’s stroller haha.

Then onto Qatar…wooh was it toasty there! We got in past 9 P.M. and it was almost 100 degrees still! It’s super humid too-every time we walked out the door, Jimmy’s glasses would fog up haha. Addie & I finally got to meet the last member of the Stirland family: Mugzy. So we discovered that Addie loves dogs and isn’t afraid of anything it seems! She would laugh and start waving her arms whenever she saw Mugzy-Moo. Wendy was so nice and took us all around Qatar. We saw super nice buildings and a beautiful mall modeled after Caesar’s palace in Vegas. Then we went to the other side of the spectrum of Qatar - to the souks. I loved it there-tons of little shops in a row-it was more how I pictured the middle east than the skyscrapers they have there. A man gave Addie a little brass bell at a shop in Doha and another man had given her one in Holland also; so we decided we’re going to collect a bell from every place we visit for her now.

Addie got to go swimming for her first time and also went on a boat for the first time. Wendy, Daniel, Jimmy & I went wakeboarding in the ocean & had a blast! It was a tad salty though J

It was really neat getting to go to church in Qatar also; they observe the Sabbath on Friday there. Since none of the members are Qatari; they can’t buy any land or buildings; so they set up a church in a former house. There were probably 8 people in relief society so it felt really open and comfortable.

We loved going to the market there. They had more American food than I expected and they had tons of fun fruits I’d never seen or heard of including spiky ones that looked like blowfish.

We had so much fun and Addie is in love with her grandparents and Daniel. It is nice to be back in the states though; it sure makes you realize how much we are blessed to live here!

Recap of July

2008-08-04T19:53:00.000-07:00

Well lets see what has been happening with the Stirland fam this past while. Rae and James have recently made it back into the fray of the "ankle biters" for our church callings (Nursery teachers). Rae has been "uber" busy with trying to finish up her online physics class, run an aspiring business, and still can take care of her husband and daughter with ease. Jimmy has been finishing up some more classes this summer term at the Y, along with trying to read everything he can that isn't involved with school before the fall begins, and soon will be finished in April. Hopefully we are liked by the countless dental schools that we applied to because we all know Jimmy loves his school. Adelaide is becoming more agile and still seems to be soaking in all the world has to offer with her beautiful blue eyes. We think she has stranger anxiety somewhat, but at least she loves all her extended family on both sides, which is nice because its sad to see that quivering lip. We are excited to go on a much needed family vacation to The Netherlands and Qatar in a few weeks. Don't worry, the pictures will make an appearance.

monkeys & bananas

2008-08-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

The quizzical Adelaide is constantly investigating her surroundings and taking it all in. We've discovered she loves birds and now-guppies. I took her to petsmart yesterday and she looked at all the fish like, "ah, nothing special," until we came to the orange-tailed guppies and her face lit up in delight. She also LOVES her croaking frog that Grandma Callister gave to her. Who knows where that love for frogs came from? She's also our little monkey the way she uses her feet to latch onto our arms. Quite the little grip she's got!

The wee one is getting much more strong, more vocal :) and more fun! She's getting pretty good at sitting up and fits great into her highchair...and likes to play games with me when I try to put the tray on. She'll kick at it and smile so I can't get it on haha. We're onto the fruits: bananas and peaches; she's not so sure how she feels about the bananas yet but loved the peaches. Addie's quite the chub-we're already to size 3 diapers!

"Yodler"

2008-07-28T16:31:00.001-07:00

Adelaide is just about to reach that 6 month mark and is getting more fun every day! She is a pro-roller-over as long as it's from her tummy to her back. She's just started to say "mama" and "yama" and other variations...I like to tell myself she knows what she's saying although I know it'll be a few more months until that :)
She has a definite softspot for her grandpa Callister & gives him huge smiles whenever she sees him. He has nicknamed her the "yodler." While at the mall the other day, Grandma Callister discovered Addie knows the meaning of "kiss." Addie would look into the mirror and when told to "kiss the baby," would purse her lips and kiss her reflection-so cute :)
So far Addie's decided she does not like peas or carrots; just rice cereal for now. Looks like she shares her madre's love for the carbs.
Grandma & Grandpa Stirland arrived to Utah a few weeks ago and Adelaide got to meet them both for the first time!

Stirland Look-alike Meter

2008-07-27T05:51:00.001-07:00

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

Smiley

2008-03-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

Addie is just shy of 7 weeks old and is starting to reveal more of that cute personality. She is sleeping really well-just wakes up to eat-and she still sleeps quite a bit during the day, although she's awake more and more every day. Her little legs are super strong and while on her stomach she gets a bit frustrated when she doesn't move despite vigorous leg kicks (she will soon realize she needs to use her arms too :) Mom and dad believe they saw the first "real" smile this morning from the little ladybug. Her sounds have expanded from solely crying to "nnnga."

2008-02-15T14:04:00.001-08:00

Well it has been a week and two days since Addie has come into our world. Everything is going great for all of us.

Little Lady

2008-02-08T18:58:00.000-08:00

Ms. Adelaide Fae Stirland was born on February 6th 2008 at 8:47 P.M. She is the most adorable thing on this earth, granted we are probably a bit biased. It is so amazing to be parents. Rachel has to be the cutest mom I have ever seen. She is so great with little Addie. They are both doing great after the birth. We just got home from the hospital on Friday and are enjoying being home with her. We are so excited to start another part of life as a family.