Playdate with Evey!

Thanksgiving 2013

A few photos of Thanksgiving before I post the Christmas shots.  My parents went to Cherokee this year because my mom wanted to see what the inside of a casino looked like.  Really.  This is totally unlike my parents at all.

We had Brooks' dad over for Thanksgiving lunch and our table was so pretty I wanted to take a photo of it.

My friend Heidi says that sometimes you cook dinner just so you won't starve and sometimes you cook dinner and it is really good.  This year's meal was really good!  My favorite was the low carb pumpkin cheesecake.  It may have all been low carb but I ended up with a couple extra pounds anyway.  I need to work out.

I want to be more intentional with the boys about holidays, especially Elijah.  This year, we had a Thanksgiving tree above our dinner table.  Each day we tried to write something we needed to be thankful for on a leaf and added it to the tree.  Some of my favorites were:  Markers, Simon, Emma, The Color Blue, Cake, Firetrucks and Choo-Choos, and Hooks.  We didn't get too deep this year.  

The Lord certainly is good and His love endures forever!

We Heart Chick Fil A

Especially on a cold, rainy day in December.

The Trouble with Naps

 I think the end of nap time for Elijah is upon us.  Commence the wailing and gnashing of teeth!  E won't go to sleep in his room but still needs some type of short nap to make it through the day and be at all pleasant to be around.  Therefore, when I really need him to take a nap I have started planning our morning outings after lunch when I can drive around a little longer "looking for cows" and get him to go to sleep in the car.  I never thought I would do this but I have just added it to the already long list of "Things I Thought I Would Never Do As a Mom and How I am Now Laughing at My Naive Self..."  Because a car ride isn't always practical, E has been falling asleep in unexpected places around the house late in the afternoon such as on the floor while watching TV or in the stroller during an afternoon walk.  Right now, he is asleep on the floor of his room with his face on his train tracks.  Yes, I know I should move him.  Years from now, I will look back at this season and laugh even though I might be crying a little on the inside at this moment.  In the end, isn't it all about my comfort anyway?

Project

A cold December morning and a gluing-things-down Christmas craft...

I am most excited that he can now write his name!

My Favorite 10 Month Old

This kid is ten months old (and as I write this he is closer to eleven months).  This month has been filled with ear infections, coughs, cruising on the furniture, and a lot of little boy laughter.  Simon loves music  and will dance and sometimes sing when he hears it playing.  He loves playing cars with big brother on their little people garage.  I love to watch the two of them play.  I love it.  I had no idea how delightful it is to watch your children play together!  No idea.  

Simon also loves Ziva.  He will find her sleeping on the couch and play with her feet or tail.  He often pulls up on her or tries to crawl over her.  I would feel bad for her but she won't move out of his way.  I think she knows she needs to be careful around him and freezes when he plays with her.  Silly, sweet dog.

Finally, Simon loves steps.  The boys climb the stairs together up to the bathroom before their bath time.  It is a sweet time of giggling as these brothers enjoy one another.  I found Simon upstairs one morning playing in Ziva's food after he made his way up the steps on his own.  Since then, we have been very careful to make sure the stair gate is always closed.

I love this little boy more and more as I get to know him.  Sometimes I look at him and think, "Isn't he the most beautiful thing in the world?".  I know this is me just being his mom but I really am head over heals for this funny, silly, precious boy.

Just a Boy, Part Deux

Here are a few more Elijah-isms I don't want to forget...

-  At dinner last night Elijah piped up out of nowhere and said, "Simon is my only friend in the WHOLE world!"

-  A friend of E's was crying in the church nursery because he missed his mom.  E went up to him and got right in the face and said, "Don't worry, Brooks (the boy not husband).  I'm here to save you!"

-  When E wants to become part of an adult conversation, he will run up to one of us and say, "Hey Mom/Dad, I want to tell you a question!"  This is usually followed by a long story that doesn't make much sense.

-  Pajamas are "Conjamas"

-  When he is disappointed by an event in life, he tells us he is "sad and blue".

-  We have Aaron's blessing hanging in his room over his bed (The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face shine on you, The Lord lift his countanence upon you and give you peace.)  One night he wanted to read it and then asked me, "What is peace?"  I explained that when people think of peace they usually think of people who stop fighting.  God hates sin and because He is good he will not be around it.  So, sin has separated us from God and makes our hearts enemies to him.  But Jesus came and took the punishment for our sin.  He also takes all the good things he did and the way he always obeyed God and gives it to us. So, when God looks at us, he sees us always obeying him.  So we can have peace with God not because we try really hard to be good but because Jesus was good and gave us His goodness.  Because of Jesus we have peace with God.  God did it.  He made the peace happen when we couldn't!  I was so excited to share the Gospel with Elijah!  He stopped me at the end and said, "No, Mom. I was talking about a 'peace' of candy!"  Sigh.

Big Kid

Playing with the big kids in the play area at Chick-fil-a.  How this kid is growing up!

Pirate

Pretending he is a pirate and looking at me through his "eye winker".  Arrrr.....

Sitting on the Curb

Waiting for the Christmas parade to begin.  These are terrible photos but sweet friends!

Ha!

Bath Bros

Gift

On this cold, rainy, November day, my sister posted this video on facebook and it made me cry.  The good kind of cry... not like the photo above.  It reminded me that even through moments like the one in the photograph, it is an amazing, excellent, undeserved gift to be a mom.

Ark-y, Ark-y

We built an ark this week using building blocks.

I am not sure we had the animals in by two-sies, two-sies.

Life is Rough

It has got to be tough to be a little dog sleeping in a pile of warm clothes.  

Just a Boy

A few more Elijah-isms that I want to remember...

-  Elijah usually calls himself "I-jah" but when he tells someone his whole name he is "Dee-Li-Jah"

-  If I ask him if he is silly he will reply, "No, I'm just a boy."

-  This morning I was lying on the floor playing with Simon and E came over and gave me a big hug and kiss.  I told him he was SO sweet and he immediately poked me in the eye.

-  We took a wedding gift to a friend last week and I had to explain to him that it wasn't a birthday present but a wedding present.  He told me that he wanted to get married.  When I explained that when he got big one day he would meet a girl and they could get married.  He told me that he is already a big boy and he knows girls.  He knows Tess.  

-  Before getting a spanking he says, "NO, THANK YOU!!"

-  He doesn't have his personal pronouns sorted out yet and will substitute "my" for "I".  As in "My want to go get some lunch."

Scary Halloween

Here is our scary Halloween family photo.  My nephew took this one with my camera phone and an Android is just not made for photos in low light.  It even makes Ziva look like a demonic Doberman.  (Just kidding.  This really is my sister's Doberman...and she might be demonic.  The dog.  Not my sister.)

What a looker!

I am pretty sure I am biased, but isn't this the cutest face you have ever seen?

Deja Vu

We went back to the "old house" last week to clean it up a little before another showing and I had a moment of deja vu watching Simon standing at the door...

It was much like his brother two years before...

Let's Go Fly A Kite

A beautiful, windy, Fall afternoon calls for kite flying in the ball field.  

Trying...

And trying...

And finally flying!

Everyone got a turn.

Nine Months

The day Simon turned nine months old was special for a couple of reasons.  We celebrated his baptism and it was Brooks' mom's birthday.  What a grace-filled way to remember how God works through families.  

This kid is all over the house crawling and exploring.  He is pulling up like a champ and can cruise some from one end of the couch to the other.  He claps and waves and loves to play with whatever toy big brother is using at the moment.  I retract my earlier statement that Simon is sleeping through the night.  He can... but often doesn't.  He and I may be camping out in the guest room downstairs for a little while and to do some sleep training.  Up until now I haven't had the gumption to let him fuss for too long at night and wake up Elijah in the process.  He still nurses a little but sadly this may be ending soon.  Simon loves puffs and cheerios.  I believe a good portion of Ziva's daily nutrition is coming from cheerios she gleans from the floor around his high chair.  

As I watch this kid grow it amazes me how fast it happens.  Nine months is such a small amount of time and we have been so grateful for every minute of it.

Raspberries

These boots were made for walking...

Halloween 2013

A fun day spent with Darth Vader and a little Yoda 

Trick-or-treating downtown with sweet friends. 

(This is Elijah's best "grumpy Vader" face.)

Helping himself to his loot before Mom and Dad get to it.

Meeting new friends