Turkey Butt/Happy Thanksgiving

If you can't see the writing it states "Thankful as can be". Although that face definitely says otherwise. These images are from last Thanksgiving. Eli was but a few weeks old. It is hard to believe that scrawny little thing was actually Eli.

I bought this outfit for Asa's first Thanksgiving back in 2006. I fell in love with the Turkey Butt. Partly because that is the nickname Chris and I gave to my cousin Trisha (who is almost like a daughter to me). She and her older sister were our weekend kids for years. (I am actually old enough to be their mother but that would have meant that I had the oldest my senior year of high school.) I love having my cousins around and Trisha is so helpful. Faith doesn't come over as much anymore since she likes spending time with her friends. She is in high school now and so the story goes on. Trisha may not be over as much once she starts in high school. She isn't over as much now as she used to be. Mainly due to the fact that she is old enough to stay home when mom has to work on a Saturday. But Trisha has been around as evidenced by the photos on the blog, it is just easier in the summer, I can keep her longer.

All of this to say HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Look who's standing

On November 15, Eli finally started pulling himself up onto his feet. He has been pulling himself up to his knees for a while now but never all the way to his feet unless he was holding onto our hands with his hands and with some minor pulling from us to get him all the way up. Well on this Saturday morning Chris went to get him out of bed and he hollers for me to come into the room to see what he saw and there Eli was standing up in the bed. Chris even proceeded to set Eli back down and we watched him pull himself up over and over again. Okay so it was like three more times. We were so excited. I know I have said this before and I know I am not supposed to compare the boys but when Asa is my frame of reference for these milestones it is hard not to compare. Now for the most part Eli has been about a month later than Asa for doing many of the milestones. Asa rolled over around five months, Eli did this around six months. Asa sat up around seven months, Eli sat up around eight months. So my line of reasoning was Asa pulled up around nine months, so Eli should pull up around ten months. So when Eli wasn't really even close to pulling himself up at ten months I started to worry a little then around eleven months he started pulling himself up to his knees but never to his feet. When you would hold his hands not his arms but specifically his hands you could get him to pull up to his feet but only for a brief amount of time. I guess it is that motherly concern that there might be something wrong even though the guides say that as long as they are walking around eighteen months of age they are on schedule but that is just it the guides don't actually give you a time frame for pulling up so how long before they start walking is considered normal. Okay now that I got that out of my system, doesn't Eli look so cute standing there?

Read me a story

Just a little something to fill the time until we are bombarded with holiday images. First Thanksgiving, then Christmas, along with seven birthdays and let's not forget that the boys could have another cousin born in this time frame as well. The due date is December 26th but we all know how well babies like to stick to a set timeline.

Asa Jammin' on the Saxophone

Asa and Eli have definitely put their birthday presents to use. Here are a few pictures of them with their toys in particular the toy saxophone. Asa gets a kick out of this toy especially so. Below is a video of him playing with it.

Tyler's Birthday Party (Missed)

In all of the caious and hub-bub of my boys birthdays and Halloween, I missed posting the images from Tyler's birthday. So here they are for everyone to enjoy.


Here is Tyler opening his gifts. If you can't tell the TV is tuned into one of the music channels and it is on Christmas music. Mind you the birthday parties all evolved around the three weekends around Halloween, so we are talking beginning of November. My sister-in-law would listen to Christmas music year round. Don't get me wrong I love Christmas music but I like to listen to starting no earlier than mid-November, I usually like to start after Thanksgiving, and I listen all the way until mid-February. So I like my Christmas music I just like to enjoy the other holidays before this, I somehow think that listening to it earlier than this helps push the commercialization of the Christmas season, and I like to focus on the birth of Christ.


Here is another picture of Tyler opening gifts. Molly and Shannon are in the background eating popcorn, a favorite treat of the night.


Tyler opening the gift from us, an Indian Jones figurine.


Opening the gift from Uncle Wayne and Aunt Regina, who wrapped it to look like a package that would have come containing some secret artifact or something. (It has been a while since I watched Indian Jones, so forgive my analogy.)


Like I said popcorn was the favorite treat of the night. Asa wouldn't leave it alone. He probably ate close to half the bowl just himself. If you look closely at the first image you can see him getting into the bowl when it was placed back there. The bowl was moved twice so that he would be more out of the way of all the gift opening. I think we finally gave up since he ended up in the middle of the floor with the bowl.


Asa is still watching the gift opening. He just now has the prime spot for eating the popcorn and watching.




Asa was eventually asked to share the popcorn which he graciously did by taking the bowl around to anyone who asked. Eli decided since Asa was no longer in the center of attention that he needed to get in on the action.


Eli wasn't sure what to make of the Indian Jones whip that Tyler received.


Eli checking out some cars, my boys and their cars. If it tells you anything Asa can already recognize different cars i.e. Grandpa Bailey's vans.

Eli's First Birthday

This past Saturday we celebrated Eli's first birthday. I can't believe that my baby is already one and Asa is now two.

Here is the chocolate chip muffins that I made to look like a penguin, so that it fit the theme of animals. However, Eli was not able to eat this because it had milk in it and since Eli is lactose-intolerant, he could not eat it.


Here is the birthday boy with his papa Tony.


Since Eli was unable to have cake, my mom made a banana bread that had no milk products in it at all.


The following seven images are of Eli eating the banana bread.








Eli getting impatient with waiting to open the gifts. Okay so he didn't really realize he was waiting for gifts but he was not happy waiting.


Toolbox from Grandma and Papa Woods, the perfect gift from a carpenter.


Opening the gifts from Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Cyndi.


"Hey, what else is back there?"


"I wonder if this card tastes good."


Truck from Uncle Kirk and Aunt Holly.


My smiley boy.


"Get that ribbon off my head."


The shirt that bears Eli's usual disposition. Eli is almost always happy, even when he isn't feeling all that well.


The photo puzzle that mama and dada got for Eli, so he has his own puzzle. We are still working on convincing Asa that Eli gets to try and do it on his own though.

Halloween Festivities - Final Post

Almar Orchard

Most of these pictures are pretty self explanatory.

This donkey came right up to the fence when he saw us. Think he might be used to getting hand fed by visitors.

The Turkeys just walked slowly in front of us. Almost as though they were oblivious to our presence.

This chicken/rooster was a little guy. Don't take this wrong but he is probably about the size of a cornish game hen.

Now this chicken/rooster was a big guy. He was bigger than some of the turkeys out there.

What? I have an itch. (It amazes me the different positions animals can contort themselves into.)

Eli looking at the Reindeer.

Eli deciding to gnaw on the fence.

Turkey Feather.

Finally, apples ready for cider. In a year or so, I'll take the boys back to watch them make the apple cider.

Halloween Festivities - Part 3

Halloween Day

The two previous posts were actually from Thursday. It was kind of nice getting to enjoy the costumes for more than one day.

Look we found Dorothy. To our surprize, when we arrived at Uncle Wayne and Aunt Regina's house, Shannon was dressed as Dorothy for Halloween. And of course we had to get pictures taken with her. They all look so cute together.
(Later when we got home I realized she was the only one of my nieces and nephews that I even got a picture of in their costume.)



After leaving Uncle Wayne and Aunt Regina's house, we took the boys out to Almar Orchard. We went out there specifically to try to get the yummy donuts. You know the cinnamon sugar ones with the granulated sugar. They had them. Yea!! While we were out there I took advantage of the photo opportunity the pumpkins scattered about gave us. Don't the boys just look adorable? I know I'm biased but what mother isn't, right?

Asa


Eli


Tomorrow I will share the photos from the petting zoo area. Once we left the orchard I didn't take any more pictures. I don't know why. I just didn't. I think it was my subconscious telling me to enjoy my time with the boys and not to worry about taking pictures the whole time.