Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! While preparing to write this post I realized that I really didn't take many photos of our Thanksgiving celebration. I usually take pictures of my centerpiece, the food, and everyone gathered around the table...however, I didn't get any of those shots this year! Oh well, we have great memories with or without photos to back them up! We started the day before with some cooking...four loaves of cranberry bread and one sweet potato pie. Yum! Eli and I always have fun together in the kitchen.We had the pleasure of hosting Thanksgiving this year and were joined by Ryan's parents, Aunt, Uncle and Cousin, and some of our very close friends. Nana brought coloring pages for the kids, who had a blast together, of course!And Eli and Clay really bonded...maybe a little more than Clay would have liked! ;) It was really fun to see Eli get so comfortable with someone outside the family.And apparently the meal was good enough to warrant a nap on the couch!We hope you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday with family and friends, and had a chance to think about all that you have to be grateful for...we certainly enjoyed counting our many, many blessings here!

Thanksgiving greetings...

More snow!

Well, the fun, fluffy white stuff just keeps coming! School was cancelled, so Ryan bundled up with Eli and they two of them headed out for some sledding fun. Abby and I stayed home...despite the fun she had sledding with Eli yesterday, Abby decided that she doesn't like being in the snow at all! She's quite fond of looking at it through the window, but the slightest suggestion of going out in it is met with an emphatic "No!" Nevertheless, Eli had a blast!Even though school was cancelled, Eli's Teacher Suzie decided to open Red Gate for a couple of hours for anyone who wanted to come. Eli was so excited that he got to go to school in the snow! The walk to school was lovely......as was the school itself!

Lots of fun was had!

Snow!

We were blessed with an early snow today...and lots of it! We couldn't pass up the opportunity to get all bundled up and head outside for some fun!We grabbed the sled and headed to the park...Eli was quickly off and running! As soon as Abby stepped out of the stroller she was unsure about this stuff that was sticking to her boots.But once Eli got her on the sled she was happy!They had a great time sledding together."Snow!"That evening when Ryan got home, he and Eli headed out back for a snowball fight...Zoe tagged along for the fun, too!

Everyone had a really fun day playing in the snow!

Eli is 4 1/2!!

Wow! My little man is just six months away from turning 5! How in the world did that happen?! He is such a sweet, smart, fun little boy...a real joy and blessing to our family.Eli loves playing...whether it's organized sports or games that he made up himself...and he sure does make up a lot of games! Eli loves to have fun, and can manage to do so just about any time and anywhere!

Eli James is creative and funny, and is a very sweet, polite little guy. He loves playing with his sister, loves to learn, makes up games and projects constantly, has an incredible imagination, and wants to make sure you're paying attention when he talks. His curiosity makes him an incredible learner, and he is always listening and thinking. He is a remarkable little boy, and we are truly blessed to be his family! We love you Elijah!

Fall Field Trip

We enjoyed a fantastic field trip in Beaver Lake Park with Eli's preschool class to explore the changes Fall brings to the natural world. Eli had a great time exploring the woods with his friends.Eli has an amazing teacher who believes in really getting involved and engaging the children. You can see her in the middle of this shot, laying down with all the kids so they could talk about the leaves, birds, etc.And here she is explaining to Eli why this old tree trunk felt spongy. The kids had plenty of time to explore their surroundings during the hike.They even got to see a beaver den across the lake. It was a beautiful day for a hike; a pleasant surprise as I was pretty sure it was going to rain!Abby even came along...although she spent the bulk of her time in the stroller. The exception of course was when we made a stop at the playground for some free time and snack.

We absolutely love Red Gate preschool, and are so very blessed to have Eli attend there!