Another new family member!

This weekend my little brother Ben got engaged! Laura is a wonderful person, and we're so excited to have her as a sister and aunt. No wedding date scheduled yet, but we are looking forward to welcoming Laura into our family. Don't they make a cute couple?

Here is Eli, sipping on a strawberry smoothie from our favorite drive-thru coffee and smoothie place, the Human Bean. I always order a skinny mexican mocha, no whip, with a candy-covered coffee bean. Eli and Silas always split a strawberry smoothie with lots of whipped cream, and they each get a bean, too!

Silas, collapsed with exhaustion on the living room floor. We had a very busy weekend--Eli's Christmas program at school, mom practicing several hours for singing at church, doing some last-minute shopping, church, birthday party, and family Christmas night at church. On Sunday we were gone from 7:30am-10:00pm!

Here's Eli in his Christmas performance at school. There were a few hundred people there, and somehow we lucked out and got front row seats. It just so happened that Eli was at the opposite end of a long row, and we could see just the top of his head the whole time! This was the best photo I got. They sang several cute songs and told the story of Jesus' birth. Eli was a little lamb.

Bryan took the day off to be one of the parent-helpers at Eli's Christmas party at school today. Eli loved having his daddy there, and Bryan enjoyed helping the kids make several crafts.

A new cousin!

Eli and Silas have a new cousin! Jacob Duane Martin was born early this morning to Amy's sister Jessa and her husband Nate. It's their first child and our first cousin on the Van Guilder side! Baby "Jack" is 8 lbs., 5 oz., and 19 inches long. I guess he has long toes (must get that from Nate), medium brown hair, a good set of lungs, a strong body, and is doing well so far at nursing. Welcome, Jack, to the family! We can't wait to meet you! I'll try to post a photo or two when I get them!

For your viewing pleasure, you can check out something we did for fun:

The Dik elf family:
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1395071879

Amy the scrooge:
http://www.scroogeyourself.com/?id=1396457820

What we've been up to the past two weeks...

We've had a lot of sickness over here. Eli got the worst of it--high fevers, throwing up, bad cough, aching all over--he was pretty miserable for about a week. We were at the doctor's twice, had an x-ray and lots of bloodwork, but the conclusion was a viral infection. I was also pretty sick for a few days, and Bryan had to work some extra hours, so I felt like a zombie trying to recover and take care of the boys and the housework. Silas has been pretty tired this week and has a bad cough...I really hope he's not coming down with something now, too!

Here is a more recent photo of the boys watching a cartoon together. Why sit on a comfy couch or chair when you can sit on a cold hard slate table?

While Eli was sick, Silas was his usual energetic self. Here he is bouncing on a ball he calls, "bouncy bouncy."

In this photo, Silas got behind our curtains and said in a loud voice, "Where did Silas go?"

Then he pulled them open and shouted, "ta-da!"

Then he did his little crazy dance--kinda like a horse galloping in place.

Then he came over to the camera and gave me a face--I have no idea what it means.

Poor Eli, he spent a lot of time being feverish and sleeping in this brown chair.

Silas was tired and climbed into my lap--and, seriously, about 5 seconds later...
...out like a light!


Eli went back to school this week and made reindeer antlers out of his handprints. He says he's not Rudolph, he's Comet (one of the lesser-known of Santa's reindeer--he probably chose to be this one because of the outer space association).


Eli's gingerbread house he made at school. He told me he ate a lot of the candy. The other day I discovered Silas trying to eat the candy off the house.

Eli's drawing of houses on all four sides (north, south, east, west) of the earth. After I took this photo, he added cars going from house to house. We really have no clue where he came up with this idea.

Eli's drawing of a boat on water with a sad shark and two happy fish....and lots of smiley faces.

Today Eli's class had a field trip to the Fort Collins Nursery. He got to decorate this fir bough. He learned a lot about evergreen trees and even asked a great question, "Mommy, do trees need oxygen?" Hmmm...I remember something about them needing carbon dioxide and sunlight... and then there's photosynthesis....I think I'd better refresh my memory on that topic. Despite my inability to explain plant science(Mr. Gowell would be so disappointed!), we had a nice, COLD, time together!

"The Grinch...

...Who Stole Christmas" is Eli's new favorite video to watch. We watch it almost every day.

Here is Eli watching "The Grinch" -- he was shrieking with laughter, bursting out into hysterical giggles, jumping up and down until you'd think his calf muscles must be burning, and repeating all the lines he thought were hilarious, like when the Grinch says "Santy Claus". In one part of the story, the narrator said something like, "And you know the Grinch, so slimy and slick..." and Eli said with great enthusiasm, "Yeah, I know!"

Another cute story about Eli is when I was trying to get him to go potty so that we could leave the house, he told me, "Not now, Mommy, this guitar needs playin'!" and then proceeded to play his little Elmo guitar like a rock star.

Silas likes to watch the Grinch as well. He told me, "The Grinch's heart is too small, Mommy." He also was asking for milk the other day, saying he was hungry, and then pleaded in his little voice, "Please, honey? Please, honey?"

Here are the boys playing with the snow (which is pretty much melted now) in the backyard. Daddy helped them to make a snowman. Eli really wanted the snowman to have a carrot nose. But it didn't last long, Bryan noticed that the tip of the carrot nose was missing, and then Eli just yanked the carrot out and ate the whole thing!

Eating snow... I guess they were hungry!

Eli loves to play in the snow!

Silas and Daddy

We put up our Christmas tree this week and had a special time of telling the Christmas story with their new toy nativity scene.

Thanksgiving in Colorado

The day before Thanksgiving, we got a few inches of snow and some really cold weather! It had been in the 70s just a couple of days before!

Friends of ours, the Coreys, invited us to share Thanksgiving dinner with their family. Here we are around the table, ready to dig in and eat! Seated from left to right, Jason (Leigh Ann's boyfriend), Nancy Corey, Silas, Craig Corey, Bryan, Eli and Leigh Ann (the Corey's oldest daughter).

Eli is excited to eat! (All he really ate was his turkey and about 3 rolls--he takes after his father.)

Silas and Mommy

After supper, Silas and Bryan wrestled on the floor.

Eli, Leigh Ann, and Mom played with some toys and a puzzle.

Silas, getting tickled by Leigh Ann.

Eli is jumping on the couch, while Craig looks on amused, and Daddy sleeps off his turkey leg.

An attempted photo of the two boys with their nice sweaters on Thanksgiving Day...didn't work out so well.

Bryan and Amy, very thankful to God for the blessings He has given us.

Announcing a new member of the family...

...Eli's tummy! :) Yes, we've been hearing all about what Eli's tummy feels and thinks and wants these past couple of weeks. Some examples: "My tummy wants a ham and cheese sandwich with mayonnaise and mustard...and a pickle." "My tummy doesn't feel good. He doesn't like it when we eat at Taco Bell." "My tummy doesn't want to go to the potty right now." "My tummy is not tired. He wants to play a game." Some kids have imaginary friends, my child has a body part that is his imaginary friend. Crazy kid.

Giddy-up, horsey!

Brothers

Eli is drawing a picture of a house with a fence, mountains in the background, and the sun and clouds.

Silas, climbing up on the kitchen table chair to ask for more food. This boy can eat!

Earlier this week we went to Bounce!, an indoor place filled with jumping castles and slides, with the boys' friends, Will and Tristan. They had a great time bouncing around.

Eli and Silas, climbing up the huge slide. Here comes Eli!

And Silas! He climbed up and slid down about 30 times. They both had a blast!