"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!

Buddies

We had a nice warm weekend, and the boys were able to play outside.

Eli has been sick on and off during the past week. Here he is during a moment of feeling better.

Here is one of Eli's drawings of the solar system. He draws each planet with certain identifying characteristics and the sun with a little solar flare.

Silas loved wearing a shirt with a lion on it--he kept roaring all day long.

Here is Silas playing "peek-a-boo!"

Eli and his friend, Will, our neighbor who lives right behind our house. Will is exactly 6 months older than Eli. Eli, Silas, and Will love playing together.

These boys look tough!

Eli Jacob

Silas Benjamin

William Ryan

First week of November news...

This past week the weather has been unseasonably warm, and we've been playing outside a lot. Last week Silas fell running in the bathroom and cut his lower lip pretty badly, and then he decided to go headfirst down a tall slide at the park and cut it up even more. Thankfully he didn't need stitches, and it is healing pretty well now. Mom went away for the weekend on a scrapbooking retreat, so the boys had a fun weekend with Dad.

Ever since Halloween, Silas has been wanting to dress up in his doggie outfit and go door-to-door asking for candy. We went for a walk after supper the other night, and one house had their decorations up, and Silas really wanted to go knock on the door and say "trick-or-treat." When we got back home, I let him knock on our door and then gave him a piece of candy from the Halloween stash. That kid really likes candy. Eli likes the suckers but doesn't care much about the chocolate--he is definitely not like his mother in that way!

I also finally gave them both haircuts (which is not their favorite activity--despite getting to watch a video). The "fall back" time change has thrown their sleeping schedules off a little, so we've been tired this week. Today on the way to Bible study (which is 1/2 hour away), Eli threw up in the car (and we were almost there!), so we turned around and came home. We're hoping that he feels better soon and that the rest of us won't get sick!

Eli and Silas were playing with their wooden building blocks this past week when Eli made this scene. He told me it was the Colorado Rocky Mountains. I thought he did a good job trying to show the layering effect of the mountains and foothills that we see from where we live.

Silas and Eli playing with building blocks.

Eli has really been into making silly faces. Here is one of his favorites.

Here is Silas trying to imitate him.

Silas and his new haircut.

Eli lying on the couch and feeling sick. He did inform me that kids get popsicles when they're sick. Guess I'd better go raid the downstairs freezer!