Eli's First Birthday

The Hustle and Bustle of the Season

What a busy year we've had . . .and it's winding down as busily as it started . . .

Eli celebrated his first birthday on the 21st of December with a Mickey Mouse cake and Mickey Mouse wrapped gifts. Mickey happens to be Eli's favorite thing on Earth besides his daddy! Nanny and Granddaddy visited for his birthday and we've got plans to celebrate Christmas with Uncle Ron and Aunt Wendy. Earlier in the month, Grandma and Grandpa came up for a quick visit. And in November, I ventured to Arkansas alone with the kids to meet many of their relatives for the first time . . . most importantly, their Pappy, my father. The kids were able to see so many cousins, aunts and uncles that the ride back to Illinois was a very peaceful one . . . everyone was exhausted from our big adventure!

Christmas will be very different this year as it's the first year EVER that Dale has to work. He'll be here for Santa's visit first thing in the morning and that's what really excites Benjamin.

Work is fine . . . Dale is settling into his new position with all its scheduling surprises (working every holiday thus far this year) and new things to learn. My job is as wonderful as always.

Benjamin and Eli are precious, growing, changing and the the biggest blessings in our lives. Ginger's well, too. . . . as shocking as that is!

We're looking forward to lots of new adventures in 2009 . . . maybe a vacation to Williamsburg, Virginia, and work trips to the Virgin Islands and maybe even Monaco for Dale and me (if the year ends on an upward trend professionally).

Blessings to you and yours this holiday season! More photos to come - check back soon!

The Holidays

Good News!!!

Dale got the job!!!

The Best Place

My Favorite Place to Be
Dale's favorite place to be . . . . teaching his kids silly games that scare Mommy to death!

The Greatest Journey

Benjamin posing . . .
Yes, they really do adore each other . . . for now!
Eli posing . . .
Ginger posing . . .
Benjamin in his element . . .

My life as a mom to these amazing boys is the journey of a lifetime and one that I'm so thankful to travel.

Why Not?

The Loves of My Life
The basket is more important than the ball . . . and Eli wasn't going to let it go.
Benjamin soaking up the end of the summer.
Eli in deep thought . . .
Benjamin preparing for his first day of third grade!

I was toying with whether or not to post anything new since this quiet life doesn't hold the same excitement that a political or sports-oriented blog might. Still, the little things in our world are meaningful to us and to the family so I thought . . . why not?

The kids are amazing. Our oldest has asthma and is suffering from a nasty sinus infection at the present but he's still having fun. He got up extra early today so that he could try out his new game before school. School is wonderful, by the way. He recently switched from a parochial school to an entirely new district and loves it. We had found he was getting a bit behind but I think he's going to perk right up now. He loves his friends, loves the new school, loves his teacher . . . it's going well. Karate has taken a backseat - we're just trying focus on school and change right now. His favorite song - which he sings constantly - is that song by Tim McGraw where his daughters sing, "1-2-3, Like a bird, I sing 'cause you've given me the most beautiful set of wings!"

The baby is waving and trying desperately to walk. He likes to hold onto furniture and turn with his feet. Nevermind that he hasn't mastered walking in a straight line yet! He's as blond and blue-eyed as they come . . .perhaps taking after some relative other than Mommy and Daddy. He loves music and the favorites include "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "The Wheels on the Bus." His favorite person is his daddy but his big brother holds a special place for him, too. He loves to be scared . . . . surprising him with a big "BOO!" or a quick tickle is the greatest thrill ever! Getting him to smile is a breeze, too.

Dale was interviewed for a promotion today and I do believe he has an excellent shot at it. He's now playing golf - working off the tension of preparing for the interview. It's a day off for him but the rest of the week is a nightmare of a schedule.

We're expected to get buckets of rain today - remnants of Gustav - would have been nice to have gotten the yard mowed but oh well . . .

Happy Landings wherever you might go today . . .

M.

The Beginning

We decided - ok, I decided - to create this blog after my friends, Ashley and Luke, posted photos of my children on their own blog. They have lovely pictures of honeymooning in Thailand but only limited photos of MY family which is, of course, far more beautiful to me than some gorgeous place halfway around the world. So, I thought that perhaps it would be better to create my own blog in order to post the roughly five million photos I have. I suppose I'll use this to allow my far-away family to keep up with us. Welcome to our world and God Bless!