Christmas Update

Despite Forrest being sick, we had a lovely Christmas celebration at Dad and Mom's.  (They finished their family room 20 years after beginning the project, spurred on by the need to host due to Forrest's dog allergy at Shaun and Bill's).  Here are a few pictures!

Yes, I did approve of a bounce house.  Being a parent makes you so gullible... 

Can it be?  A new, blue mixer?  Yes, this is what he has been asking for for months.  All other presents were disappointing until this one was opened.

Christmas suspenders?  Yes, indeed.

The grandparents came over for a beautiful, and delicious lunch.

Hope everyone else had as nice a holiday as we did!

Merry Christmas!

Look how timely I am - a Christmas post before Christmas!

I just finished looking at some pictures of Forrest that I took to showcase his Christmas outfit for this year, and I'm having trouble deciding which one deserves the place of honor on the mantle for all time.  Lucky for me, I can post them all here :0)

And just for fun, the last two years:

More Christmas pictures to come!

Cozy

Just a quick picture of one of Forrest and Joshua's favorite activities lately.  Forrest likes helping to make the fire and cleaning up with the vacuum the next day!

Family Pictures

Our less-than-attractive family picture from our spring trip to Phoenix left me dreaming of a better outcome.  At the beginning of the month, I hired a photographer to come to our home, and in the days before, Forrest and I practiced, practiced, practiced smiling.  All that practice and plenty of m&ms, and here we are: lovely family photos.  Hurray!

Select pictures making their way to a Christmas card soon!  

School

Forrest and I have been back to school for about a month now.  This fall, Forrest is attending Little Bluestem Montessori three mornings each week, and I'm lucky enough to attend with him as the classroom assistant.  There are a total of six toddlers, so we stay busy!  The program is such a blessing for our family.

Birthday Wrap Up

Just a few more photos to remember Forrest's second birthday.  We had a family party at the Dairy Queen here in Monticello and then another party in Orion last weekend.  Oh, what a treasured little boy!

Today Joshua and Mark are celebrating the one year birthday of their nerd store.  It's been a busy year for them!  I'm happy to say that the store is doing well, and they're looking forward to an even bigger year two.  Happy birthday Titan Games!

Best Summer Ever!

Yes, I'm calling it.  This really was my favorite summer yet.  Despite the hot temperatures this week, the mums at the grocery store and the turning of the calendar have made me realize that my fantastic summer is drawing to a close.

A few highlights (some mentioned before, others not):

We began the summer with a family vacation to Phoenix to visit Kati.  What an adventure!

Joshua and I enjoyed two trips just for us.  One to St. Louis, with a stop in Litchfield to revisit where we began our married life.  (That's our first apartment in the background, at the back of the brownstone.)  Our second trip was to Branson and Table Rock Lake.  So beautiful and so fun!

We made our annual trip to Wisconsin to visit Joshua's grandparents - such a blessing to vacation with family in a beautiful location.

Forrest and I spent time at Poppy and Gigi's more than once.  It's always a good time there.

We traveled to Indianapolis with Scott-o and Jon G to take in the sites (those being the zoo and children's museum).

Besides these big trips, we also had so much fun around the house.  Early in the spring Forrest and I built what we call our "oasis," a newly-fenced portion of our otherwise unsafe deck.  How fantastic to have a safe place outside to play.  It certainly was worth the effort.  We made several family trips to the pool, ate plenty of ice cream, and enjoyed the mild temperatures.

Yes, it really was the best summer!

 

Two Years Old!

We're celebrating Forrest's second birthday this week.  As is the tradition in my family, we're spreading out the fun to last all week (and more!).  What can I say about my little Foo-ha (his self-given nickname)?  What joy he brings to our world!

At two, Forrest still enjoys every kitchen gadget with a cord, with his true-love being the Kitchenaid mixer.  Every day when Daddy comes home from work, he asks if we can make cookies.  This favorite activity inspires Forrest to use three and even four-word phrases!  Even when not making cookies, he often can be found toting around the mixing bowl, cover, paddle, whisk, and dough hook.  He is an expert at all things related to the mixer.

Another passion of Forrest's is tools.  He loves them all and is my best helper.  Seriously, he knows how to use the Kreg Jig (love that thing!).  Forrest is skilled at using all screwdrivers, and careful attention is needed to make sure he's not dismantling anything important (like door hinges).

Forrest loves spending time with his favorite people.  Rough-housing with Daddy is still a favorite, along with playing hiding games.  We Facetime with Gigi each morning, and often Poppy joins in, too.  Forrest loves spending time with Poppy and Gigi and knows he is their favorite.  We also are blessed to be able to visit Forrest's grandparents and great grandparents here in Monticello regularly.  He helps himself to both grandma's mixers anytime we stop by.

Forrest's favorite place to visit right now is Dairy Queen.  This little boy loves ice cream!  He asks for it by name, and it's the only thing he's reluctant to share.  The ladies who work there know us and are quite charmed by him (yes, we go there too often!).

Speaking of charming, this little boy is adorable.  He has a smile that I can't resist and a personality to match.   He is able to focus on tasks of interest for long periods of time and amazes me with his memory.  He can be stubborn but always has a purpose.  We're just beginning to see him pushing limits and testing boundaries.  I don't mind a bit (usually); it's a joy to see his brain grow and work.  Our days together are a blessing.  How lucky we are to have spent two years with our little boy!