Hot Chocolate

It's the staple after playing outside in the winter. Even though, it seems to me, running around the back yard (no matter how cold) makes one really thirsty and a big glass of water is more appropriate, there's still nothing more (oddly) natural than coming in to a big steaming cup of good old hot chocolate. Yesterday, Eli drank his from the mug of a Peter Rabbit place setting that my Grandma Smit gave me probably nearly two decades ago. Eli never met this grandma, but he hears about her every time he uses that mug. Who ever says that icons cannot be sacred never tried to help their three year old know an ancestor without any tangible evidence.

Eli's a great big brother

Case in point.

Christmas has begun

This weekend started our Christmas celebrations with two different festivities.

For the last four or five years, a group of friends have gotten together for a "White Christmas" party. This beautiful festivity involved sharing a meal, decorating cookies and sharing in a sing-along-viewing of "White Christmas" - you know, with Bing Crosby and Danny Kay. Another tradition that started along the way is taking horribly cheesy family pictures around the tree. Now that there are kids involved, it's fun to try and get this accomplished. Here's a few of the family portraits from our friends as well.

Brian and Liz with Raven.

Kurt and Matteah with Raiya.

Jonathan, Hollie, Shelby and, of course, Asher.

Then, on Saturday, we celebrated Christmas with the Petersen side of the family.
It's hard to believe this is Asher's first Christmas celebration - he was around most of the winter last year and he's just so big. He had a great time. Now Ei's learning what it's like for Asher to have toys that were given to him that Asher gets first dibs on:)

Asher's growing

Asher seems to change daily right now, learning new tricks and reaching new milestones. He really wants to get around, but is a little hesitant to let go and actually walk. Last weekend he sort-of-almost took a step. Well, maybe it was more like a lung - I guess if you give him the right incentive he's off.


Last night Asher and Eli both had their first experience with a Sushi bar. We celebrated Grandma's __'th birthday at Shogun off of 28th street. It was quiet an experience and the boys really wanted to play and the cool little table room we were in.

And this morning, Asher popped his first tooth! We could see it yesterday, but today there's a little sharp point sticking through his gum. Happy first tooth, Asher!

Grandma and Grandpa Traxler have moved back! It's fun to have them close again and see them a bit more often. Last Saturday, we went to visit them in South Haven where they're staying until their house is built. We had a great time taking a walk in the ridiculously warm November weather and making cookies.

And we really enjoyed being able to celebrate Grandma's birthday with her for the first time in quite a long time.

Halloween

You know, it's the day after Thanksgiving. So it seems like the appropriate time to post a few Halloween pictures. Eli was a scary Ghost (Boo!) - his idea. And Asher was a pumpkin (with a little Elmer Fudd mixed in), thanks to the pumpkin outfit we were giving - he wasn't a fan for most of the night.

Greatest Grandparents

Our kids are blessed to have four living Great Grandparents - three Great Grandmas and one Great Grandpa. One Great Grandma, Grandma Lois, lives in Iowa, but the other three live within an hour of home and Eli and Asher get to see them every once in a while.

Earlier this month we celebrated Great Grandma Traxler's 84th birthday.

And on Thanksgiving Eli and Asher got to spend a little time with Great Grandpa Gordon and Great Grandma Miriam.

Getting so big.

Eli made a very big big-boy decision today. He threw away his "Piers" (aka - pacifiers) and traded them in for a Rescue Squad Mater. He gave them both one last suck and then spit them in the garbage can, proclaiming that the garbage man would come and take them away.
(edit - at bed time, our poor Big Boy cried for 45 minutes and assured me that, yes, we could get it back RIGHT NOW - we could just drive to the dump and get it. I realized in a new way tonight that, no matter why their heart breaks, no matter how small an issue it is in the whole scheme of things, our hearts will break along with theirs. Eli may be justified in crying over the end of his Piers because he's three. We are justified in crying with him because we are Momma and Papa and that's what we do.)


This weekend, he helped Grandpa Pete make cookies, and put up new wall boards in their bathroom.

Ludington State Park

We spent last week camping in Ludington State Park in mostly beautiful fall weather. The boys had a great time playing outside all day.
Asher even got a bath in the sink of the camper.
Eli hiked most of the 4 mile round trip to the lighthouse and back. When we got there, Asher was too little to climb, so the nice volunteer ladies watched him while the three of us made our way to the top.

We forgot sunscreen, so on the way back to the campsite he looked like this. Wonderful.
And the boys were still brothers.

Even some first wrestling happened.

And we're running

Wow, I finally got some space freed up on my computer and dumped about 400 pictures in from the last three months. I'm not even going to try to catch up - let's just say it's been a busy summer and the boys are both growing like crazy. Eli's working hard on puzzles, learning letters and counting. Asher's starting to crawl (he's been scooting around for a month or so) and even thinks he wants to pull himself up on things - silly kid. And they look like this.

Hey all,
I'm sorry that there haven't been any new posts for quite some time. Despite Eli's birthday, the birth of a new cousin and Asher's 6 month bench mark, we haven't updated you in a long time. There's a problem with my computer and I can't dump the pictures from our camera - and therefore can't post any. So for now I'll tell you that Eli's third birthday was a blasts, new baby cousin Jacob is wonderful, and Asher came in at 16lb 5oz at his 6 month check up - 50th percentile all around. Eli, at 3 years of age, measures even with the average 4 year old. He's tall.

As soon as I can, I'll post a whole slew of pictures.
~Jen

Mission Accomplished

With a week and a half to spare before Eli's birthday, I finished his train quilt. For his 3rd birthday, he'll get a new twin bed with a new quilt. He knows it's his as it would have been unreasonable to work on it only when he was in bed. I know most of you are more excited about our kids than this quilt, but I'm pretty dang excited that I did it!

Asher's 5 months old!

Well, yesterday technically, but - can you believe it? In a few of these pictures, he's starting to look like Asher, not just baby, we think.

Asher's eating cereal like a champ - as long as we add some fruit to it. I can't blame him; I wouldn't eat the stuff plain either.

A few weeks ago we all went down town to Festival of the Arts. Eli participated in the paint in - even made it in M-live's video of it.


Gee, wonder how that happened:)

We had so much fun. Festival is such a different experience with kids and we really enjoyed it more than we ever have before.

Worker Man

Eli's been working hard lately. He's helped Jeff spread wood chips in several flower beds. . .

Then helped clean out the truck

He's helped our friend Brian build a retaining wall in the front of his house.

He started to help me wash the car. . .

But then realized that his truck needed to be washed, too.

Meanwhile, his little brother, Asher's just been lounging.

And they both got to wear party hats to celebrate their cousin Josiah's birthday!

Tiny big man

Yesterday Asher had his 4 month check up. He came in at 25 1/4 inches and 12 lbs, 11 oz. He's in the 75th percentile for length and only the 10th for weight. So he's tall, but little. I'm okay with that. At 2 months, Asher was in the 25th percentile for weight and has dropped off some since then, so his doctor would like to see him pick up a little bit of weight. But, since he's rejecting formula and isn't interested in eating from a spoon yet, there's not much we can do about it now. He seems satisfied with what he gets and continues to gain weight, so there's nothing to worry about now. We're hoping hell start eating from a spoon soon.

On Monday I left him on his play mat on his back while I went to get a little snack. When I came back from the kitchen, I found him on his tummy - sneaky little guy. Most babies roll the other way (from tummy to back) first, but Asher didn't seem at all interested in that. Until yesterday, that is. Jeff put him on his tummy and all the sudden Asher turned over to his back. It ma be more accurate to say he fell over onto his back as he seemed as surprised by it as we were.

We've gotten a few more giggles and are loving all of Asher's many expressions.

Big Brother Eli is doing well, also. He's been helping in the garden and making sure that Asher always has his "pi-er" (pacifier). Yesterday, while we were sitting at the table eating lunch, Eli said to me, "Momma, that's hilarious." I can't even remember what it was in reference, but what three year old says "hilarious?"