We're moving

The blog, that is. This one's attached to an old e-mail address that's since been deleted. Makes it a bit more complicated to navigate. You can find all the stuff from this blog, plus all our new posts (no promises about them getting any more frequent) at this address:
http://thepetersenclanblog.blogspot.com/

Still Winter Fun

Just last week, when we had so many warm sunny days, I got my first tinges of longing for spring. But it's not yet March even, so we've still got plenty of winter fun to play in - and I'm okay with that.

Last week Thursday the boys and I met Grandma and Grandpa Traxler at the lake house to see how the construction was coming. We also played down by the lake, which was very pleasant in the sun. Not to mention that the men who were trimming up trees at the house and started a fire in the fire pit with the brush they were getting rid of. We're looking forward to next winter when Grandpa keeps and ice rink cleared and we can have hot chocolate around the fire there.








Then on Saturday, we went to Holland to hike Sanctuary Woods. Grandma and Grandpa Traxler met us there, too, and we celebrated Jeff's birthday at New Holland
afterward.




















We live in a beautiful state!

Boys and Friends.

Our boys are starting to play with each other more and more. Most of the time, it's a good thing. So we've been learning together what it means to share toys and play games that Asher can play, too. One of our favorites right now is to play tag - Asher plays along by laughing joyfully while mom or dad carry him running through the house after Eli - or Eli after us.

We've also had lots of fun playing with friends this past month. At the beginning of the month some friends from seminary came over for a play date. Four moms, seven boys all under the age of four, plus to more babies on the way (one of which we know is also a boy). And this morning we got to play with our good friends Isaac and Cannan. They are each three months older than our boys. (From left to right - Jen with Max and Grahm, Me with Eli and Asher, Heather with Josiah and baby on the way, Rebecca with Simon and Jonah and baby boy on the way).













That's a lot of boys!

Cake in Hair

Asher turned one! It was a week and a half ago already and unfortunately fell in the midst of a couple of pretty taxing weeks for us all. In the midst of stress and grieving, we took delight in celebrating Asher's first year and all the joy crammed into one little body.

Enjoy some pictures of the festivities!

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.