Eating buddies

I have been feeding Henry solid foods for a month or so now and he has really taken a liking to it, mostly because of Esther. Henry wants to do everything Esther is doing. If I am feeding Esther and Henry is watching he cries till he gets some food too. So we decided it was time to buy Henry his own feeding chair. We bought the same chair as Esther's just a different color. Henry gets so excited when I put him in his chair. Esther is not too happy about the whole thing. Solid food was her thing and she does not like having to wait while I give him a bite. Henry is a little more gracious and patient with food. Come on, we have all seen Esther eat.

The Aliens have landed!

My house has been overtaken by Aliens! They drool all over the house and emit smells that can not be explained. They have an intoxicating giggle that makes me do what ever they want and only feed them candy. I think they have taken over my brain. They keep me up all hours of the night and expect me to feed and entertain them. I guess I will just have to love them and hope that one day they will depart from my house.

What's in her mouth?

Here is a list of things Esther has eaten or put in her mouth.(most of these were just today)

Rocks, leaves, dirt, bark, dry wall, lint, toilet paper, dirty socks, shoes, old food off the floor, Henry's toes, my toes, Michael's toes, flowers, steer manure, dandelion seeds, and dog poo. We do keep an eye on her but she is fast. Esther will eat anything once and sometime twice.

Halloween 09

Here are a few photos from this years Halloween party. Michael had to work so my dad helped out as papa bear in Goldi Locks and the Three Bears. We held the party on Halloween. We ate soup and then the cousins went trick or treating.

Saint George

We went to visit Michael's parents two weeks ago. Saint George is always a fun trip for us. We don't do much while we are there and that is what makes it the best. We read, catch up on sleep, enjoy Grandma and Grandpa, and do a lot of cooking. We were also there to celebrate Michael's dads birthday. For his birthday we made a shadow box spotlighting him running in the Saint George Marathon this October.

How we clean the floors

It is not always easy to entertain a 13 month and a 3 month at the same time. Sometimes I place both kids on a blanket and pull them around. It makes great entertainment and I get my floors dusted at the same time.

Old man winter?

With fall approaching old man winter has started to make his appearance. Henry had just finished eating and fell asleep with the burp cloth still around his chin. It looks like he is a very old man with a white beard.

Oregon 2009

Oregon 2009

We finally made it to Oregon. Many of you know that Michael and I booked this trip for last year but then Esther came and the trip was rescheduled. We had originally rescheduled it for June but then Henry came and the trip was again rescheduled for August. The trip came after a very busy couple of weeks and was so needed. We took the trip with our great friends Mark and Tallie Menzie, and their two boys Luke 5, and Hank 2 1/2. We flew into Seattle because the Menzies live in Tacoma. We were going to hook up with them and then all drive to the coast together. Henry and Esther did pretty good on the flight, the trouble was getting through the airport with 2 kids that don't walk. Thank goodness Michael's sister Jennifer was flying home that same morning so she helped us get checked in. On Monday we took the scenic coastal route to get to Oregon and it was beautiful. On Tuesday we decided even though it was on the colder side we would venture to the beach. I didn't think Esther would care for the Sand or the water since it was cold, I was wrong. She loved the sand and the cold water. She even loved to eat the sand. The next day we spent at the beach house relaxing and catching up on sleep. Michael did go down to the beach and flew kits with Mark. He said he felt like a kid again. That night Mark and Tallie offered to watch the kids while Michael and I went of for our Anniversary. We found a very nice place in town that served amazing food. It was nice to get away for a moment. If you forgot Michael and I celebrated 10 years this year. How time has flown by and how things have changed over this last year.
On Thursday it was nice and sunny so we spent the afternoon at the beach again. On Friday just the McNeilis spent the day at the local aquarium. Esther loved all the fish. Henry slept through most of it. Saturday we packed the car and started the drive back to Tacoma. We had such a great time and the house we rented could not have been more perfect. I hope that we have many more vacations like this one.

Thomas and Laura's wedding day

Thomas (Michael's brother) got married on August 8th in the SLC temple. Michael did the cake as a wedding present for Thomas and Laura. The ceremony was wonderful and sweet. The reception was at Thanksgiving Point. The picture of Esther and Henry is blurry because they were dancing together and movement comes out blurry. Esther had a blast dancing with Daddy and Michael's dad. We love Laura and are glad that she has chosen to join the McNeilis family.

Henry's Blesssing

Since Michael's parents were in town for Thomas's wedding we decided to bless Henry on Sunday August 2nd. The day was wonderful. The blessing was a great experience. It is a rare occasion that one family gets to bless 2 children in the same year without the kids being twins. After church our friends and family joined us for a luncheon at our house. Here is Henry in his cut blessing outfit.