Merry Christmas!

This year we spent Christmas with Kaelub's brother and family in Las Vegas. It was fun for Eli to have other kids to play with. Santa brought him a tool bench & a puppy dog that barks, whines, wags its tail, etc. like a real puppy. He sleeps with it every night. We gave him mega blocks, which also seem to be getting a lot of use. I have to brag on my husband for a minute, even though I'm sure he will hate it. On Christmas Eve he got up and made me birthday breakfast (since that's always been the tradition as I grew up), complete with yummy muffins, eggs, and my favorite orange juice. I also took Eli to get his hair cut. It seems like it grows so fast and it was beyond that cute "messy" look. Now it's short and easy to take care of. Hopefully everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

Early Christmas

My mom & brother came down for a few days so we decided to open gifts from and for them on the 22nd. It was so fun to see the difference in Eli from last Christmas to this one. He really enjoyed opening or helping open everyone's presents. Uncle Aaron gave him puzzles, which were a big hit. And my mom gave him this wooden train that he can pull. It is so cute! While they were here we also went and saw the lights at the Mesa Temple and did some shopping. Eli was a good sport about sleeping in his carseat while we drove. Thanks for coming to visit us!

Big Boy Bed

Eli now takes naps & sleeps at night in this toddler bed! We are so excited and want to say thank you so much to the person (you know who you are) who got us this bed.

Eli Turns 2

This past month has been crazy for us! On Nov. 24, Eli turned 2. Kaelub and I took him to eat pizza for his birthday dinner and then we came back to open gifts and eat cake. Thanks to all of you who sent something for him--he loved ripping off the wrapping paper and opening the envelopes for the cards. We got him this fun tent with a tunnel that he really has fun playing in. As you can see from the pictures, he didn't want anything to do with eating the cake. He just wanted me to keep lighting the candles so he could blow them out. Eli is such a happy little boy and we are so lucky to have him in our family!

Sneak Peak

We had our family pictures taken a week ago and I just got them back. They turned out so good, especially since Eli wasn't really wanting to sit still and look at the camera. Thanks to Kendyl for taking them. (hawkinspics.blogspot.com) And for all you who wanted to see my pregnant belly, here you go!

Happy Halloween!

Here are some pics of Eli in his Halloween costume last night. He actually did catch on at the ward trunk or treat about what to do to get the candy. It was cute to hear him say trick or treat and then when they gave him his candy he would say thank ye. (His version of thank you.)

Fun Friday

Today I took Eli out early to Old Navy to see if I could get a $2 costume for next year. There were so many people! It was like the day after Thanksgiving craziness. After that, we went to the play area at the outdoor mall across the street. And we had to stop in the puppy store so Eli could watch them. We met Kaelub at the park for lunch & played on the toys. Hopefully Eli wore himself out & takes a good nap before our trunk or teat party tonight. Stay tuned for costume pictures.....

Golfing at the Park

A few weeks ago we went to the park just down the road so Eli could play. Kaelub decided he would practice his golf swing while we were there. Kelsey, Clark, & Brooklyn came too. Eli & Brooklyn really liked the toys & running up and down the hill.

Softball

Kaelub has been playing ward softball in the evenings for a few weeks now. It's fun to go watch him play. Eli loves running around with all the big kids. He thinks it's so much fun to try to keep up with them or get the ball from them. He will just take off and he doesn't seem to care how far he gets from me. It's pretty tough trying to keep track of him.

Kaelub's Coyote

The other week Kaelub went out early one morning to shoot coyotes. I'm not a big fan, but he enjoys it. So here's the proof.

Arizona Science Center

On Monday Kelsey & I took the kids to the AZ Science Center downtown. A lot of it was for older kids, but they had some fun areas for the younger ones. Eli loved playing in the play house & garden. And of course, he found anything that looked like blocks or balls to play with. It was a fun way to spend a couple hours and let them get out all their energy!

More pics

Fall Fun

I love that the weather is getting so nice & it's even cold enough for jackets in the evening! My mom & aunt were here visiting for a week and we did lots of fun things. Shopping, sewing blankets & burpers for the baby, crib skirt, crafts, park, etc. They always spoil us while they are here & it's so fun to have family willing to make the long drive down here. Thanks you guys--we love you & miss you!
I also had another cake class where we learned some fun flowers, so there is a picture of my cake. When I get the rose looking good, I'll post some pics of that too. Kaelub had a softball game the other night & Eli loved watching him through the fence. He wanted to be out on the field with his daddy.