December 2009- Christmas Eve with Ryan's parents, Christmas morning at home, Christmas afternoon with the Bowman's. A trip to play in the snow in Payson and another to Tucson to the Reid Park Zoo on New Year's Eve.
Cousins - Corrine, Justin, Ainsley, Eliza & Ethan
Ethan was more excited about his gifts from Grandma & Grandpa than he was about his gift from Santa. 
Little Miss E loves to be outside... as long as she doesn't get any snow up her nose (sorry... Mom was trying to hit Dad)
We got lucky that another family was nearby playing in the snow too. They took a picture for us and we took a picture for them next to our snowman.
Enjoying how close the animals are at the Zoo.
Keep checking back... we'll post January next!
We can't forget Gertie... our Equinox. She was great too! Awesome cargo space and seats that adjusted to fit the tallest or smallest person. Unfortunately, two car seats also filled the back seat and there wasn't much room for anything else. We'll miss you too Gertie!
On Saturday, our 7th Anniversary, Ryan, Addy, Ethan, Grandma Louise, Grandpa Eric, and Grandma Pat headed to Pei Wei for Ethan's special dinner. We've started a tradition of going out to eat at the Birthday kid's choice. Ethan chose Pei Wei for the 2nd year in a row. He had a great time and felt special, being the center of attention. Of course, it didn't hurt that he got some Star Wars Lego guys that he talked about non-stop for weeks before. Thanks to the grandparents for loving Ethan and coming to honor him.
On Sunday, he went to Primary and was excited to be sung to and shared some Toy Story fruit snacks with his class. That evening he opened his gifts from Dad and Mom. Planet Heroes! So cool!
Toy Story 3 was coming out near Ethan's birthday, so long ago we decided that we would go see it for his party. We planned on going Saturday, June 19th and were excited... until that morning. Ethan didn't want to eat his cereal and decided that sitting on his bed was better. Frustrating, but that's Ethan. Addy headed to the theatre to greet all his friends and cousins, hoping that he would eat and come. Luckily, he ate it and showed up about 20 minutes into the film. We LOVED the movie!
After the show we all went back to the house for pizza, cake, and ice cream. We had a great time and loved having everyone over! Thanks for all the thoughtful gifts and for supporting Ethan... even when he's melting down.
We decided to rent a cabin in Greer, Arizona. Our friend, Carol, helped make it more affordable... and more fun! We left the Valley of the Sun Friday afternoon and after a few stops to grab movies, lunch, and a overturned RV, we arrived at the Greer Lodge about 5:00pm. We originally planned on settling in and heading to Eager to get groceries, but the kids were spent and we were hungry. We half enjoyed an over priced meal at the 373 restaurant. Two kids who have been in the car all day have a hard time sitting in a restaurant. Ethan enjoyed walking out by the lake and looking at the geese more than his $6 Mac & Cheese. Memories.
We headed back to the cabin and Addy got the kids settled, bathed, and one in bed while Ryan went grocery shopping. He arrived back at the cabin about the same time Carol did.. he just did it a little slower than she did. :) After both kids were tucked snugly into bed, Ryan headed out to check out the stars with the borrowed telescope but didn't have any more of the already breathtaking views than we did with the naked eye.
The cabin and woods surrounding were gorgeous. There were two small streams behind the cabin, a grassy area with dandelions under the shade of the tall pines, picnic tables and chairs placed in just the right spots, a cute walking bridge to join paths together... simply heaven. The sound of quiet with Ethan's constant sound effects of defeating droids with his lightsaber, the cool breeze, the warm sun, the fresh smell of the pines, the vast amount of stars in the sky. We enjoyed it all!
We did have some not-so-pleasant time too. Eliza was the first to show signs of a cold/sinus problems and didn't sleep much. The first night we clocked about 4 hours of sleep and the second... maybe 3. The trip was sleepless, but definitely restful. We can't wait to get back to the cabin and enjoy the beauty of the White Mountains.
She is still a little chunk... 21 lbs. 9oz. (97+ percentile) and 26 3/4 inches (75-90 percentile). We constantly get comments of how big she is, but amazingly she is almost 2 inches shorter than Ethan was at 6 months. She is eating solids - cereal, veggies, and fruit. She is also now on formula. She has the BEST smile, but is still working on her laugh. She is definitely a Momma's Girl and even cries sometimes when handed to Dad. She is also a smarty pants... we thought Ethan was smart at his age. We're in for it! We love you Eliza! Happy 6 Months!
