February and March

Caleigh cracks us up.  She was supposed to be napping....in her bed, but I first went in her room and found her asleep in the rocking chair with her bed in shambles.  Then, I went back again, and she was asleep in the floor, and finally, I found her smiling so sweetly at me from the doorway.  

Okay, Caleigh cracked us up, and Elisha amazed us.  One evening, I think after church, he just passed out on Rusty, and Rusty put him on the couch thinking he would wake up with the rest of our commotion, but he didn't.  We even caught Caleigh going over to give him a kiss, getting right in his face.  

We're all anticipating Dave and Katie's wedding in July.  There getting married on Tybee Island, and Caleigh is so excited.  She gets to be the flower girl, and it will be her and Elisha's first trip to the beach.  She can't wait to build a sandcastle like Olivia does in her book.

No, she wasn't getting ready to go to the beach.  She was just getting ready to go swimming.  It may have been helpful if she didn't have on her clothes too and if the swimsuit wasn't on backwards.  

Christmas Backtrack - Christmas Day

Again, these are not in order.

We found Caleigh having a tea party in Meme's windowsill.  Has she ever looked like such a doll before?  I think not.

Caleigh and Granna taking a bounce on her new ball

Granna discovered Elisha's tickle spot, and he couldn't stop giggling and smiling.

We actually woke our children up for Christmas morning, and neither of them appreciated it.  We read our Big Picture Story Bible and headed downstairs.  

Elisha driving his Sesame Street car

Caleigh putting on her Dora scooties (aka skates) and knee pads

Christmas Backtrack - Christmas Eve

I realized that I forgot to mention our Christmas, Elisha's first Christmas, during our time without internet.  So here are a few moments we captured during our Christmas extravaganza - eight parties in three days.  (Sorry, the pictures are not in chronological order; I'm too lazy and IMPATIENT to reorganize them.)

Finally, Elisha got some rest.  Thankfully, Daddy has the magic touch despite all the commotion.

I got to open a zillion presents this Christmas (because I got to help Elisha open his presents).

Granna and her grandbabies - Caleigh can't really handle any of her grandparents giving Elisha attention instead of her.

Elisha's reaction to opening one of his first presents.  He didn't seem to excited about it, probably due to the lack of sleep.

Caleigh helping Grandma make pigs-n-a-blanket, apron around neck and all.

January

Caleigh started taking gymnastics.  She is the youngest person in the class, as well as the clumsiest, but she loves it.  Her favorite move is the cheese dog, which neither I or the teacher know, but we think it is either rolling down the cheese like a log or practicing a cartwheel.   We hope the class also teaches her about obeying other adults and waiting her turn. The past few weeks the teacher has had to tell her to sit on the line and wait her turn over and over again, but she is getting better.

Caleigh decided to try on Geez-paw's boots at Grandma's birthday party, but she didn't make it too far in them.  

Aren't they cute?  This picture captures Elisha pre-crawl.  He finally started crawling last Monday at 9.5 months+, but he just uses his skills to crawl to my feet and cry.  He's also pulling up on everything.  Tonight we left him in the toy room by himself, and when I heard him whining, I went to check on him.  He had made it up the three steps into the dining room by himself.  We were amazed.  How did he go from barely moving to making it up steps in less than a week?

Creative Discovery Museum

Here is a family picture in front of the Gingerbread House, which Caleigh loved since her current favorite pajamas have a gingerbread man on them and we've read the "The Little Gingerbread Boy" about zillion times.

Elisha decided to experiment on the electric ball thing.  The picture doesn't really show his hair standing up though.  

My two little explorers.  They both got to put on the vests and play with the digging tools at the excavation site.  And I guess Caleigh is blocking Geez-paw from the dinosaur.  We wouldn't want him to get eaten.   

Name Change?

I should have known that the name "Elisha" wouldn't go over well.   I was fooled to think that people were familiar with the biblical character, and even more fooled to think they would pronounce it the same way I do.  At the doctor's office, he is "Alicia."  They even marked "F" for female on his chart.  Family members and church members blend "Elijah" and "Elisha," which comes out something like "Elij-sha."   Rusty and I are already a little frustrated with correcting folks, and we're sure he might feel the same way when he gets older.  Now, we call him Lisha (which seems pretty girly to write), but that doesn't help.  We've considered going ahead and calling him Barrett or Rett, but it seems weird to change his name.  What do you think?  

Preparing for Christmas

I know, I know, I've not posted in a long time, but I've been without internet.  Right now, I'm borrowing a computer and the internet (kind of).  But, I thought while it was available I should add something. 

Caleigh starting her names of Jesus Christmas tree.  Each day we add another picture to symbolize a name of Christ.  I got the idea from Lettie Kirkpatrick, a local speaker and writer, who happens to be our friend's mother.

Elisha looking sweet under the tree.  He only almost pulled it down once.

Rusty just had surgery, and Elisha had rosiola and a double ear infection, we discovered after two trips to the doctor and a trip to the emergency room.  

Aren't they cute all laid up?

Christmas pictures never go over well at our house.  Don't be too disappointed when you get one.  In this attempt to capture our children being especially cute, doesn't Caleigh have the perfect pout face and Elisha have the perfect whine face? 

This is more realistic, the not-looking face and the scream face.  It would only be more realistic if Caleigh was jerking the book from Elisha's hands.

Caleigh was so excited to make sugar cookies and use the cookie cutters and sprinkles.  Even though I didn't make homemade cookies, I hope to teach her to enjoy cooking since she is really starting to want to help in the kitchen.

WE HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL, GOD-BLESSED, CHRIST-CENTERED CHRISTMAS!