Pictures of the kids...

It's been quite awhile since I posted on the blog and figured it was about time. Friday was our ward Christmas party and Santa came at the end. Elise was so excited she could hardly contain herself. She did pretty well waiting in line until she could see Santa, and then I could no longer control her...one minute she was standing next to me, the next she was running up to Santa and pulling herself up onto his lap and grinning up at him She skipped about 10-15 kids in line ahead of her to get to him. Instead of pulling her off and causing a scene, I just plopped Joseph on Santa's lap, too, for a quick photo. Elise was so excited to have Santa talk to her and to have her picture with him, a wonderful change from every other year where she cried and screamed if he even looked at her! Joseph did wonderful as well.


We had pictures taken of the kids just before Thanksgiving, and I think they turned out pretty well. Joseph was 6 months old and had just figured out how to sit up on his own the day of the pictures. He's now 7 months old and sitting up very well, crawling (but only backwards), has 4 teeth and is working on more, and loves to jabber and talk. Elise is two, will be three years old in February and loves the movie Snow White--Daddy is her prince and Joseph is a dwarf, but I don't know which one! Happy, if I had to guess, but she may think he's Dopey since he doesn't talk, or Grumpy since he's been teething.

Enjoy the pictures!

My kids are so much fun!

I love my kids, they are so much fun. They are sweet, creative, and playful. Here's just a few pictures that show what they are up to and how they are growing.

Elise loves to read, and she loves sneaking into Joseph's crib.

Joseph trying rice cereal...he's still not a fan!

Enjoying lunch together...

Coming home after a fun day at the sitters...look at Elise's pretty hair!

Trying out the new stroller...

Showing off her Zoe tattoo (from Sesame Street)--she loves it so much she doesn't let me wash it with soap in the bathtub...

Joseph smiling in his Sunday best...

Elise fell asleep while eating her cereal after a long day at church. Definitely time for a nap!

Joseph happily played in his chair and let me get some dishes done while Elise was sleeping.

4 months old already!

Joseph had his 4 month old check-up today and I was reminded again just how fast time is going! He's doing really well and is now 14 lbs 5 oz and 25 1/4 inches long. He's such a happy baby--he loves to chew on everything and always has a smile ready for you. He loves to laugh at his silly family and is very patient with Elise who loves to play with him and help take care of him. He is a joy to have in our family.

Joseph found his toes! And other pictures...

Both of the kids are growing up so fast. Elise loves playing with Joseph and is so sweet with him. She mothers him and tries to take care of him rather frequently. She is also quite protective with him and doesn't always like to share him with others. Elise is also getting quite the imagination, too. She is always making things up, telling me stories, and playing make believe. Her teddy bear, Teddy, now does everything she does like a member of the family--he eats cereal in the morning, gets dressed, goes potty, plays, reads books, has dinner...you name it. Both of my babies are a lot of fun. Here's a few recent pictures:

Elise and Joseph playing with his new baby gym...

and playing with the birthday party hat...

Joseph can't always decide between playing with his toys and playing with his feet...

Yum!

Joseph is growing fast--he's 3 and a half months already! Last Monday night he discovered his toes, and just can't get enough of them. He discovered them when I was changing his diaper and he played with them for about 45 minutes before he got tired and fell asleep. He'd watch them, catch them, and then try to shove his foot into his mouth. Below are two videos...as you can tell he's gotten better at catching them.

Family visits and other fun...

My parents (and brother, Matthew) came out for a week-long visit. It was the first time my dad and brother had seen our house since we moved in January. They might feel like they've now seen too much of it since we put them to work on various projects while they were here! We all enjoyed them and Elise was devastated when they left.

Elise and grandma when the arrived.

Grandpa helping with one of the many projects...

...and Elise thinking she's helping with one of the projects!

A visit to the beach

...and to the place where ice cream cones were invented. Yummy!

Elise is now at that age where she loves to mimic mom and dad. She especially loves to wear our things--hats, purses, shoes--whatever she can get her hands on. Below are two cute recent pictures...

Elise wearing my nylons (or "socks" as she calls them) and her Home Depot apron stacking the tuna in the kitchen...

Elise wearing her daddy's tie for church

We also got to go to a fun birthday party for Elise's friend, Max, on Saturday. He had a petting zoo and Elise loved meeting all the animals. She had just read David Shannon's Duck on a Bike before we left, so she thought it was great that she found a bike to ride while looking at all the animals. We had a great time.

Elise petting the big baby bunny,,,the bunny was 12 weeks old, the same age as little Joseph!

Joseph's 2 month check-up

Joseph had his 2 month check up last week and is doing well and growing like a weed. He's now 11 lb. 15 oz. and 23 1/2 in. tall. He's in the 50% for height and weight. He is such a happy baby and has started to coo and talk to us more. And he's begun to figure out he has hands and enjoys sucking on his fingers when they come near his mouth and reaching out to touch and grab things. We love having this little guy in our family.

Joseph's Blessing Day

We blessed Joseph yesterday, July 11 in our ward while James' family was visiting. We had been having a hard time deciding when to do it--when James' family was in town or when mine was--but finally made up our mind a few days before hand. We were grateful for the family and friends that came to share the special day with us. James gave Joseph a beautiful blessing and Joseph did very well--no crying and he kept his white outfit white! Afterward we enjoyed visiting with James' family at our house.

A brief shot of our family after church.

A rare chance to get a shot of James' whole family together...Dad and Dodie, Isaac and Elijah, Ben and Susana, Kyle and Lana (and us, of course).

Lunch in our tiny dining room

Elise and her cousin Kyle

Elise's Oreo face

All of the kids had fun playing together

Elise, Elijah, Isaac and Joseph--one last picture before Elise and Joseph's uncles had to go home.