Halle's First Birthday!

New fun pics

I guess it's time to post a picture of Halle too.

Fall Fun 2010

So this is a big compilation of pictures ... just for fun. I totally missed Ethan's b-day and all the summer fun, but I figure I should just start from where I'm at :)

As you can see from one of these pictures I am currently very pregnant. Hallie will be here no later than January 21st 2011. I will also be graduating with my Associate's of Art December 17th 2010. Ethan is almost halfway through his kindergarten year and Max is getting more and more independent every day. His "2" phase started about 6 months ago, but he actually turns two on Friday. Eli will be taking his actuary exam again just before Hallie gets here and we are praying that goes well for him. Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner and both are definitely better with family and friends. Christmas this year will be so fun with two little boys who are in great anticipation for it and I am excited for both of the upcoming holidays! They are my favorite time of year!

Seattle

Seattle was a lot of fun! Just Eli and I ..... aahhhhhh (sigh). It was too short. Next time I think we need to go somewhere tropical ... or historic. In Seattle we went to the Underground Tour, The Science Center (I think the Childrens Museum would have been better though) Experience Music Project and Pike Place Market. Pike Place and the EMP were definitely the highlights. Piroshky, Pirosky is now my all time favorite bakery ever! It was delicious! If you are ever in Seattle it's a must! Here are the nerdy pictures from our getaway :)

Just Pictures

I just wanted to post up some new pictures. I guess I'll give an update too. Starting from the youngest.

Max is scheduled to get tubes in a few weeks. He has consistently had fluid behind his ears for months. His speech has been okay and he didn't seem to be in pain, so they weren't going to do anything. But then he got a double ear infection. They treated it and I could really tell a difference in his temperament and sleep patterns. I think he WAS in pain until the fluid cleared out. THEN about 6 weeks later he had another ear infection .... so given his fluid on the ears history and Ethan's history.... we decided to go ahead with the tubes. Other than his ears, he's just a regular little monkey :)

Ethan has just registered for Kindergarten. He is excited, but I think to him it's just like changing schools again. We're working on lower case letters for his name and starting letters at the top. I think he is going to have a math mind like his mom and dad. He is already great at adding and subtracting.

Eli is currently studying to take an actuary exam. He hopes to have the first test passed and a new job as an actuary within the year. But for now, he was just offered a job at Brown Mackie College. It is great that this time around he wasn't in need of a job. They just called him up one day and asked if he would be interested in a financial aid position (as opposed to the admissions position he used to have). Of course with the pay raise he would get and the better hours, how could we refuse?! It will be great having my husband home before 7:30 three days a week. I should disclaim that I THINK this is how the hours will pan out because that is how the hours worked in admissions there. Either way, the pay raise is worth it. He'll be starting April 5th... right after we get back from out Seattle get-away.

Eli and I finally get to go away for a bit by ourselves (thanks to our wonderful parents who have graciously agreed to help with our kids for a few days each... THANK YOU, we really do appreciate you and love you). This will be the first time that we've been away by ourselves since our honeymoon. YAY! I'm excited.

That is all that there really is going on right now. We hope all is well with everyone. We love all of you!

It's just overdue

My apologies to anyone who has been wondering when on earth I will post something new. Here it is. We've had a lot going on. Max's b-day, Christmas and New Years. It doesn't make us anymore exciting. Here are some fun pictures. Max's eyes never cease to amaze me with how BLUE they are. And Ethan is as always, just cute. He likes to tilt his head in pictures and he thinks he can get anything he wants that way. Enjoy the pictures!

Boys' play time

I just love this demonstration of how the boys play. A little of Max branching out on his own to chase me with the camera, Ethan taking a 2 second break from trains to smile for the camera, and together time. .... Ethan playing trains and Max coming up next to him and kicking him/pestering him. :)