So, i may have already broken one of my new year's resolutions. It's been technically over one week since I've posted...oh well.

I'm in Madison right now for my last training. Yeah! I've been able to hang out with Elin, Brady, and Max. Elin and I just had dinner together at Eno Vino, yummy tapas! We've been able to do a little shopping as well.

It was difficult to leave the family. This one morning last week, both Eli and Keenan were waking up. I went down to warm up Keenan's bottle and I heard Eli run into Keenan's room. He was standing on the stool next to Keenan's crib trying to console Keenan. Eli said, "it's ok Baby Keenan, I'm here", I wish I would have gotten it on tape!

It's pretty frigid up here! I know it's not any better back home. Well-- that's about all for now. I'm pretty beat! I'll post pics later when I have access to them!

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a safe and happy new year! I brought in the new year by being in bed before 10PM, waking up to fireworks at midnight, and rolling over and falling asleep again. How exciting! New Year's day I finally caught the 'rhea and vomit bug that had been in our house the past week. It was lovely, I think I got it the worse, but I still went to work the next day. I just did not want to use my PTO and I knew no one was going to be there, so I sat quietly in my cube. Aaron stayed home with Keenan because he has had 'rhea for the past couple of days, plus we found out later that day Aaron's Mom, our 'Granny Nanny' also contracted the lovely sickness.

Although we are experiencing this sickness, while I was at work and Eli at daycare we had all of our new windows put in! What a great way to start off the new year! It is amazing how nice they all look and how easy it is to open and close the windows! Now, I don't feel a terrible draft when I stand next to the windows!

I have a few new year's resolutions that I will share because I know I will follow through knowing more people are watching...

1) I am going to train and run two half marathons this year. I am going to run the Lawrence Half Marathon in April and probably the KC Half Marathon in October.

2) Blog weekly-- I think this may be difficult some weeks

3) Finish at least one scrapbook

4) Keep up with the boys baby books

Well, I hope only the best for everyone in 2009! 2008 was a wonderful year for us with the addition of Keenan. We've had fun!

Merry Christmas!

It has been so difficult to get myself to post lately, but I'm going to make a new year's resolution to post weekly with photos. I feel like when I actually do have some spare time I end up doing house work-- no fun. I have an ongoing list of things I'd like to get done in 2009 such as Eli's baby book and scrapbook, updating Keenan's baby book, and finally putting together our wedding scrapbook. That's a laugh. Aaron is always making fun of my ongoing effort to produce our wedding scrapbook. I will get it done one of these days.

We had our very first "Grown Up" Christmas. It was the first Christmas when Aaron and I were able to stay in town and decide what "we" wanted to do. We just had to spend Christmas Day with Aaron's family. I wanted to establish some of our own traditions this year, so we made a nice dinner on x-mas eve and we let the boys open one present (which I picked out), I bought them matching pj's to wear. Aaron and I stayed up late drinking wine and putting together Eli's gift. Christmas morning the boys actually slept in a little longer which was great, then we went down to open gifts. Eli had fun opening everyone's presents. Keenan did not really know what was going on, but was having fun watching Eli having fun. Eli's big gift from Santa was a train table. Eli is absolutely crazy about Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends so he was very excited about his gift. "Keenan-zilla" destroys whatever Eli builds, Eli gets frustrated, but is learning how to deal. After our gift opening, we went to 10AM mass, of course we can never get there on time, so it was more like 1030. Then we went over to Brian's for Christmas brunch. It was yummy food and great company. Eli and Keenan enjoyed all their new toys, and the adults also enjoyed their new toys(mine was an i-phone).

I hope everyone had a great holiday!

Time Flies

Thanks-mas came and went. I have been flying in fast forward mode ever since. We had a really nice time together. Thanksgivng was stressful until we got the food on the table, then I was able to relax. Thank God for alcohol consuption while cooking!Max and Eli really get along well. They play very well together.

Elin and I were able to have a whole day of shopping, but I was shopped out-- I still am, thank goodness for online shopping.

Here is a picture of the boys who were patiently awaiting opening the gifts.



Here they are, the last few minutes of taking pictures. My Mom insisted on taking pics with them. Hilarious...



One of my best friends, Vinnie, and her husband Dustin had a baby girl on Thanksgiving Day! Emmas Marie was born. She is beautiful and we cannot wait to meet another honk-a-pina! Congrats!

After everyone left on Sunday, I had to travel to Madison for training. It was a great training, and I was able to hang with Elin, Brady, and Max. It was snowing and freezing in Mad-town. I was glad to get home.

Hoo Hoo Hoo!

We are preparing for the annual family invasion. My parents and my sister, Elin, and her family will be arriving this week to celebrate Thanksgiving and "Thanks-mas". We have had the "Thanks-mas" tradition since my sister was married. We have a traditional Thanksgiving, then on Friday we transform my house into a Christmas haven-- tree and all, and do some major power shopping so we can have "Christmas" on Saturday. It's fun, but stressful at times. This year, I'm prepared. I have all of our shopping done, and I've already done the wrapping too. I might even have some Christmas decor up before everyone arrives.

We are also expanding our guest list for Thanksgiving dinner. Now that Aaron's family is in town. They will be joining us for the feast. We bought a 20+lb turkey this year. Should be a good time. Especially with Max and Eli running around. Keenan I know will enjoy just watching all the commotion.

Eli is pretty cute. He loves Winnie the Pooh books. He memorizes the books and can recite the lines. His favorite thing to do before betime is "bounce" like Tigger. He bounces on Aaron, and says. "Hoo hoo hoo!" and Aaron says. "Eli, will you ever stop bouncing?" and Eli says, "Bouncing is what Tigger does best! TTFN-- tah tah for now!" So funny.

Keenan is really moving around and now he is pulling himself up! He can pull himself up in his crib and he has figured out how to stick his butt out and let himself gently down. Aaron took him to the doctor because his eyes had been kind of goopy, but getting better. Turns out he has an ear infection, so he's on antibiotics. His eczema has been xoming and going too. So we changed his lotion to Eucerin from Aveeno. Hope that helps!

I'll post a "Tigger" video soon. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

"Mommy you're a girl and I'm a boy"

Eli cracks me up. He says the funniest things, such as this evening, when he was stalling at bedtime, after tucking him in he gets out of bed and says he has to go to the bathroom, which he usually really does need to go, but it is a stall tactic. He said, "Mommy, you pee sitting down because you're a girl, and I pee standing up because I'm a boy. Nana sits when she pees too. She's a girl."

Sometimes when we ask him a question and he does not want to do it such as,
Me: "Eli, do you want a waffle?"
Eli: "No thank you"
Me: "Well, I'm going to make one for myself"
Eli: (On the verge of freaking out)"No, I don't want a waffle EITHER"
When he protests he loves to use the word EITHER. Aaron and I have to laugh.

This morning, Eli and Keenan were playing. Keenan is now crawling, therefore, he likes to be right next to his big brother. Eli was playing with his trains and Keenan crawled up to him and started putting the tracks in his mouth. Eli said to Keenan, "Baby Keenan, that's not s cookie!"

Last, but not least. When we were watching the news after the elections, they flashed a picture of the White House. Eli said, "That's MY house". So I told him, "It sure CAN be your house when you grow up!"

Halloween

I took so many pictures of Keenan, because he would not stop posing, recognize the costume?

Eli is Mater, the tow truck from the movie "Cars", and Keenan's costume is pretty self-explanatory

We had a neighborhood "Halloween Parade"-- all the kids posing