Catching up

Hi! The past six weeks or so have been really busy for us, with people visiting us and us going away, and lots of stuff generally going on ... so I thought I would just try and fill you all in on some of the stuff happening around here.

Elijah is growing up so quickly now. He is quite a pro at walking and likes to try to carry all sorts of things with him as he travels. He attempts to pick up and carry lots of things that are large, awkward or heavy - he just wants to do it himself. He is saying quite a few words, some more clearly than others, and tries new words all the time. Some of his favorites right now are: cheese, shoe, "tah" (which means hat), "dadda" (can mean either Daddy or dog, depending on the context), "nana" (which can mean either banana or his grandma), and "peas" (can be either peas or please). His new favorite sound is a firetruck, and he laughs and laughs when Daddy or Mama make the sound for him. One of his favorite toys is his tool bench, especially the nails, bolts and wrench. He is so much fun most of the time! On a less fun note, Elijah has been experimenting with temper tantrums, especially at diaper changes. The joys of parenthood continue! =)

Last month, my mom and I threw a bridal shower for my cousin Johanna. It was a great day and everything went well. Lots of people came, and a lot of people helped in so many ways. It was fun, but mostly I was glad that it was a blessing to Johanna as she gets ready to start a new life. Congratulations, babe!

I had a really nice time on my trip to Pittsburgh and got to visit lots of people there who I haven't seen in a while. I got to meet lots of babies and spent some time with my grandma. I stayed with Erin, John and baby Caleb - so fun!

I finally got to meet little Caleb!

After I got home from Pittsburgh, Patrick went to a conference in Flagstaff, Arizona which he enjoyed. But we've been glad to all be home and get back into a normal routine this week. Of course, next week is Thanksgiving and Johanna's wedding, so we'll have another crazy week! It's going to be really fun though, and we are excited that so many friends and family will be in town. Hopefully there will also be lots of fun pictures to post.

We've had some wonderful and exciting news from friends lately, too. Congratulations to Dave, Erin and Ella on the birth of baby Lucy! We are so thankful for a healthy mom and baby and excited for your new little love! We were also rejoicing with our friends Mike and Tori, who are finally in the last stage of an adoption process that has been so terribly long. Congratulations, and we are so excited to meet the little guy! Elijah thinks that the boys are going to be great friends.