Playdate

This year, I have been super blessed to be a table discussion leader for MOPS. I am having so much fun getting to know the ladies that are at my table (and their kids). Last Friday, Steph and I gathered them all up to play at my house. We sat around the table and stuffed our face with various bread-like products and watched the kiddos play. We even had two freshly born babies, because last week Kiley had little Lainey and the week before that Bergann had little Dax. We didn't get to see Jaclyn and her boys, because they were all sick (Sniff sniff). It was really a nice gathering. I hope that we can do it again!

Valentine's Day

Last Sunday marked Valentine's Day. It was a beautiful day, here in Fresno. We started the day off with church and a midday nap. Sunday afternoon naps are so nice. When we woke up, we decided to go for a walk and take our friends, Josh and Steph, some rice krispie treat scraps (I had also made 40 of my browned butter rice krispie treat hearts found here.) The kids ended up playing outside for a bit and then we ended up staying for dinner. We joked that it was Ethan and Abi's special date and we were the chaperones. So much fun! A special thanks to Josh and Steph for a wonderful dinner - it was so delicious!

Our little helper, part 2

Our weekend of yard work continued last Saturday morning, when we rose early to tackle the lawn. Our grass grows fast, and when I say fast, I mean in a matter of a couple of weeks, there were some patches that were close to a foot long! Jon and I decided to go green with our lawn mower purchase, so we bought a push mower, made by the glorious makers of scissors. . . aka. . . FISKARS! It is wonderful! It took a long time to get it done, but we had so much fun! I think Ethan was overjoyed by the opportunity to sweep. That's all he wanted to do was sweep up grass! In fact, he wouldn't give it back so we could get it completely done. He definitely made yard work more entertaining (and possibly a little bit more work).

Our little helper, part 1

Last weekend, we took advantage of Jon's 4-day weekend (thanks to his work schedule and a celebration of our former presidents), to get some stuff for our yard and do some much needed yard work. Ethan enjoyed our little Riverpark break with a few minutes at their play area. He had it all to himself! I think that must have tuckered him out, because half way through Lowes, he fell asleep. I will note here, that when we left, it was cold. . . Ethan was bundled up and wearing warm clothes. By the time we left Lowes, we were all HOT! It was such a beautiful SPRING day(in the middle of February), that when I changed Ethan's diaper, I never put his clothes back on. . . it was too hot! When we got home, we found some shorts from last year (that somehow still fit perfectly. . . I know he's grown. . . but, I am glad that they still work!), fed him lunch, and gave him some playtime outside before napping. He had so much fun! He loved moving my new plants around. . . he was so gentle with them, never throwing or dropping them. He just moved them from one brick to another. It was super cute. He also worked on his rock collection. Since we have an area of rocks, Ethan likes to pick a couple up each day and take them to his log for show. Today, his rock collection is quite larger than what it is in these pictures.

:: Also, just in case anybody cares (or possibly more for my record), Ethan is 17 months old in these pictures. . . Gosh! Where has time gone!

:: Homeownership update - As new homeowners, we are finding we are enjoying the opportunities that seem to arise for us to fix our home. This month, we have bought a lawn mower, planted flowers, extracted a plethora of weeds, started to plant a garden, and swept gallons upon gallons of water from our kitchen floor. Yes, we learned very quickly where to turn the water off - a very important thing to know! (we had a water hose thingy burst under the sink.. . thankfully while I was home washing dishes! - an adventure, I don't want to repeat anytime soon.)

:: New Homeowner's Insurance Log
- January - heater broke
- February - water hose broke/flood
- March - not here yet, wondering what kind of potential catastrophe might take place (or praying that one doesn't. . . unless it's the dishwasher. . . we are all for that breaking!)

Everett's Baptism

Gosh, it has been a long time since I have blogged (sorry). 2 weeks ago (wow, I am behind!), Jon's cousin's little one, Everett, was baptized. So, instead of watching the beginning of the Super Bowl, we watched Everett get sprinkled. It was a precious ceremony! Little Everett was dressed in a VERY old christening gown. I think it was mentioned that it was 105 years old! Plus generations of Lisa's family has worn it. I thought that was a great way to keep his heritage alive!
After the ceremony, Matt and Lisa invited everyone back to their house for dinner. They barbecued and I got to hold Everett for awhile, which I think was one of my most favorite parts (thanks Lisa!). Most of the guys sat around and watched the football game (I must admit, I was rooting for the Saints. . . I watched the last 10 minutes). The kids got to take advantage of the first non-rainy day in awhile and played in the backyard. It was fun to see them all running around.
Thanks Matt and Lisa for letting us join you on Everett's special day!

Play Time!

I thought it was about time I give you an update on Ethan. . .

He is keeping us very busy with his rambunctious, adventurous spirit. He absolutely loves our new house with all the places to run around. He enjoys going outside all the time, taking baths, flipping through books, and watching Signing Times (He can sign quite a few words!).
Last weekend, we had some adventures in Riverpark, which meant Ethan got to play on the little playground by the theater. He had so much fun running around and going down the slide. His favorite thing to do was climb onto the benches and sit and then slide off.
Then, that afternoon, Jon got to get Ethan's new soccer ball and kick it around with Ethan after his nap. He has so much fun. . . especially since Jon showed him the hose. He also loves to play on his toy quad. . . although he sometimes gets on backwards. Sometimes, he likes to be sneaky and try to sneak a taste of some rocks. . . he gets so sad when we catch him (parents are so mean . . . ha ha).

Finally, yesterday Steph and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful February (pre-spring weather) day and take the kids to the park, before our husbands came home from work. We tried out the park on Shepard and Maple in Fresno. So much to do, Ethan and Abi had a blast. Ethan was probably the most content playing in the dirt (what can I say, he's a boy!). We had so much fun!