Oh, the ensembles!

Okay, so I know I’ve used this post title before…but really, what else is there to say?
Eli is into picking out his clothes these days, and it can be very interesting at times! Fortunately I’m often able to steer him toward an outfit that at least kind of matches. This is (one would hope) the last you’ll see of the puppy costume since it’s now packed away with the rest of Eli’s outgrown clothes…but oh, what a last showing it made!

Moving day!

Saturday was moving day, and boy was it eventful! First of all, we had crazy weather; snow, sleet, rain, and hail - and even a few rays of sunshine! The snow in particular made driving a pick-up truck full of furniture quite an adventure. Despite Mother Nature's attempts to foil our plans, this first wave of moving was a success. We left most of our furniture and a few other odds and ends in our house for staging purposes, and moved the rest into Ryan's parents' garage, spare bedroom, and playroom - the latter of which will serve as our own little "apartment" of sorts until Mom and Dad move into their "new" home (they're currently renovating a rental property they've owned for many years). We've settled into our little space quite well, and Eli has been very happy to find that we brought all of his toys to our "new house." The transition has been phenomenal for Eli - we are so blessed to be moving into a home in which he is already totally comfortable. This has been helped by the fact that Eli's bedroom came over as-is; we literally just picked everything up and transferred it into his new room. We'll have a busy couple of days ahead as we get our home ready to sell; we go on the market Wednesday! We appreciate your prayers for a quick sale and continued ease of transition.

Saying goodbye to his old room...

Moving Eli's furniture...
Our temporary "apartment" at Nana and Pa's house...

"Make cone-bwed"

As we've shared before, Eli wants to help with everything these days! It's to the point that when I'm cooking, I have to come up with a way for him to "help" prepare whatever I'm making. The other night I was making Mexican Cornbread for dinner when I received the request by which this post is titled. So, I set Eli up in his "helper chair" with a bowl, a spoon, a measuring cup of water, and some cornmeal! He had a great time "cooking" - and his ensemble (he insisted on wearing his hat and vest for the job!) made it a priceless photo op!

"E-eye vaccuum more"

As you can see, I've begun using direct quotes as post titles - they're just too great to pass up! With all the house projects we've had underway, the vaccuum has become a semi-permanent fixture in the living room, which Eli doesn't mind a bit. Our funny little man loves to help with every job (or "project" as he likes to call them), and is especially interested in the vaccuum and the broom. These pictures were taken the other day after I offered Eli the opportunity to go outside and play with his friends. His response was (as the title indicates) "E-eye vaccuum more." Let's hope this trend sticks around through his teenage years!

"No cheese!"

This is what Eli does when we bring out the camera and tell him to say "cheese." We call it the "cheese face"...

Ryan had the opportunity a few nights ago to enjoy some amazing seats at the Sonics game with some colleagues, so Eli and I decided to have a night out as well. We went to McDonald's (before you roll your eyes and groan, they do have some healthier options now, and we certainly don't go there every day!), where Eli loves the chicken nuggets and apples - and particularly the play area! After dinner we enjoyed an ice cream together, which Eli did an amazing job of sharing! ("Bite E-eye, bite Mama" - so sweet!) As you can see, Eli thoroughly enjoyed the treat. :) Afterward it was back to the play area, where Mama followed right along with the camera. As I was trying to get Eli to smile (you're all familiar by now with his "cheese face" for photos), Eli finally decided he'd had enough and said "no cheese!" I was laughing out loud at this clever statement! And yes, I did respect his wishes and go put the camera away. :)

He is risen!

Happy Resurrection Sunday everyone! We hope that you all enjoyed a wonderful Easter! We had a fun time with Eli this year; it was the first year to do an Easter basket, egg hunt, etc., and it was great for all of us. Eli was even saying "risen!" which, of course, delighted us. For those unfamiliar with the cutrom; believers in the early Christian church would greet each other by saying "He is risen!" to which the one greeted would respond, "He is risen, indeed!" It's a tradition that our church family practices during Resurrection weekend. It was so precious that Eli, too, echoed the greeting. We chose to bridge the gap between the religious and secular celebrations of the day by explaining to Eli that because Jesus loves him so much, He sends the Easter Bunny to bring Eli special treats in a basket...and boy did Eli enjoy the treats! When we got home from church, Eli went to his room to discover that the Easter Bunny had visited and left an Easter basket containing playdough, bubbles, and a wind-up hopping bunny. The bubbles were the favorite, hands down!
After nap time (which ended up being nap time for Dada only, as Eli decided to skip it!), we headed to Nana and Pa's house for Easter dinner and an Easter egg hunt. Since it was pouring down rain all day, Nana and Mama hid the eggs in the piano room (to become Eli's playroom in the not-too-distant future!). Eli had a great time searching for the Easter eggs, though he was quite partial to those containing "gummies" (his little gummy vitamins). He really enjoyed seeking out the plastic eggs (and it didn't hurt that Mama found some sport-themed eggs at Target this year) and discovering what treat awaited him inside.


Eli also got his very own Easter Bunny from Nana and Pa - though Zoe was quite sure that it should really be for her!We then enjoyed a wonderful meal prepared by Nana. Eli loved the ham and, strangely enough, the salad. He even told his cousin Lucas on the phone that he was eating lettuce for dinner! Though his favorite part of the meal was definitely dessert; a bowl of fresh berries - and a fun spoon with which to eat them (and play!). It was truly a blessed day for all of us. :)

"Help Dada"

One of the most commonly heard phrases from Eli lately is "help Dada!" With all the projects Ryan has been working on around the house, Eli just has to be right alongside him - screwdriver in hand! Eli is having the time of his life "working" outside, (we've had some great weather lately, and Eli has definitely enjoyed the huge increase in the time we spend "owside") whether he's riding in the wheelbarrow,"helping" mow the lawn, or getting himself completely filthy playing in the bark.

He always makes sure to have his tools along, too - from his hammer and screwdriver to his very own chainsaw! (Yes, they're all toys!) I've known for awhile now that I married a great handyman; looks like I've got two of them now!