The Lord's Prayer

Eli and Micah have been learning the Lord's Prayer in Sunday School, so we started saying it regularly at home, too. Here they are showing off what they've learned!

Eli

Micah

12 Months

Joshua, I can't believe you are already 1! We have had a fun year watching you grow and develop.
At 12 months, you:
-can walk!

-have started climbing stairs, our small picnic table, and the couch when the cushions are off.

-love playing with your brothers.
-cry or yell when Eli and Micah don't include you in their play.

-say Momma and Dada regularly.
-point to the things you want.
-like to tackle Daddy just like Eli and Micah.

-still take 2 naps everyday.
-like going to the church nursery (and they love you, too!)
-have a Christmas tree filled with pictures of you this year, dubbed "The Joshua Tree."

-love music and dancing.

-like wearing shoes and hats.
-love Chocolate cake!
-begged Momma for more cupcakes when you saw them on the counter before Christmas.

-like to go outside and try to crawl out any open door.
-had your Birthday dinner with your Godparents, who love you dearly!

-have 2 bottom teeth and are cutting 4 top teeth.
-will crawl to get somewhere fast, but only after trying to walk there first.
-like standing/walking over being held.
-will use anyone/anything to help you stand up, including your brothers. Eli helped you this time.

-giggle at yourself whenever you sneeze.
-love Buddy and try to pet him as often as possible (even if Buddy doesn't like it!).

-have started saying something that sounds like "up" when you want to be picked up.

-are still Momma's little man and can often be seen just like this--holding onto Momma's leg.

Joshua, you have been fun to play with and take care of this year. You have been a curious, active, determined, laid-back, and happy baby. We pray these character traits remain with you throughout life and that God will use them to serve His purpose on this Earth. Happy Birthday, Joshua Jasper! We love you!!-Momma and Daddy

Winter One-derland

Eli and Micah were such good helpers while we were getting ready for Joshua's party. They helped me paint and decorate these snowmen.

The glued tissue paper on these bottles for snowmen.

And they helped me make soap snowballs for our guests' goody bags.

I cut out snowflakes for all of the doorways. It may have been 80 degrees outside, but it was snowing in our house! ;-)

When the guests arrived, we had trail mix, snowmen noses (carrots) and dips, and hot chocolate with ice cream snowballs to flavor and cool off the hot chocolate. We really had a good time.

Joshua enjoyed playing with his Godfather, Travis and friend, John.

We played "pin the nose on the snowman." Joshua wanted a turn, too, so his sweet friend, Nicole, was helping him out.

Eli obviously looked under the blindfold and still put his nose on the hat--silly boy!

We had snowman cupcakes--carrot cake with carrot pieces for noses.

Joshua was unsure about his cupcake at first, but ended up eating the whole thing!

 

It seemed everyone enjoyed their cupcakes.

Joshua had a lot of help opening all of his gifts.

We had a great day celebrating Joshua with so many of our close friends. We are thankful to have so many people in our lives who love us and our boys! Thank you, friends, for making Joshua's day so special!

Thanksgiving Week

On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we headed to a local church to help with their Thanksgiving meal. I was assigned the task of handing out toys and toiletries to the families who visited while Paul was assigned to the parking team. Eli and Micah spent some time with me, but quickly got bored and spent the rest of the time in the parking lot with Paul. But, here's one picture of Joshua and Eli "helping" get the books out so the kids could look at them.

 This Thanksgiving was the first time we had a holiday with just our little family. So, on Thanksgiving, we took the boys to the science museum. They loved seeing all the dinosaurs.

Traditionally, we decorate for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. Eli and Micah were really looking forward to helping me again this year. They started with their ornaments.

 Joshua got to help a little this year, too. He really liked emptying our ornament box.

 

 Micah

  Eli

During the week, we also got to work more on decorations for Joshua's first birthday party. You can see those in the next post.

The fun parent

Here, in pictures, is my effort at being the fun parent. It only lasted one weekend while Paul was at a teacher's conference. I was told, in not so many words, that I was not the fun parent and they just wanted Daddy back. Oh, well! At least we had a fun weekend! :-)

Micah (left) and Eli (right) played with the "snow" Nana sent to them.

 We visited a children's museum. 

(Eli)

 We went to the zoo.

Micah-Joshua-Eli

 Micah

 Eli

And we played outside.

(This is what Joshua does when I take the boys outside. He often doesn't like the grass, so he stays on his sheet.)

But, when Daddy comes home, Joshua is more than happy to crawl out to see him!