Way over due...

I apologize for not updating this more quickly...but, I guess better late than never! Lots to update you on, so I'll post oldest to newest......

Nate started swim classes at Mike's work (yes they have a swimming pool for the employees)- there was only one other kid/parent team signed up, and they didn't show up all the time, so Nate basically had a personal lesson with the swim teacher and dad of course...here are a few shots of him in the pool! We'll continue to have him take the classes as long as we can.... he doesn't like to dunk his head under water yet, but we're working with him....

(Daddy and Nate with swim teacher Joan)

Next, we have Christmas at Grammie and Papa's. With GG's funeral (Mike's grandmother) on the Tuesday before Christmas, it was a pretty somber holiday...but the kids didn't know anything was amiss, and they had a blast! Nana and Pa came down from MA to be there for both of their great grand kids! It was Kai's first Christmas with Mel and Kevin.

Here are some attempts (some with various degrees of success) at getting a decent picture of the boys with Nana and Pa....


(The boys were having mini melt downs- who would want to pose like 30 min before bedtime anyway? So my solutions was to put in Mel and Mike, that way its the grand kids and great grand kids.....)

And finally-I think we have the winner here... only Nana's face is covered by her hands as she's clapping.... but the wonder of digital pictures... I"m working on swapping half of her out for one where she's looking at the camera... stay tuned....its almost ready....

I assisted Nate with making reindeer cookies (dad actually had the camera!)- he's a budding picassa....



Kai got in on the action too- only he wanted to eat them BEFORE they were cooked....

After getting back from our Christmas traveling, Mike, Nate and myself relaxed at home....

We took Nate bowling! The bowling alley went smoke free- it was quite busy this afternoon- lots of kids there.... Nate started bowling with an 8lb ball... and he actually beat me! HA! Notice the cute bowling shoes- yes they actually have shoes that will fit him, and they aren't the smallest ones available either! FUN!

We also played in the snow...here is Nate is his jumble of snow gear....

Here's Nate trying to catch a snow flake on his tongue!

Guess he's a little big for the baby sled, eh?

Sledding on our driveway....

Fun with Thomas stickers...just not on paper- we call this "living" art :)

Of course we put him to work...heehee, he helped us sweep!

And finally- these pictures are for you Grammie- I found this shirt at Target (on clearance none the less too!)....

All in all, its been a quiet month of January...cold, snowy and quiet. Nate has hit the terrible twos with a vengance and we hope that he kicks out of it just as fast....sigh...yesterday he refused to nap.... Anyway, I'll try to keep this more up to date.

Official 2 year stats!

Nate had his 2 year appointment today. He's 36.25 in tall (90th percentile) and 30.5lbs (80th percentile). His head measurement is finally in the 55th percentile (he's been in the 25th for a while...)- he's a normal, perfect healthy boy! If anyone has any tips on how we can get him to brush his teeth (or actually LIKE to brush his teeth) we're all ears!!!

Stayed tuned for more holiday pictures!


On a sad note, Mike's Grandma (GG) passed away last night/early this morning after a long tough battle with cardiac complications. She's a fighter, and has left a wonderful legacy through her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I feel privileged that Nate got to meet his great grandmother. May she rest in peace.

Ellis Christmas 2008

Hi All-

We had our Ellis side family Christmas this past weekend. Uncle Brandon and Aunt Nadege and Simone came into town (Lancaster) to be with family for this week. Mike, Nate and I traveled down there this weekend to visit. We had a lot of fun and it was great to get to meet our neice! :)

Us...Christmas 2008


Cute picture of Nate - 2008

(Our Christmas tree at home)

(Simone- isn't she a cutie pie?)

Simone 2008

(Nate-Christmas last year - 2007- notice the family resemblence? heehee)

This link will take you to more pictures from this weekend! Enjoy!

Ellis Christmas 2008

Happy 2nd Birthday Nate!

I can't believe it....Nate is 2 years old. How quickly time seems to fly. I wanted to write something sappy and really heartfelt on here, but I don't think I have the energy at the moment. I don't have any pictures from Thanksgiving for the majority of us were feeling under the weather, including Nate. I'm still feeling under the weather with a cold. I've had worse, but I'm feeling pretty run down at the moment with not getting a lot of sleep in the past week with Nate's coughing fits in the middle of the night. So needless to say I can't think of anything poetic to write regarding the passage of time etc....All I can say is that we've come so far! Nate knows his numbers 1-10, can sing variations of the alphabet, he knows his basic colors (red, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, orange, brown, black and white- we're working on gold and silver) he knows signs for just as many words. He's also been known to spit out 5-7 word sentences already. He can cheer with the best of us for Penn State Football- and knows Penn State by just looking at the symbol! He loves cars and trucks and animals. I'll have "offical" stats after his 2 year apt- which is in like 2 weeks. He loves to terrorize the cat and hates to brush his teeth. He loves the movie Cars and would watch that 24/7 if we let him. He'll use the potty about 50% of the time- he really one asks to go if you ask him if he has to go....so I'm not sure he gets the "urge" yet, but he's learning- on his own I might add. He can put his coat on by himself, and undress himself out of his PJ's quite well. He knows that milk comes from cows, and that the sun went night night when its dark outside.
Ok, enough of my ramblings, here are some much anticipated pictures! Enjoy!


Nate hates posing for pictures, can you tell? Not the most photogenic face ever....hehe...

Some close ups of the cake that I made

The "you caught me before I was going to make a dumb face for the camera" pose.....

Friends from York who made the trek over to help celebrate Nate's birthday- Thank you Ben and Jess! We miss you!

Little Cody, eyeing the festivities...

Nate checking Cody out... more friends from York who came to celebrate!

There we go, we do get a few good pictures every once in a while of Nate...

Nate ripping into presents...it was so much fun this year! Its the first year he actually "gets" it!

Daddy, Lauren, Matt and Amanda in the back ground- enjoying Nate's path of destruction!

Nate playing with his Fisher Price garage (I got this at a consignment sale for $5- not bad eh?)

Mommy coming with the cake....

Nate checking it out- he hadn't noticed it all day....

Nate attempting to blow the candles out, Mom helped him a little bit....

Nate eating his cake and icecream, with a spoon no less! He was more keen about the icecream than the cake....

Such a civilized boy!

Granddad and Nate watching the fire....

Related much? heehee.....

Happy Thanksgiving!

Before I get to Thanksgiving, I realize that I haven't posted anything since Halloween! Ugh- how time flies! Here are a few pictures from the last couple of weeks with friends! As you all know, Nate will be 2 on Sunday- I can't believe it.... I'll post pictures afterwards! Tomorrow- Black Friday shopping! WHAHOO!

Enjoy! Two weekends ago, The Brown's visited us from Pittsburg! Malcolm is a couple months younger than Nate... I'm surprised Max stayed around the two little humans..... :)

Malcolm loved the slide!

Its too early for pictures-on our way to Church!

Nate's cute Nittany Lion hat! GO PENN STATE!

Nate and Wil!

Play date with the twins! Mr. Steve is playing "Ring around the Rosie"!

Nate, Wi and Fi playing hide-n-seek in the kitchen!

What big shoes to fill!! (Will is trying on Mike's shoes, and Fiona (below) was trying on my shoes!

We had a blast! We look forward to more play dates.... I think we're going to try bowling at some point!

Nate being creative with kitchen utinsils (splatter screens....)....

(We also used them as badmitten rackets....heehee.... that was mom's idea!)