Do I look like my papa?

2 year pics... too cute!

We had our family pictures and they turned out surprisingly well. I would post more but then where is the excitement in getting our Christmas card... assuming I send one out :)

Eli's 2nd Birthday - Video

Here is Eli's birthday DVD. Turn up the volume, the music goes with the pictures...



Warning: this is fairly long (10 minutes)

Tagged - by Mike K

4 tv shows i love to watch:

1. Lost

2. Office

3. My Name Is Earl

4. 30 Rock

4 of my favorite restaurants:

1. Indian Garden

2. Outback

3. PF Changs

4. Mellow Mushroom

4 things that happened today:

1. Watched the Colts win ugly against the Browns

2. Watched "Prehistoric Park" (fake documentary on dinosaurs) with Eli

3. Will finish reading Kite Runner

4. Planned out Christmas visits with both families

4 things i'm looking forward to:

1. Christmas season

2. Reading another book (probably "The Shack")

3. Hugs and kisses from Eli (I'm always looking forward to that)

4. Getting pregnant (not so much the pregnant part, but the...uhhh, nevermind...my family reads this blog)


4 things on my "wish"/hope list:

1. My internal debate on "consumerism, capitalism, socialism, and charity" will end with some satisfying conclusion...my head hurts from all the debating.

2. That the Colts win another Super Bowl this year.

3. That Eli starts to enjoy all sports and wants to play them with his papa.

4. To focus more on the true meaning of Christmas rather than finding amazing deals on Amazon.com.

4 people i'm tagging: 1. Jose 2. Abboshes 3. I don't know anyone else who blogs.

tagged... look below to see if I tag you

tagged

4 tv shows i love to watch:

1. Lost

2. Office

3. Little People Big World

4. Tori Spelling reality show (this is not a joke)

4 of my favorite restaurants:

1. Indian Garden

2. Take out from Chinese Buffet next to our house

3. Sizzling Wok (71st and Michigan)

4. Thai One On

4 things that happened today:

1. I got time with my family because Eli actually played with other kids

2. Watched a movie with my husband we both enjoyed!

3. Developed a plan with my husband on how to have more fun

4. Had homemade popcorn

4 things i'm looking forward to:

1. Christmas decorations

2. Making Eli's Birthday cake with Mike

3. My Kitchen being done and pretty

4. Getting pregnant (not so much the pregnant part, but the having a baby part)


4 things on my "wish"/hope list:

1. My prayers for consistent contentment will be answered

2. I always love my husband and that he loves me like we did when we were dating

3. Eli grows up to love God and do amazing things for Him

4. I would develop the discipline to read God's word daily

4 people i'm tagging: 1. Ginny 2. Mike 3. Tatum 4. Kristen Kelley

Dinosaurs!!!

Eli's new love is dinosaurs. I am not even sure who introduced him or when this exactly started, but he is in love with dinosaurs. Soon after this became all he could talk about, I told him we would go see the dinosaurs at the museum. It was a Monday and they are closed on Monday's, I will never make that mistake again. He was soooo sad. I convinced him they were all sleeping, and we went to toys r us and bought some toy dinosaurs which he now eats, baths, and sleeps with!

Since then we have been to the museum about 1-2 times a week. He loves it. When Mike got home from work the other day Eli got him his shoes and socks and ran to the door and said "dinosaurs". The fact the museum closes at 5pm, stinks for daddy's and their kids!

He has also started to pretend... It seems they really enjoy green beans "mmmmm".

Birthdays

In the last few weeks we have had lots of Birthday celebrations...

1st was Alaina's 3rd Birthday party. Look at this cake!

After Alaina's party we went to Memaw and Pepaw's to celebrate Uncle Ryan and Papa's birthdays. The kids got cake, again!

It is so fun to watch them play together.

Papa's 32nd Birthday was about a week and a half ago... Eli and I made him a banner. Eli was very into it.

Over the weekend we went out to celebrate with friends... kind of made up for my lack of planning on his 30th (I think I will be making up for that for a long time). I just realized Mike is not even in the picture...

Random Fall Pictures

Such a big help!

This was just too cute!

He will be so sad when all the pumpkins are gone.

This is the only picture in months that he smiled for!

IU homecoming... We had to leave early due to Eli having a breakdown but at least they looked cute!

Kitchen is on it's way

New breakfast bar

Love the new sink!

I have not had counter tops here for a year, so this rocks!!!

Halloween

Halloween lasted a little longer then we expected. Eli asked to wear his "monkey suit" for the next two days.

Our last night with pumpkin before our moldy friend had to go.

Eli loved getting candy!

We went to "boo zoo" a few days before Halloween. Eli attempted to steal the decor.

Mama also had a fun Halloween. Susie and I ditched our husbands and went to a party with our high school friends (really they kindly stayed home with the kids so we could go out, but "ditching" makes us sound cooler).

I cut and copied this from Mike's sisters blog... a must see

I watched Eli last week and decided to make them dance so that I could video tape it for my brother's birthday. I thought they did a pretty good job!

If you can't view the above video, go to the following link: http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/owner/V1ysaFdpedJToDZI#/owner/V1ysaFdpedJToDZI

Are you kidding me

It took Eli about 6-9 months longer to say mama then it did for him to say papa. He would even say "no papa" when you would ask him to say mama. The last few month he finally started to say mama, until this last week. He has now started to call me Kari, are you kidding me. Mike thinks it is sooo funny, it break my little mama heart. As of today, everyone is to call me mama to help my cause.

A Dancer???

Eli's new love is dancing. I am sure this is normal for all kids at this age, but Mike might need to get him on a sports team ASAP just to be sure he does not pick dancing over sports. The other day I put on some music and when I came back this is what I saw... too stinking cute! You can tell his brain is not processing the song as fast as they are singing it.

The GREAT PUMPKIN

At last the great pumpkin was cut from the vine and carved. It was quit the event with great food and family. It look dad and I a long time to get the top off as it was very very thick. I think it was a drywall saw he used and it still was not deep enough. It looks so great in front of the house... but most everyone thinks it is fake until they get close.

Proud farmer Papaw!

Eli was so helpful as we tried to get the top off.

We had to cut a hole in the back to punch out the top

I think he was a little confused by this large thing

He did warm up to it

... and then he kissed it

Papaw really wanted Eli in the pumpkin

Eli thought he would fight his way out with a stick... I guess he does not want to be an Ann Geddes model.


It was a fun day with only a little attitude :)

FALL

Our first big fall event was a festival at Memaw and Pepaw's church with Eli's cousins. This is the best picture we have. Eli has started into terrible twos so everything is a little more challenging these days.

After the festival we went to a corn maze in the dark, there are some pictures of that on the Doran blog (link is on the right hand side of our blog). Ryan knew his camera better then us so he was able to use the night setting... I was not that smart in the dark. I did get a pumpkin and carved it that night, Eli loved the cat!


A week latter or so we went to a pumpkin patch with Christina and Tyler Dooley. Eli was again very difficult, so this was also less then fun and resulted in only a few decent pics.

With the challenging has came the very cute. Here is a nice fall morning Eli and papa spent looking out the window for squirles.

few house updates

My dad finished painting the outside of the house a few weeks ago. It turned out great! Thanks Papaw!

We also have been working hard on Mike's "man cave". The after picture is not the most recent but is the best I have downloaded at this time. We have added a big horse-shoe to the end of the room and a "brick wall" to the other end that we are working on covering with ivy (to look like Wrigley field). We also did some work in the staircase... pictures to come!