Happy New Year!

Playing with Grandma Jo's shower curtain. He looks like a little shepherd boy!

Fun at the Eau Claire Children's Museum

Christmas card photo shoot...night 1!

I love this one!

Making Christmas cookies...and eating the frosting and sprinkles!

Playing in the toy chest with the pup...

Hmm...I was wondering how he got the dog in there!

Picking out our Christmas tree...can you see the camouflaged little boy in there?

Not too sure about Santa...

Good thing that rocking reindeer was there...

Playing in the snow with Grandpa Marv...

The giggles that happen after throwing snow in Grandpa's face!

Playing in the snow with his favorite cousins...

Our little gymnast!

Feeding the dog...

He insists on having all of this in his bed every night!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to a fun-filled 2011. Here is a glimpse of what we have been up to since I last posted...in October! (Sorry Kristen...please don't kick me off of your blog!) :)

November...

* Grandpa & Grandma Pasche came to visit and brought Hailey and Maddy with. Evan loves playing with the girls and they are so good with him. I wish we lived closer to them so that he could see them more often. He talks about them all of the time!

* We had a great Thanksgiving in Eau Claire. Aaron, Matt, & Hannah started off the day running in the Turkey Trot. It was freezing outside, so Evan and I chose to stay at grandma and grandpa's house where it was nice and warm. We had a nice dinner and fun with Matt and Hannah. We also drove through Irvine Park in Chippewa Falls to see their Christmas light display. Evan LOVED looking at lights this year. We had to drive through out neighborhood everyday on our way home to see the lights. We didn't have any outside at our house, but maybe next year. Aaron and I don't really like to do it, but maybe we can hire a neighbor kid! :)

* We went to see Santa at Oakwood mall. This is our 3rd year visiting this Santa and he is great...I think he's the real deal! We talked a lot about it before we went and Evan seemed excited. He was going to give Santa "high five and knuckles...and pull his beard". When we got there, he wasn't too amused! He wouldn't sit on his lap, but enjoyed the rocking reindeer and sat staring at Santa. Oh well, Santa brought him some good stuff anyway!

December...

*Evan and I joined my mom, aunt Kay, my cousins, and their kids at Macy's downtown for their 8th floor display. We have been going every year since Matt and I were kids, and it has continued to be a tradition for us. Even though they have done the same display 3 years in a row, we had a great time. Evan loved looking at Santa's elves and could have stayed at the "mouse under the table" scene all day. We also went to the "Moose tracks" puppet show, which was new this year. We always have a great time and it is a fun tradition.

*We went to the Holidazzle parade downtown a couple of weeks ago. It was VERY cold, so I didn't get any pictures...I was too cold to even move! Evan loved it and kept saying "more". This is definitely something that we will do again next year, though we will try to get the "warm seats". There is a warm tent where you can watch the parade and drink hot chocolate. You have to pay to get the seats, but it will be worth it! :)

*Evan and I went to the Christmas program at my friend Theresa's church. Theresa directed the program and Issac and Lily were in it. The kids did a great job singing and were so fun to watch! I can't wait until Evan is in a Christmas program and up there singing his little heart out.

We went to Theresa and Bryan's for lunch afterwards and Evan had a great time playing with Isaac & Lily.

* We had a wonderful Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve at Aaron's aunt & uncle's house, then Christmas Day in Eau Claire. It was a great time of relaxation, fun, & laughter with our families.

Evan's latest...

* He is into jumping right now. His favorite thing to do is to put the couch cushions on the floor and jump into the pile. He has also been calling me "Kyra". He thinks it's funny, especially when he wants to get my attention. "Hey Kyra, look!", "Kyra, come here", "Kyra...what is dat?". Sometimes he'll say "mommy Kyra". He knows daddy's name is Aaron, but so far he hasn't been calling him that. I'm sure it will come...what a funny little guy!

* He likes to do somersaults, color, play with his new kitchen, do "dishes", play with his trains, and run. He also loves playing with Maddux and loves to be right by him all of the time. He's always saying, "hug puppy...pet puppy...ride puppy". Don't worry...we don't let him ride the dog!

* My favorite time of day lately is when we snuggle at night and read books. He is a little chatterbox and says the funniest things. I love that time with him and couldn't think of a better ending to my day! He is just so much fun and we are constantly in awe of the new things that he is doing. We can't wait to see what 2011 brings!

Happy 2nd Birthday and Happy Halloween!

Our little dinosaur...

Decorating cookies...

Check out those lips!

He was VERY upset when he saw this squirrel eating his pumpkin!

Evan turned 2 on Oct. 21st...happy birthday Evan! If you ask him how old he is, he will say "two" and hold up all 10 fingers. I know that I say it often, but really...it seems like just yesterday that he was born. How can two years have gone by this fast?! Aaron and I were talking about how last year at this time, he wasn't even walking. Now he is running, jumping, climbing, and galloping! What in the world is he going to be doing when he is 3??!!!

Evan is such a happy, sweet boy. He definitely has his moments, but overall he is pretty laid back and go with the flow. We are having so much fun with him! He has been talking so much and the things that he comes up with just make us laugh. Here are some of the most common things that we hear these days...

* "Mommy, daddy....what dis dat?" (Pointing to things in books, outside, in the car, even an old guy at Target yesterday)

* "Evan do it" (about almost everything!)

* "No diaper change" (everytime we get him up in the morning or from a nap)

* "No poopin'" (which means that yes, he is pooping)

* "No pull puppy's tail" (as he is pulling Maddux's tail)

* "More boots" (when he wants to watch Dora the Explorer)

* "Evan's nipple (yep...exactly that!)

* "No mommy do dat" (when I do something he doesn't like...like sing!)

Here are some of the things that he is doing...

* Mimics everything that we say and everything that he hears.

* Seems to remember things that happened and will bring them up weeks later.

* He is very independent right now and likes to do things himself.

* LOVES diggers, dump trucks, and anything construction!

* Likes to play with his Legos and build things with daddy

* Reads his books and will sit and seems to be mesmerized by certain ones

* Loves music...I hope he'll play guitar, piano, trumpet...just not the drums!

* Talks to his stuffed animals

* Likes to talk on the phone...even if the person on the other end can't tell what he is saying!

I was off for MEA on his birthday and the day after, so we had a great time! Grandma Mary Jo came up and were busy! We went to the Mall of America on his birthday and spent lots of time at Underwater World. He loved watching the fish, sharks, and turtles. He especially liked it when they swam over his head! We also went on the carousel, where he insisted on riding the giraffe. Friday we hung out at home and then went to his 2 year appointment. He weighs 33 pounds and is 37 1/4 inches tall. He continues to be in the 97%...big boy!

On Saturday we had his birthday party. The weather was beautiful and we couldn't have asked for a better day. It was a construction theme, so my mom and I made a "digger" cake...complete with candy rocks!

Early Monday morning (12am to be exact), I heard a strange noise coming from his room. I went in, and he had thrown up everywhere. He was sitting up saying "Evan burped"...poor kid! Aaron threw his sheets in the wash and I stuck him in the tub. He climbed into our bed and just wanted to snuggle. Four pairs of pj's, 2 pillowcases, 2 of my shirts, and a few towels later, we were asleep for the night. I stayed home with him Monday and then I got sick and stayed home on Tuesday. Evan was back to his normal self on Wednesday and still says, "Evan all better...no more burps!"

He was a dinosaur for Halloween and had his "roar" perfected. We went to a birthday party yesterday, and he wore his costume. He wasn't excited about putting it on, but then didn't want to take it off. Today we carved pumpkins, decorated pumpkins cookies (Evan just ate the frosting and sprinkles out of the bowl), and went to a few houses in our neighborhood. He had fun and seemed to think it was cool to walk in the street with his dinosaur costume! He also handed out some candy at our house, though most of the kids who came looked way too old to be trick or treating!

Well...our baby is 2 and seems to be growing everyday. I know that I can't slow down time, so I guess we just have to really enjoy it. We cherish his giggles, his funny questions, and his especially the snuggle times...since we know he won't be cuddling on our laps when he is 16!

Beautiful Fall Weekend

Fun on the slide...

The green one that came home with us...

Checking out the scarecrow...

Playing with rocks and dirt...

Showing mom his dirty hands...

The weather was amazing this weekend! I don't think that we have ever worn shorts and sandals in October, especially to the pumpkin patch!

We ran some errands on Friday and were thinking of going to the Coon Rapids homecoming game, but Evan was cranky by 5:30pm. Oh well, maybe next year!

On Saturday morning, Evan and daddy had fun at home while I went to a get together at my co-worker's house. After Evan's nap we headed to Apple Jack Orchards in Delano, MN. We had heard that it was a neat place, so we decided to check it out. It was a beautiful drive and we enjoyed looking at the fall colors. We saw a couple of trains, which Evan was VERY excited about! There were a lot of people there, but we had a great time. We picked our own pumpkins, and Evan insisted on picking the green one. He didn't want any of the pretty orange ones...I guess it's kind of like "Charlie Brown's Christmas" when he picks the little tree that no one else wants! We also went on a wagon ride through the apple trees and Evan had fun at the "kiddie" area. They had goats, chickens, and ponies. They also had a mini corn maze and a pile of hay bales with slides. Evan ran around like crazy and was exhausted on the way home. He slept good last night and slept in this morning!

Today we played outside in the backyard and went to the park. Evan is very into playing in the sand and dirt...he is all boy! He was picking up rocks and wanted to put them in his pocket. When he realized that he didn't have pockets, he start putting them in mommy's pocket!

He is definitely having more "terrible two" moments and is testing us. Good thing he is so dang cute!

Back at it...

Fun with bubbles

Evan loves playing outside !

Evan's first Twins game

In awe of the "baseball guy"...Kirby Puckett

In the big glove with Grandpa Stan & daddy

Piggyback ride to the car after the game

Congrats Hannah & Matt!

Cute ring bearer...

Playing at the park after school

Happy 1st Birthday Sophia (left) and Peyton (right)!

I have been on a vacation from the blog...not really, just haven't updated since mid-August!! Here is a recap of what we have been up to...

*Our summer ended with a few more visits to the local pool and the beach in Maple Grove, playing at various parks, a trip to Alexandria and Eau Claire, and a few more playdates with friends. I was sad to see the summer end, but it was a wonderful one and I feel so blessed to have had that time with my fun little guy!
*I am back at work and Evan is back at Betsy's. The school year is off to a good start and Evan is excited to be back with his buddy Lars. They love to run around the backyard, jump on the couch cushions, put rocks in their dump trucks, and keep each other entertained. They both keep Betsy busy too!
*Over Labor day weekend we went to Alexandria to celebrate Peyton & Sophia's 1st birthday. Evan had a great time playing with his cousins...he loves to run around with Hailey and Maddy and thinks the babies are "cute"!

*On September 25th Matt & Hannah were married and we had a great time celebrating with them! Aaron, Evan, and I were all in the wedding. I was nervous about how Evan would do walking down the isle, but he did such a good job! The flower girl held his hand and walked him down the isle. So cute!! My friend Theresa came to the church and brought him into the nursery during the ceremony. She also came to the dance so that she could take him to my parents house when he got tired. Thanks Theresa! My aunt, uncle, & cousins took him to get a nap in after the ceremony, so he was all rested up for the dance. He had a great time running around dancing and also did some "breakdancing" moves on the floor...good thing mommy didn't mind if he suit got dirty! It was a wonderful day and we are so happy for Matt & Hannah!

*This weekend Grandma & Grandpa Pasche came down to go to the Twins game with us. The weather was great, we had good seats, and Evan had fun watching everyone. I thought that I was going to spend most of the game chasing him around, but he was entertained by what was going on around us and we made it until the 6th inning! It was a lot of fun and we will definitely

take him to more games next year.

*Evan will be 2 on Oct.21st! He is constantly on the move and is a very busy boy! He LOVES to go to the park, go to the carwash with mom, play with his toys, play on the computer, help mommy and daddy do things (laundry, cook, dishes, etc.), and would be outside all of the time if we let him. He is putting words together to form sentences and mimics everything that we say and do. He also counted to 10 the other night all by himself. It's the first time he has actually done it and gotten from 1-10 in the correct order. He is growing up so fast and is such a sweet little boy. We're excited to see what the 2nd year has in store! (There have been some "terrible two" incidents already and I'm sure we'll see more!)

*We are excited for the fall. Apple orchards, pumpkins, big 2nd birthday, and playing in the leaves!