Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was such a fun whirlwind this year!  We were lucky enough to go down to Florida to spend it with family.  Glen had to work Friday night so it was a short trip.  We drove down Wednesday afternoon and drove back up Thursday night.  Being only four hours from home is one of the many things I am thankful for.  

Every year we head out to Lake Butler to have our Thanksgiving dinner at my Aunt Pat's.  It's always fun to trek out into the woods and mess around in the barn before we eat.

 Eloise had fun exploring the woods.

 She was all over the place!

 This reminds me of Alli and her "I am woman!" stick.  Eloise was very proud she found this stick!

Eloise and Alliyah having a laugh.

This was Eloise's first Thanksgiving!

 Bryn with the stick!

 Eloise had fun playing on Uncle Robert's tractors!

 Alliyah and Marc - that girl was all over the place.  She's so much fun!

 This is the only picture I have of Eloise eating her first Thanksgiving dinner.  She didn't much like anything we gave her.  (She was VERY tired.)

 Everyone was tired after the meal.

 You're not fooling anyone with those glasses!  We know you're sleeping!

She's out!

I'm so thankful for all my many blessings!  My sweet little family, hearing Eloise say "mom" and "dada", getting kisses from her without being asked, sleeping past 6:30.  Just to name a few.

Look Whoo's One!

We had Eloise's birthday party a few days early.  Since we were with family for Thanksgiving we had her party after dinner. 

 

We made her owl cakes.  

 One just for her and another for everyone else.

 My Mom and Staci made this cute tree of owls.  Each owl has a picture if Eloise for each month of her life.  Now we just need to add her one year picture!

She was very tired and didn't understand what was going on.  

Until her cake was put in front of her!

 

 Putting her thumb to good use!

 

 

 

 It was a fun little party. 

We're so happy we got to celebrate with family!

We couldn't let her birthday come and go without having a little celebration.  We got her a cupcake and let her tear into.

  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELOISE!

Eloise - 1 year

Eloise is ONE YEAR old!  What an amazing year it's been.  To see all this little girl has learned in just one year is amazing!  We have all grown and learned so much.  Here are some some of the things she's been up to this past month.

She copies everything we do.  She takes my bottle of moose, touches the top and rubs her hair.  When she gets a q-tip she puts it to her ear.  (Thankfully she doesn't put it IN her ear.)  She leads the music with the chorister at church.  When I cough or laugh she has to cough and laugh too.

  She knows where her hair is.  When I ask where it is, she first shows me where my hair is then she touches hers.

Eloise is my big helper.  She turns the lights on and off.  When we leave a room she closes the door for me.  She helps load and unload the dishwasher.  She's especially good with the utensils.  She closes the washer and dryer doors and pushes the buttons to start them.

She prefers to brush her own teeth.  

Eloise loves bubble baths, HATES apple sauce and sleeps with her pillow over her face.  She loves to play chase and share gogerts with her Daddy. 

She's discovered her eyelashes.  It makes me so nervous to watch her mess with them.  It looks like she going to pull them out!

 

She blows kisses.

She loves babies!  Even if they're pretty much her size she gushes over them.  She'll kinda squat down to them with her hands on her knees and start talking in a higher pitch than normal.  She talks that way to babies in books, even her own reflection. 

She gets SO excited when we come home.  She squeals and bounces as we get to the door.  Our ritual is to say "Here's our red door."  I point out the numbers to our apartment, which are conveniently 0123.  She really gets excited when she gets to touch the numbers.  She likes to help unlock the door too.

  After I comb her hair she has to comb mine.  I must say she's an excellent hair dresser!

She is terrified of the vacuum cleaner.  She runs to another room when I get it out with a look of horror on her little face.  If Glen's not home to hold her I have to while I vacuum.  Sadly, the elefun ball popper she got for her birthday sounds like the vacuum.  She hates it.  She even side steps around it if she has to walk by it.

Eloise folds her arms when we pray.  We've never made her do it before she's just picked it up from seeing it done.  She folds her arms when we sit down to eat, when we say our prayers at night and during prayers at church.  Sometimes she babels a little too.  She doesn't last the whole prayer but it's still so very cute!

She is always on the go.  She can't sit still for very long before she's off to something new.  Since we're still nursing I get plenty of cuddle time with her.  Glen would like more.  When Glen's on the floor playing his games ever so often she'll come and sit in his lap.  It doesn't last as long as he'd like but it's very sweet while it lasts.

Eloise got a pop up tent for her birthday.  She loves it!  As with her little tunnel she likes to bring all kinds of things into the tent.  Shoes, clothes, books, a few toys.  She also likes to stick her head out one of the openings and walk around.  It's so funny!  Of course she doesn't get very far before falling over.  I've tried to video it but I'm never fast enough.

  She is such a fun kid!  Sometimes I look at her and am amazed she came from me.  If this year is any indication of what's to come, it's going to be a great life because she's in our family. 

Mr. Davis Thomas Olsen

On November 4, 2011 Myriam and Gary welcomed Davis Thomas Olsen to their family!  He weighed in at 8lbs and 14oz and was 22.5 inches long!  He's so tall he's off the charts!  Isn't he just perfect?      

Eloise and I (and Alli) hitch a ride with my parents to welcome this little guy into the world.  It was a fun little adventure traveling with a 3 year old and 11 month old.

 Alli was the PERFECT child in the car.  She just watched cartoons and colored.  You'd hardly known she was there but for her asking for something to eat and drink every now and then.

 This one not so much.  Six hours is a long time to be strapped in a car seat.  You'd never know she's endured much longer a trip before.  We made it though!  We got to Tennessee the night before Myriam was to be induced.  She had to be there at 4 am - this boy didn't come till after 8 pm.  It was a long wait for sweet Alli.  Mom and Dad left for the hospital around noon so the girls and I had time to kill.

 The hearth was their stage.  They were cheesing it up!

Myriam and Gary have two big beautiful maple trees in there front yard.  They were all red and yellow.  When the wind blew it rained leaves.  Perfect to play in.

 

This was my attempt to get a picture of Alli throwing leaves in the air.  All I could get was Alli holding the leaves.

And the leaves already on the ground.

 Gathering leaves.

 They couldn't stand to stay still for a picture!

 Alli picked up this stick and said "I am woman!"  I have no idea where that came from.  It was her "sword" till we left.  She was cracking me up.

 Getting those leaves!

Of course she had to taste them.

 After naps they had fun with Davis' huge teddy bear.  He got lots of love from these two.

 Then he FINALLY came! 

  The girls were in love.

 Eloise giving him kisses.

 Davis and Aunt Anna.  (His favorite aunt.)

We went to visit him the next day too.

 Alli is such a big girl holding him all by herself!

 Woo had to get a better look at him today.  Notice how their hands are far too close to the same size!

 Checking out his hands

 and his mouth.

 LOVE!

 KISSES!

 A present for Davis!

 Myriam, Gary and Davis were coming home the next day so we decided to make them chocolate covered goodies.  Strawberries, marshmallows and peanut butter ritz crackers (Myriam's favorite).

 Eloise "helping."

 Alli did a really good job.

Welcome home!

He looks so tiny in his car seat!    
 
Look at that boy holding his head up so well just days after he was born.  Slow down man!

We went to the park while we were there.  Eloise made herself in charge of the bread for the ducks.

She wouldn't let them go

 Alli was all over the place!

 Don't let that slide beat you!

Eloise wasn't interest in feeding the geese.  She just sat in the middle of them and munched on the bread herself.  Sweet Alli was too scared to get too close to them.  I don't blame her.  I got hissed at a couple times.

 She was loving that bread!

We couldn't stay away from Davis very long.

Davis is such a sweet baby.  He rarely cried.  (While we were there at least.)

 

Myriam hates this face.  She's already worried about the wrinkles on his forehead!  (Yes, she's crazy.)

He's such a beautiful boy!

 The girls went out and "helped" Gary rake the leaves.

 Alli loved being in the middle of the piles.

 Eloise not so much.

 This was such a sweet moment.  Eloise loves this boy so much!

 They are so in love.

This happened just about every morning.  Eloise was like a little bird begging cereal off anyone with a bowl!

We made "goodbye" cupcakes the day before we left.

 Yummy batter!

 They were such big helpers.

Alli cracks me up!  That girl is so much fun!

It was sad to leave.  We all fell so in love with that sweet baby.  I can't wait till Christmas to see him again.  And his parents too of course!