Happy Good Fun: January 2013

The month of January is always so long and cold and blah.....well, I'm happy to tell you this year is more of the same. However, this year is seems to be going MUCH quicker. I'm not sure why it is, but I'll take it. The faster we get through January the closer we get to spring! I'm happy to report that mister Elijah's vocabulary is growing exponentially everyday. I am amazed by all of the things he is saying to us...stringing together multiple words! I think my favorite happened the other day when we sat down for lunch. Ben was trying to cool Eli's lunch down and Eli looked at Ben and said, "Dada Blow"! I'm not sure why it was so funny, but we had a good laugh!

We've been keeping busy with play dates, trips to the Hands on Museum and things of the like......photographic evidence is below:) Enjoy!

Yes....this is Eli in a dog bed....

Eli LOVES reading!

This year, we started a few family traditions. Christmas Eve was spent at our house with just the three of us. We headed out to church around 4:15 when the snow was really coming down. By the time church was over at 6:00, the roads were pretty icy and very snow covered. Granted we only got a few inches, we certainly had a white Christmas. Christmas night, we made cookies for Santa and yummy lasagna. In the Strauss family tradition, we usually have salmon on Christmas Eve since the Catholic religion calls for no meat on this special day. Since we've become Presbyterian as the Stubbs family, we are taking on the Stubbs family tradition of the Christmas Eve lasagna (mostly because it's easy to make!). We also bought Eli some special pajama's to wear on this exciting night. To Eli, this night was like every other night, other than we went to church where it was lite up all beautiful. If I haven't mentioned Eli's obsession with lights, here's a good time to. He's crazy for lights....so he often blurted out lights in the middle of service!

Christmas morning, Santa brought Eli a Radio Flyer wagon! It was the first thing Eli spotted and after seeing it, he had no desire to open gifts. He just wanted to sit and explore his beloved wagon. While he did end up opening 1 more present before we left for the Strauss family party, the last present wouldn't be opened until 36 hours after we started this process. We let him take his time opening and playing with his gifts, but I think his favorite is still his wagon. It's too cold out to go for a walk in it, so we've been pulling him around the house in it. I can't wait for the summer when we can take family walks while he sits and relaxes in that wagon! Other presents this year? A few Thomas and Friends train sets, cardboard blocks to stack, stacking robots, a pirate ship, a new pool for summer, a shovel and sled, and clothes. From his aunts and uncles, he got a cool stacking train set, brooms (he's also obsessed with the vacuum and broom/mop so this is a huge hit, and he even let's me play with him!), play food cans and wooden fruits and veggies. From the Grandparents, he got a really cool amusement park wheelie toy, a piggy bank, a few cars and so much more! He is one blessed child and is so lucky to have so many people in his life who love him.

We know that Eli didn't really understand Christmas this year, but I'm certain he'll get it by next year! We hope everyone enjoyed their families like we did!

Here's some awesome photo's and video's we want to share with you! Enjoy!