On the move

These kids are always on the move, especially Nathan. He is into everything!!! A very fast crawler and becoming a good climber as we found him the other day in the bathroom on top of the sink stool. :) Their super cute smiles and love for life bring us lots of excitement and joy!
Some stats on Nate from his 9 month appointment even though he is almost 11 months old: 17lbs 6 oz, 28inches long

Christmas Fun!

We had a joyful Christmas. Nate found his excitement in wrapping paper, trash, and boxes. It was a site to see as he crawled over the trash filled bags and rolled off of them onto the floor.

Eli has loved the Christmas tree this year, looking and arranging the ornaments. He enjoyed some new trains,a play kitchen, and art supplies.

We hope that you all had a joyful christmas time celebrating the birth of our Savior!

Tis the Season

I am super excited about starting our Jesse tree tonight! This year I decided to wrap each ornament and then Eli will open one each night. Last year was great watching Eli begin to take in the coming of Jesus and all the preparation before it. I know that this year he will grasp even more which excites me. Doing this Jesse tree also allows Jeff and I to wrap our hearts around the prepartion of Christ during the hustle and bustle of all the worldly around us. Such a great reminder!!

The boys at 9 months old

Rejoice

We have had a fun filled summer with adventures to the pool, beach, parks, playing with trains, lazy afternoons in the hammock, feeding the ducks, naps (very important :)) playing with more trains, riding bikes, visits with family and friends, and even more trains. Summers always go by so fast but as I look back I can't help but REJOICE in the Lord for all the blessings he has given us. Jeff and I are so blessed to have two sweet healthy boys whom we love so much!

Jeff and I were able to get away for 4 days and head to Charleston. One of our adventures was to find letters out of the architecture downtown. It was a fun challenge and where the Rejoice above came from.

Nathan just turned 6 months... wow, time flies! 14lbs 14oz, 26.5 inchs long. A lot of his dark black hair continues to fall out and new lighter brown/blonde hair is coming in. Eli's hair did the same thing. He has 3 teeth and 2-3 more coming in. He is the best baby, always content unless he is tired or hungry. Speaking of hungry, the kid can eat. He is loving oatmeal, peas, pears, peaches, and carrots so far. Not a huge fan of green beans or prunes (i dont blame him) We think he will be crawling soon because he gets up on all fours and rocks...love this! Nathan loves to follow the dog and is intrigued by his big brother.

Eli also amazes us everyday with the amount of information he retains and the conversations that he loves to have. He loves his daddy! And loves to "help" his daddy whether it is working on the car, using tools, building train tracks, etc. He has also becoming quite the helper in the kitchen. As I get dinner ready he is always willing to help cut something up so we usually try to find some fruit or vegetable that he can cut into small pieces. The hope is that it will mostly end up in a bowl but a lot of times it ends up in his belly. :)
We are looking forward to the summer ending (but also sad) as new adventures begin this fall.

Morning Fun

The mornings are such a good time for us. Everyone is usually rested and happy to start the day. The boys wake up smiling and Eli has his most thought provoking conversations. Many times I wonder how or where he heard some of the things he says. Often times he will tell me about what we did the day before. His memory is incredible. We always have to be on our toes with what we do and say. :)

Nathan has become one of Eli's great friends. It brings me so much joy to watch these two interact. Every night Eli wants to give Nathan a hug and a kiss. Nathan has started grasping everything in his reach, including Eli's hair. Eli doesn't seem to mind because he always laughs and goes back for more.

My 3 guys!

Baptism

Today, Nathan and our dear friend, Honey, were baptized at our church. It was such a joyous time. We were so thankful to be able to share this special occasion with the Hills and our family and friends.

Pool

The pool has been one of our main activities since it has opened. Either spending the morning there through lunchtime or going after Jeff gets home from work until bedtime. Eli has become quite the little fish. Jumping off the edge, pushing off the side, reaching for the side, going under water without swallowing a mouth full. We look forward to many more fun times at the pool.

4 months old

This little guy is weighing in at 13.6 lbs (25%) and 25 inches long (50th%). Nathan continues to be our laid back child, always happy unless he's hungry or tired. He has rolled over a few times then gets frustrated cause he doesnt like to be on his belly. :) He has really discovered his voice which sounds like a high pitch squeal.

Best Weekend!

My 3 college roomates, their husbands, and kids got together over the weekend. We had a blast going to the beach and pool every day. It is amazing how are lives have changed so much...espcially all the addition of kids. We are so thankful to have such great friends to do these fun adventures together. Looking forward to many more!!

Sweet brothers!

Sunday afternoons...

The weather has been so amazing lately (almost getting too hot) that we have enjoyed many hours outside. This past Sunday we pulled out the hammock and enjoyed the afternoon in the backyard. These two boys continue to bring so much joy into our lives. We look forward to many more peaceful afternoons like this...and photo shoots. :)

Scuba Eli

football

Eli has had some fun times playing football. He has learned to kick it, hike it, throw it, and catch it. His favorite is getting to tackle. We remind him often that we only tackle daddy. ;)

Just Because

3 months old

eli & nathan

Bathroom!!

We (well mainly Jeff) has been working hard at finishing up this bathroom that has been in progress for a while :) It has been so great to have 2 bathrooms to use. The other one has officially become the kids bathroom. All we have left to do is make a floor to ceiling cabinet to cover the air return that was put in this room and the ceiling trim. So exciting!!

Happpy Birthday to Nana!!

Hope you have a special day!!

Big Brother

It is amazing how fast your first born grows up once you have another baby. Eli has been a great big brother. Most mornings he ask where "nate nate" is. He is quick to offer a paci when Nathan is fussy, helps mommy get things, and just today helped give a bottle. He is so talkative these days impressing us with new sentences/words. Going outside is a favorite thing to do where he plays with tools.

Loving his baby brother!!

Climbing on the couch!!

Great smile with Uncle Jon!!

Precious Boy!!