More Mickey

Gus ripped into some early Christmas gifts that we received in the mail from the Goin's (thank you!). As you can tell by the look on his face in the shot below, he was in shock that there is actually more Mickey merchandise out there, and now, it was HIS!


After that first round of gifts, Gus is feeling the Christmas spirit. Speaking of, we are all really looking forward to spending time with family and partaking in many of our favorite Christmas traditions.

Awards ceremony

Gus' gymnastic session came to a close this week. At the end of the last class, each kid received a certificate, a ribbon, and a round of applause. It was hilarious to see each 2 year old jump up when their name was called, and skip up to the front to accept their award.

A nephew on the horizon

We are thrilled to share these first few glimpses of our nephew. My brother, Josh, and his wife, Christy will be parents next May. They found out today that it's a boy. YAYWHO!

Cute feet, kid. So cute.

It's time for me to start washing and packing up Gus' little newborn outfits for the teeny and special baby V!

Tower power

Gus loves the lego blocks he received from his Aunt and Uncle Josh & Christy. He builds and builds and builds. Until he can barely reach.

Also, it's nice to have a quiet, non-battery operated toy in the house, especially since he loves to play with them for extended periods of time. I can handle crashing blocks.

He likes to rhyme quick

Gus recently began reciting the Itsy Bitsy Spider, super fast.





Incase you can't understand him, the lyrics are:

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.

Down came the rain, and washed the spider out.

Out came the sun, and dried up all the rain

And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.

Enough already

Gus' final-final birthday party was held this weekend in Minot. We guarantee this was his last birthday party this year. Gma Debi made a very cool bulldozer cake with rocks and dirt road.


Nice cake decorating skills, Gma!

Gotta get moving and work off that cake.

This is Gus' newest animal, Gus the duck.

I forced all the grandparents and great-grandmas to take a photo before they left. I forget that not everyone likes a good photo opp. But I'm glad I got these.



We also enjoyed a relaxing Thanksgiving while in Minot. Here's Gus watching a DVD with Alex.


Gus became obsessed with a decorative seagull while staying at mom and dads. That seagull did everything with us, including eat breakfast. Gus thought it was hilarious.

Oh, and he decided he was too big for a highchair and went with the stool, straight up.

Ross and I went out both nights, without even thinking twice. And why would we hesitate knowing Gus' activities while were were out included exploring watercolors, reading, aerobics, and soaking in the tub? It was wonderful for us all. I think we could get used to having grandparents in town. Thank you!


We all know Ross is tall, no reminder needed there. This photo was inserted to illustrate how tall Gus is getting.

Ping pong is a must.
Reading is better with turtle slippers on.

We also had a chance to catch up with our friends, the Demars family. The twins, Violet and Olivia, are adorable and sweet. They played nicely with Gus. Later that night, we caught dinner with Todd and Jody, and Chad and Angie to celebrate Tadd and Jody's anniversary. Great times in Minot, everyone, thank you!

Party with friends

We had guests this weekend to celebrate Gus' birthday (yes, again). Mike, Michelle, and Gabby arrived on Friday night. Kristie & Skunny were in on Friday, too. Below you can see Gus ripping into his gift, a Spider Man Trike. It is AWESOME. Gabby helped open the gift.

Saturday, we had the neighborhood crew over for an Olympic-themed party. It was funny. First up, creating the team flags for opening ceremonies.



Ally lead the contestants in the Pledge of Allegiance before the games began.

Because of a last minute drop-out, I had to step in on the clothes relay race.

Avary and Gabby had front row seats.

The donut eating contest was hilarious.







Gus received so many wonderful gifts. Thank you, everyone!


The awards/closing ceremonies were combined with cake time.




Michelle delivered the cake & candle to Gus while we all sang Happy Birthday.


After everyone left, Gus wrestled with a ton of paper and thought it was the funnest thing he's done in months.


On Sunday before Gabby left, we convinced Gus to plant a big one on her. YES!


Again, thank you everyone for your birthday generosity! Gus is loving life right now, he's finally really into birthdays. And we know this because when we ate leftover cake on Sunday, he tried to sing Happy Birthday to himself!