Firehouse Santa.

So since Ayden has been born, I never got into the whole Santa thing. Mainly because I didn't want to fight the crowds of annoyed parents and squirmy children waiting to get 2 seconds on Santa's lap, with a picture that never turns out because the child is overstimulated, uncomfortable in their dressed up clothes, and scared. Not to mention you paid a day's work of pay for the picture that never turns out. This year I got lucky, so lucky. One of Ayden's nursery school classmate's father (you following me?) works for the Edgewater firestation. They decided to put together a breakfast with Santa. Come to find out they had even posted an ad in the newspaper, but it only seemed to attract the kids from Ayden's school. So at 9 this morning, Ayden and I headed over to the station, where we were fed pancakes, sausage, coffee, and juice and ate alongside of Santa and some of the firemen. I couldn't have asked for anything better! Ayden was thrilled. I don't know which was more exciting-Santa, the firetruck, the firehat, or the sausage. Ha. These shots capture our great morning.

"Ho Ho Ho" is what Ayden said the entire ride over.


Yummy sausage.


Enjoying a candy cane.


Ayden gets up close and personal with Santa as Santa ties his shoe.


Give a big smile!


Ayden and Lilly, one of his classmates.

Two, going on big boy.

For Ayden, life is now:
In 3T clothes, size 8 1/2 shoes.
He knows his ABCs.
He is almost potty-trained.
Can sing, on key, twinkle twinkle.
Knows the basic colors.
Can pick out numbers 1-5.
Only wants to play instruments.
Or some form of ball.
Doesn't have all of his teeth.
Crawls into my bed in the morning and rubs my back.
Still nurses in the morning and at bedtime.
Insists on holding hands for prayers before meals.
Talks to his dad every day on the phone.
Loves to eat yogurt.
Plays in the bath until the water is nearly ice.

And in a blink of an eye, he is a big boy. And knows it.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008 things I am thankful for:
*Finding a great nursery school for Ayden that he loves and that is teaching him about Jesus.
*Hearing Ayden's first words (ball, football, cheese, please, juice, water, pooh, read, sit, let's go, eat, up, hello, dark, bubbles, dance---notice a trend? ha)
*Getting to know the Ball family, receiving countless blessings from them, gaining a friend for life.
*Watching my brother (Erich...Kurt will be in 2009!) get married and gaining a sister.
*Having God pour out financial blessings onto me and Ayden when I never thought possible.
*Taking on many different jobs, all that were a perfect fit for that period of my life.
*Joining the Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Center team, showing me how all the hard work and schooling finally pays off.
*Being a part of Rachel's wedding.
*Reuniting with Corey every month.
*Having faith and trust in the Lord that my future family will come, but in God's timing.
*Gaining security that Corey loves me more than anything.
*Corey getting through his first round of nursing school.
*Wise support and counseling from my father.
*Trip to Disney World.
*Trip to Hilton Head Island.
*Having the strength to continue nursing Ayden.
*Mom's care for Ayden half of the week while I work.
*Ayden's neverending joy for life, showing me a greater appreciation for life.
*Support from some of the Godliest women I know from my Sunday school class.
*The freedom to pray and worship.
*Moving to the basement so Ayden and I can have more of our own space.
*Highschool and college friends who still keep in contact.

Happy Thanksgiving family! I am really enjoying mine with the newlyweds (Erich and Lisa), not having to work, soaking in love from Ayden, eatinggggg, talking to family on the phone, getting vitamin D from a beautiful day, napping, watching the Macy's parade and reminiscing on memories of being there last year, relaxing, going through wedding photos (which I have more that I will put up later), praying.

Congratulations Erich Walter and Lisa Marie Meyerhoff!

Throughout my life, I have been to numerous weddings of friends, cousins, best friends, etc, but never to one where it was my immediate family member. It is an odd thing watching your own brother get married, but I could not be happier for him because I have never seen him so happy. The wedding was such a praise and celebration of not only the two of them joining as one, but as a thankfulness to God who spared both of their lives from serious car accidents. Those two truly are a miracle from God and it was an honor to be such a part of it.

I hope some more pictures turn up that other family members took (can we say Jo needs a camera...Christmas is coming up you know). It was such a whirlwind day that I don't know if there is even a shot of Ayden (or me with Corey for that matter. ugh.), other than the ones the professional photographer took! Hopefully there will be a way to share those with you. Until then, here are few.


Watching the flower girl and ringbearer (Ayden) make it down the aisle.


Bride, groom, and my parents.


Me, mom, Kat


Newlyweds!


My family.


The Meyerhoff clan.

Haircut #2

Next weekend, my brother Erich is getting married! And since Ayden is the ring bearer, I thought it fitting to get him his second haircut. He sat so still and was so proud to show it off. I do love his shaggy curls, but he's really looking dapper with the new cut. I cannot wait to see him in his knicker and bow tie.



He looks so intense. As always.

Happy Halloween

Wow, look at all of that. Which one should I choose?

Oooh this looks good.

Mom, check it out. A lollipop.

Yumm.

Only God can carry me home.

MAC love.

Pumpkin Patch

Every year across the street of our church, there is a pumpkin patch which opens up for the entire month of October. For some reason, I have never checked it out until this year. Since my brother was in town, I thought it would be a perfect day to take Ayden. It was a great afternoon fall activity for free (err, besides the cute 2$ pumpkin Ayden picked out!).

Headed to the patch. Those two have so much fun together!

Oh look mommy, a man is stuck in the hay!

Ayden checks out the rabbit.

And attempts to feed him.

*Laughter*

Look at all that corn! How fun!

Scooping it up.

He had just dumped it on his head.

Let's get buried.

Covered in corn!

There is nothing sweeter than watching the pure joy and laughter of innocent fun your own son is having.

Now it's time to find that perfect pumpkin.

Picking out the best.

Hey, I found one!

What a great afternoon!

2nd birthday and fall festival.

Happy 2nd birthday Ayden!
This week has been a crazy work week for me so I never got a chance to post some pictures up of Ayden's 2nd birthday weekend. His birthday was on Sunday so the Saturday night before, Corey and I spent the majority of our evening putting together Ayden's kitchen set. These first cheezing shots of Ayden is him about to get slap happy awaiting to play with it. He loves to try to take pictures of himself with the camera.






THREE hours later, we had it up and ready for play.


His actual party was low key with just our family and who I call my second family, the Balls. Unfortunately, all the shots I had of them too turned out really dark and blurry. The party was Elmo themed because that, along with Pooh, is Ayden's character obsession for, um, this month (last month it was curious George). I attempted to make Elmo cupcakes that turned out nothing like I had imagined. Thankfully I had my mother come in for the rescue at the end to fix my decorating. Apparently I need more practice on going outside of the box in art projects.








Grace EP Annual Fall Festival.
Since Ayden was literally 2 days old, we have gone to our church's fall festival. This year it didn't fall on his birthday weekend so we ventured without Corey. It ended up sad for me because it had become a tradition for us, but Ayden really enjoyed it (and that's all that matters anyways, right?). Plus the weather could not have been more beautiful.

My mom was at the face painting station and I thought Ayden would jump at a chance to have a football painted on but he couldn't stop squirming when my mom would touch him with the paint brush. So I got a football instead, which made him just as happy.

Ayden LOVES his pop pops. And balloons.

A determined child, and thankfully a chicken that didn't bite.

Slide.

Maze.

Jamming to the bluegrass band playing in the background.

Inside the ambulance, Ayden attempts to open one of the cabinets. This is the look I get every day when Ayden is doing something he is not supposed to be doing. That child wears his guilt on his sleeve.

Driving the firetruck!

Ayden is offically all TWO.