Do you like my hat?

Today we ran to good ole Wal-mart for a few needed items. While in route to the diapers, Eli spotted this hat. Usually hats in the infant toddler section don't fit his melon and we have to look in the big boys section, but this one actually fit!!! I had been looking for a summer hat for him. Here he is modeling the new purchase once we got home.

Playing with Campbell

Yesterday we had an exciting morning. Campbell came to play and have lunch with us! Eli has just recently gotten to an age where he seems to play with others. He seems to do real well with his good friend Campbell. They spent the morning playing chase....inquiring of what is beyond the fence.....

playing ball.....

and what would a playdate with two boys be without exploring berries and leaves!

A good time was had by all! Thanks for hanging out with us Campbell. Come back soon!

Fayetteville, AR

Last weekend we made a quick trip to Fayetteville for Uncle Elliott's last college play. Eli and I were not able to attend, however we were able to go and enjoy all the family that made the trip! We hung out with Great Grandma Arlene, Papa Jerry aka Grandpa, Gramma Gari, Aunt Tarah, her friend Charity, Uncle Taylor & Aunt Lee Ann, Uncle Elliott, Great Uncle Brian and Great Aunt Jeanette, Great Uncle Bob and Great Aunt Nancy......whew, what a mouth full! It was a beautiful day. We got to enjoy the sunshine from lunch until time for the show. We spent quite a bit of time hanging out on the square which is where i took pretty much all of my pictures. I was less than successful at getting a picture of everyone there, so if any of you are reading this and have more, please pass them on. Until then, here are a few of the pics I got.

The Bible

This afternoon it was becoming more and more obvious that Eli had missed a nap. Around 5pm we decided to read some books. Eli had found a bag that I had both his books and some of my books in from our recent trip to Monticello. I had taken all of his out, but he insisted that he need to get one of mine out. It turns out the only book left in the bag was my bible. I told Eli that the bible was too long to read right now and that I had other books (including his toddler bible) that we could read. He then went into fit mode and started crying "BI-BLE!!!" over and over! Full on fit with tears and a red face. I took a few deep breaths and offered him his toddler bible one more time and when he wouldn't take that as an option I waited him out. We paced back and forth behind the couch for a good 3minutes crying and saying "BI-BLE!" before he finally realized he was getting nowhere and joined me on the couch for some stories. He was in a most lovable and playful mood for the hour that followed before bedtime. It amazes me how he can turn it on and off in a matter of seconds!

Pirates

This past Sat we had the opportunity to attend our very first Pirate birthday party. Wilson Loibner decided he wanted a pirate party for his 4th birthday. All the kids were welcomed with pirate costumes, they got bandannas for their head, eye patches, jewelery, swords, etc. There was a treasure hunt, walking the plank, swabbing the deck, even hot dogs that had sails on them to look like pirate ships AND a pirate ship pinata. Although Eli didn't quite get it all, he still enjoyed himself. The party was a sucess!!!! Thanks you, Wilson, for letting us help you celebrate.

Captain Wilson, the birthday boy

Circus circus.........little lion Ryder

So I just checked my email and got a sweet sweet picture that I just had to share. It's not of Eli, but this little guy has a pretty special place in my heart, too. This is Annie's (one of my dearest friends) little boy Ryder. Annie took him to the circus recently. So here is my post dedicated to Ryder.

Zoo Days

Today Eli and I had the honor of having Daddy (aka Nathan) all to ourselves!!!! He has taken a couple days off so we could spend some family time together. We had a busy day. We started off with breakfast at IHOP with Mema and Carl and then a short visit at their house. Then back home for nap and much needed yard work. AND THEN we headed off to the Little Rock Zoo. Eli really seems to enjoy the zoo. Once again he was very interested in all of the animals and meowed at the large cats and would wave bye bye to each animal as we walked toward the next. When we got there I was soo excited to be doing something with all three of us present and pulled out my camera to mark the occasion. I went to take my first picture and wouldn't you know, I left my memory chip in my laptop at HOME!!! Luckily I still had the chip or card thingy that came with the camera. It only holds a handful of pictures so I had to be picky about what we took pictures of and how many. I'm just thankful that thing was in the van. I really think I would have cried if I couldn't have taken pictures of Nathan's first trip to the zoo with Eli. Or should I say Eli's first trip to the zoo with Nathan??..........either way. So, here are the few shots that I got. We got to see a baby gorilla which was soooo precious. I got a few of Nathan with Eli and then had Nathan take one of me and Eli. When I leaned down to take the shot Eli reached out and hugged my neck..... literally! It made my day! What a sweet boy we have. I am amazed by him everyday. Somedays amazed at how rotten he can be, but mostly just how amazing he is and what a gift it is to have him in our lives.