Happy Holidays!

Wishing you all a very happy new year...a year filled with love and laughter! Our little guy sure is filling our lives with love and laughter as he continues to blossom at this toddler stage. It is hard to believe that he will be 2 in just three months. The best way to describe him right now is that he is still a little peanut with big boy attributes. The words that come out of him surprise us daily...he is starting to say things like:
"wait a minute" (and using this in context)
"dada doing?, mama doing?" (wondering where we are and what we are doing)
"Eli do it" (independence...independence)
"mama hold you" (mama hold me please)...although I sure do wish he could hold me too!
"monsters be still", (from the book "where the wild things are"...he is very curious about monsters)
"I'm gonna get you" (he loves being chased and hiding)
Just a few minutes ago he said "more water in there" because his water cup was empty...
And my latest favorite is his snuggling...or "nuggling". He snuggles with his hockey blanket and tries to bunch it up under his chin...it is too cute!

We just joined a gymnastics class called "tiny tumblers", which he loves. Learning to do a somersault has been a highlight "somersault mama", and we can't forget the "jumpa jumpa" on the trampoline!
Here are a few pictures from November and December of our little "big" boy!

The four red-heads...Raine, Eli, Brian and Ian

The fishermen...Eli loved touching the Walleye's eyes!

Cousins...

Grace and Eli

Sister Ski on the beautiful trails near our parents home....

New rocking horse...

Music concert on Christmas morning....can you find Eli?

Happy New Year!! Love and Hugs....

Kathy Ekern

Mom,
It has been exactly 19 years since you left this world… I wanted to let you know that your family misses you, and we hope you are doing well in your next journey. I’m sure you have been watching over your two grandsons, Elias and Liam, and know that they are happy and healthy toddlers. Although they will not have the fortune to meet you face to face, be sure they will know about you; what type of person you were, and what you meant to this family. We talk about you often, and think about you even more. I know that you would absolutely love the boys, and would enjoy every moment of being a “Nana”.

I miss you. I love you.

Chris

walking and talking...

Yeah...finally, a blog entry! We are very excited to share an update of our little guy...so much change has happened in four months. Elias is such a joy...each day brings new adventures as he has entered the "toddler" stage. As Chris and I started to write our blog entry idea "a day with Elias", we literally ended up with pages and pages of stories, memories, etc. So, we decided to share just a few of the many moments we are truly enjoying at this time in our little sweetie pies life. To begin, here are a few summertime photos and updates...(pics taken by auntie Sal!...with a few iphone pics) Mom and Elias in Northfield...

Elias walking at Big Woods State Park...

Exploring Sal and Tim's new yard and sandy beach at White Sand Lake...

Mom and Eli enjoying the sunset on Gull Lake...

Bubbles...I love bubbles!

Anyone need a ride??

I love my Mikko....

Getting our feet wet on White Earth Lake...

Mikko's famous dock jump....

Learning to walk....

Swimming with Dad....

mmmmmm...popsicle!!

Elias is walking/running all over! My latest favorite moment with him is taking him to the grocery store where he gets his own little cart and shops next to mama...putting all kinds of goodies in his cart!! It is too cute!!!

We are really enjoying his many words...he was an early talker and continues to be a little chatter box! Here are some of our many favorite Eli words and phrases...

*waking up to our natural alarm clock "hi dada", "hi mama", "no Mikko, NO"

*"happy boy" usually means he wants to listen to his favorite song "happy song"...he LOVES music, dancing, playing instruments and his music class "Music Together"

*anything to do with hockey and fishing..."hockey tick"(hockey stick), "hockey putt"(hockey puck), "hockey boop"(hockey book), "bobber boop" (fishing book)

*"paper-bip" (paper-clip)....he loves small things he can study and hold for hours!!

*his communication words..."hi", "more", "up", "open", "all done", and his favorite "more nigh nigh more" (more milkies)

*"Mikko come", "hi Mauwa" (hi Marla)....he loves Mikko and Marla

*"bumpa" (grandpa), "nana" (grandma)

*"dada beer"...his new favorite thing to do is go to the fridge to get dada a beer and bring it to him...and then returns to the kitchen for the froggy bottle opener

*he loves reading stories and can name and point to many animals and other pictures, which has been so fun to observe

*when we put on his shoes and socks we will say "one sock" and he continues with "two sock"..."one shoe...two shoe"

A few of his favorite foods: peanut butter toast, yogurt, tuna melts, Annies mac-n-cheese with black beans, pizza, fruit, all kinds of snacks and of course ice cream "I neen" with dada!

I truly feel like we could go on and on....as many of you know who have little ones! We just adore being parents to such a sweetie pie. I sometimes cannot believe we created him....he is the love of our lives!!

Love and hugs to you all...

Up North

This past weekend, we traveled up north for our first family camping adventure! We camped at Bear Head State Park (near Ely)...a beautiful campground nestled in the thick forest on Bear Head lake. Despite trying to escape the mosquitos and the occational rain, both Chris and I agree that our experience was absolutely wonderful and memorable. We loved being in the wilderness... listening and feeling the earth...and sharing this passion with Elias, who was a true camp trooper! Here are many pictures we wanted to share of the beauty we experienced... The first few days of our trip it rained off and on...our only escape was the car! Elias loved to play "driver"...hours of fun!

And when the skies were clear, we spent time on the lake!

Mikko's graduation photo. He has learned to stay in the boat and not jump out after anything he thinks is a ball! Congratulations Mikko!! He actually was a wonderful camper too!!

Daddy showing Eli a worm!!

Tired boys!

Campfires...love them!

The morning of our last day...it was gorgeous!

Helping take down the tent...

Bye Bye camping adventure...bye bye mosquitos!!

Elias standing on his own!! This is his new trick...and he thinks it is so great! He just giggles the entire time!

I think we have a gymnast on our hands!!!

Sending our love and giggles...