Play Time....

Owen escapes whenever he can to the mudroom to try to put on any shoes he can find. He doesn't want to hold the shoes or pull anything else down, he only wants to try on those shoes!!

Even play food is worth trying...

I believe this is Ava's pretend wedding to Owen

Just cruising along!!

Thanksgiving at the Sieve's.....

Owen & Carly (both 13 months)

Ava & Layne

Joyce invited us out to the farm for Thanksgiving on Saturday. Lisa, Roy, Layne, Carly, and Joe also were in attendance. We had wonderful food and enjoyed our time together. Carly is growing so fast. The two babies really didn't seem to have too much time for each other. They each went about their business although Carly did get ahold of Owen's hair at one point. It didn't even phase him. Ava thoroughly enjoyed her time with Layne and talked about him all the way home. Ava also got a ride with Daddy on the 4-wheeler which seemed to be a pretty big hit. It was a fun day and nice to get the family together!

Birthday Presents from the Springers....

Ava got a new Barbie

I love Owen's look in this one

Owen got a new helicopter

Ava & Owen had lots fun opening more birthday gifts from Lisa & Roy. Ava loved her new barbie that has long hair that she can comb and style. Owen seemed to like his new helicopter with all kinds of fun sounds. Carly liked the new toy too!

Thanksgiving at the Kleis's...

Ava, Addison, and Bergen

Owen & Addie

We were invited to my sister Shelly's on Thanksgiving day with Jason's side of the family. My parents are always gone to Arizona to see my sister Sandy. We had a wonderful meal and great time visiting. The kids had a great time playing and we even logged our first overnight stay with them. We slept great with the basement to ourselves. Ava really wants Addie to come and stay with us very soon! She just loves her time with her. I even managed to take lots of pictures for Shelly & Jason to pick from for their Christmas card. This picture was one of my favorites.

Owen is 13 Months & He's a Climber!

He just climbed right up on the chair

Assessing how far down it is

No problem, I'll just sit first

Owen has certainly proven to have no fears which I guess is typical of the second child. He is not afraid to try most anything. He climbs up on the hearth of the fireplace, on top of the trampoline, and this latest trick on top of chairs to reach toys he wants. He not only can climb on things, but he is so fast at it. Nothing phases him. Sometimes Ava's comments show how surprised she is at what he can do. You'll often hear her say, "Mom, look what Owen just did all by himself." I'm usually just as amazed as she is!

Bath Time Fun...

Bath time at our house is always an "eventful" time. However, it has recently become a sister/brother bonding experience. Ava went from showering exclusively by herself to now pretty much exclusively taking baths and refuses to do it without Owen. They seem to really enjoy playing together and Owen puts up with only getting to play with the toys that Ava allows him to. Ava is quick to correct Owen if he is trying to stand up or is getting too wild with splashing. It's so comical...as if she is such an angel! Owen always has to be the first one out and he cries every time! He never wants the fun to end!

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas...

The weekend before Thanksgiving, I hauled out the Christmas music and decided it was time to start decorating for Christmas. We got the tree up and stockings hung. Brad even put lights up on the outside of the house. When we went to bed that night, Ava asked me if Santa was going to come and put toys in her stocking that night. Apparently, she hasn't forgotten what that is all about! I told her we'd have to wait a while for that, but I could see the excitement was just beginning!

Owen is Walking...

To be fair, Owen took his very first steps on October 28, 2011 at just 2 weeks past his first birthday. It was just a single step unassisted on that day. By October 30 at his birthday party, he was taking 3-4 steps before falling. Within the last week at just past 13 months, he has really taken off. He now uses walking as his primary mode of transportation. He can easily get up to standing in the middle of the floor and just take off and walk across the house. He can't quite keep up with Ava yet, but he is close. It seems like he is just toddling around everywhere now, and he is very proud of his new skill. He couldn't be happier to be off the floor and up with the rest of us. He is a bit shaky at times, but overall he seems to have made the transition without many obstacles. He is such a big boy already!!