January 2012

Happy New Year! It's hard to believe another year has come and gone already.

Even though time moves way to quickly, we are excited to see what 2012 has in store for us

We started the month off by celebrating Easton's second birthday. He had a Dr. Seuss themed birthday party at Little Monkey Bizness. He was surrounded by a few of his best friends. Okay, at this point in his young life, they are his only friends, but still...Grace, Lilly, Ace, Siena, Frannie, Vinnie and Kyla were all there to play with him and wish him the happiest second birthday ever.

He got a lot of fun presents. Many of them light up and talk or make noise. His favorite kind of toys. He even tried to open a few before becoming completely engrossed in the loudest and flashiest toy. Easton is easy to please; for now.

We took Easton out for a birthday lunch to Red Robin. He seemed to really like the food and atmosphere. All of us did. It was an opportunity to indulge in some very savory foods that we try to avoid most days of the week.

We also registered Kyla for Kindergarten the first week of the month. It's bitter sweet. Our baby girl should not be old enough to attend school in the fall. Maybe we should keep her home another year? After all, she associates Kindergarten with shots, rather than turning five. That's a good enough reason not to send her, right? That will keep her from growing up too fast.

Easton had his two year check up on the 11th. He really is a record breaker when it comes to charting his growth. He is at the 50% for height, so at least he's in the middle. His weight and head circumference are another story. Those numbers are both less than 3%. Thankfully he is staying on his curve, and that is all that matters.

Easton is right on track for motor skills, but he is currently lacking in the verbal department. We are going to have him evaluated by a team of specialists to see if he qualifies for speech therapy. With only ten words or so, we are sure he will qualify. We are praying it's only a delay and a matter of time before he realizes how much his world will open up by using words and speaking.

On the 12th, Grandma/Great Grandma Louise turned 100! What a milestone for her. We left for Michigan that day to visit family and celebrate her. It was Great Grandma's first time meeting Easton. Blind Grammy's first time too. Naturally, they both fell in love with him. Even though he wouldn't let them get too close.

Grandma had the most wonderful birthday party on the 14th. Over 30 family members were able to make the trip to Bad Axe to celebrate with us. It was a mini family reunion. It was great to see so many familiar and loving faces in one place (and not be at a funeral). Grandma had a permanent smile on her face seeing everyone and having the chance to catch up. Her short term memory is not what it used to be, but she will be talking about her party and seeing everyone for many months.

Pizza and cake were served. Kyla sat next to Great Grandma. She chatted her ear off and reminded her, on more than one occasion, to chew her food good so she wouldn't choke. It was very humorous.

We got to spend some time visiting with Blind Grammy, Aunt Karen, Uncle Shawn and Kristen. We all stayed at the same hotel. Kyla was in heaven. For whatever reason(s), she thinks it's cool and fun to sleep in a hotel. Plus, she was able to ride the elevator down, many times, to visit Uncle Shawn and Aunt Karen in their room. She suckered them both into hunting for monsters. She loves visiting with family members because they have more energy to play with her. Mom and Dad are tuckered out before breakfast ends most days.

Kyla was invited again this year to a classmates party. His name is Mitchell, and he had his party at (regular) Monkey Bizness. Kyla had a lot of fun. Primarily because her best buddy, Grace, was there also. Anything and everything is more fun with Gracie.

Christ Lutheran Pre-School had their annual western lunch at the end of the month. Kyla enjoyed dressing up as a cowgirl. Even more, she enjoyed the hot dog lunch. "The story teller and dancing were fun too!"

Life has it's ups and downs. This month, we truly experienced both of those. On the 24th, we lost a beloved member of our family. Grandpa/Great Grandpa John left this earth to join our heavenly father. Battling cancer, we knew his time with us was being cut short. Nonetheless, we were not quite ready to see him go. He was a great man who meant a great deal to many. He will be missed by more than just his immediate and extended families. Words truly cannot express the sadness and sorrow we are all feeling, but we can find comfort in the wonderful memories we have of Grandpa. May his light shine even brighter from heaven.