More Birthdays.....

We asked Emrey where she wanted to celebrate her 3rd birthday and she emphatically requested the "space center", also known as Johnson Space Center. It has become a favorite date for her and her dad as Ellis is able to get in free with his badge. There is a rotating exhibit with kid friendly activities, but Emrey's favorite is a three story twisty slide that is always there! So we invited a few of her closest friends to join us there to play and then go to our favorite pizza place.... how much better can it get!

She and her good friend Rowan fearlessly went down the slide!

Again..and again...and again....

Sarah and Emma have become some of our closest friends here in Houston...
we are REALLY going to miss them!

Friends....Rowan, Emma, Ava and Halley

Eli's ONE!!!

It's hard to believe, but this guy is one year old! We celebrated by having a few of our closest friends over to celebrate his little life and to thank them for all their support and care for us as a family over this past year! Below are a few shots from his party as well as the past couple weeks. He is definitely on the move these days! He loves to cruise all around and is especially into climbing, as the pictures will show.

At one year, Eli loves his monkey (that he and Emrey received when he was born) they each got one. When he is crawling around the room and finds it, he hugs it and rocks back and forth! He usually has it, along with his blanket when he goes to sleep! He loves the water table, out back and would probably go out and get soaking wet at every chance he could get! He loves his sister and just lights up when she comes into the room, or kicks and jumps up and down if I'm holding him and she comes running by. He gets really excited when she laughs or screams.

As for things Eli does not like...any type of change, clothing or diaper...he'd much rather be on the move. Getting into his car seat is another dreaded event for Eli, as he has to be strapped down and immobile for long lengths of time...He hates napping, as he knows for sure, that he is missing out on something. He usually starts crying and trying to fight my attempts at rocking the minute we cross over the threshold to his room and I give him his blanket. Eli is not a rocker...at least not with me...He prefers to babble himself to sleep in his crib and fights any attempts to rock or sing to him, unless he's exhausted! There's just too much he's got to do, he has no time for sleep!

As of one year, Eli is still napping twice a day, usually in the morning around 10 and then again in the afternoon around 2:30/3. Since we often have activities we are going to, he's not always on schedule and often just takes one long nap...but still really needs two! He has four teeth, two on the bottom and 1.5 on the top, right in the middle! For some reason weaning Eli was a bit more emotional for me...as I think he would have gone forever, whereas Emrey was finished and never looked back. But, I know it's good and the transition must take place! Eli is huge and ranked 80% in his weight (25 lbs.) and 75% in his height at his one year appointment. He was also really brave when he had to get four separate shots at once this visit :(

Picture session

So, for Christmas last year, we received a gift of pictures from the Kings! After almost a year, we finally got around to using it! We ended up having a friend of mine (Megan Thurman) take our photos and these are just a few of the first one's she posted on her blog for a sneak peak! I'm really excited to see the rest of them...when they are finished!

Emrey, almost three!

Eli, almost one! Hard to believe!

Surprise Shower!

Just got back from Sarah's surprise wedding shower in New Hampshire! Eli came with and he was such a great little traveler! I missed Emrey terribly, but I will say, it was very nice to have only one little one on the flights! The foliage was even more gorgeous than I ever remember! And getting to spend time with Sarah, Bets and Kath was so great! Seeing mom and dad was great too!

While there, we got to go apple picking and enjoy some cool weather for a change!

Chilling, listening to some bluegrass, eating cider doughnuts for lunch!

Aunt Kath, our roomate!

Eli, 11 months!

The Mezey's....

Samuel Mezey, ADORABLE!

And the trip wouldn't be complete without a few trips with Pappo down to the corner store!

Calling All Princesses!

So, here is a preview of Emrey's "princess dress", the dress she will be wearing to Aunt Sarah's wedding this New Years! It arrived this past week, and she was so thrilled when she opened the box, and wanted to put it on immediately! She says that she and mom will be princesses and dad will be the prince! All week, she has requested to put it on to show anyone who comes over.

One of Emrey's favorite activites these days is painting. She is always asking to paint...and it's not always the best time, but when we can, we try to get them out! Here she is pretty focused on whatever it was she was painting at the time.

And Eli....continues to get into trouble, every time I turn around, it seems! He is a love though and so cuddly and happy! He is definitely on the move and pulling up on everything! He is trying to walk, with anything he can hold onto and make move...sometimes with great success and other times not so much! But he is tough!

And of course, everything still goes in the mouth!

Emrey scored this penguin at a yard sale we went to one saturday. The man insisted she take it home for free! So...we gave it a good bath in the washer and she has been pretty attached to it since, wanting to take it everywhere she goes...

Here he is pulling up...

And, "helping" with the dishes....

And trying really hard to get into this cabinet!

It is getting cooler here...but still hot in the middle of the day...so we stripped him down..., obviously Eli is doing fine, weight wise!

Here he is on a secret mission at the playground!

Above and below are Emrey's first attempts at taking a picture with the camera...with a little help from mom holding it while she attempted to push the button!

Five Years!

It's hard to believe we celebrated our Five year anniversary this past weekend! We decided to drive out to San Antonio and take Ben and Kath up on an offer to watch our kids! Ellis and I did an overnight and got to go swimming in Hamilton Pond, a natural spring fed swimming hole near Austin! We also did some wine tasting at a few vineyards in the Hill Country and stayed at a great B & B, Alexandra's House, in Wimberly. Not only did we get to sleep in, but we were served breakfast (for a change), the most delicious lemon, ricotta pancakes! After our night away, we got to hang out with the Hollo's for the afternoon, swimming and eating great food, that Kath so graciously made! We hit the road at bedtime, so all the little ones could sleep on the way home (which makes for much smoother car rides). I feel so incredibly blessed with all God has given us and the amazing relationship Ellis and I have...although we're still learning and trying to figure out this marriage thing! Hopefully we'll have many more anniversaries to celebrate!

Hamilton Pool

The porch of the B & B

Oh...it wouldn't be a King family blog post with out a kid....Eli is now standing up in his crib!!

And I just love this photo of Eli...he was very curious about these weights when we had them out last week! It's hard to believe, but someday I'm sure he'll lift much more than his mom's measly little 15 pound weights!