Thursday, January 27, 2011

Granny and Grandpa


Last week Logan's parents came to visit the boys and stay at our new house for the first time! They were our first overnight guests, which I loved, and the boys had a great time too!

Liam really took to Grandpa being at his house. He constantly wanted to play with him!

He liked his white beard, his low voice, and his hat!

We had a beautiful snow while they were here and got "snowed in" for a couple days.

It was a chance to watch the snow fall, sit by the fire, and take turns napping!


Liam took a lot of energy of course, but with four adults we all got some play time...

...and some rest time.

Zeke was constantly being held for a whole week, so now all I have to do is break him of his "I won't sleep unless I am being held" habit!

So we all miss having the extra help here at the house! Come back Granny and Grandpa!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Christmas Day!

I know Christmas has come and gone, but this year was our first Christmas in our new home!! So I wanted to document it a little, even if it is late. Here are a couple of pics of our living room and our main tree:



Mimi and Papaw came over for brunch and a little play time. If you ever come over, be prepared to get zipped up tight and get your shoes tried on by a certain little boy!


Even though we did Christmas with my parents on Christmas Eve, they had to bring just one more gift for the grandson to open Christmas morning!

Liam did not complain! It was a cozy little Christmas in our new home. Next year will be a little crazier with TWO boys almost 1 and almost 3! I better start getting ready now!!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was spent with my parents in their home. Even though we are able to be there a lot, it still was nice to go "home for the holidays."

We really missed Kari and John. We did get to skype and talk on the phone a couple times. Liam was really sad to only get to talk to them on the phone!

Mimi hand made several ornaments representing what Liam is into right now: airplanes, helicopters, cars, tricycles and big trucks!

He also jumped for joy when he got his new tent! He and Papaw had a great time!

Logan got a monster snow shovel that is coming in very handy right now with this weather!!

Liam was a little sick at that time, but overall a good time was had by all!
Merry Christmas!

Christmas at New Years!

We did the Banks Family Christmas at New Years this year at Levi and Sarah's house! It was fun to have everyone together for both Holidays rolled into one!

We made personal pizzas...



And the traditional Banks silly New Years hats!





New Years morning became Christmas morning and we all got some goodies!





Liam loved playing with Aletheia!

He absolutely loved her hats, toys, books, and pretty much her whole house!

They played very well together and I hope they stay close friends through the years!

Fun with the Family!

It seems that Zeke coming two weeks early, really caught me off guard! We wanted to post about Christmas and New Years, but did not get around to it in time! Well I am snowed in today, and thought I would post a couple pictures from our Banks Family Christmas at New Years!

On New Years night, Granny watched both the toddler cousins while we got some adult time in. We went to an arcade/bowling ally in Columbia, MO with Levi and Sarah and Grandpa.

The brothers ready for a duel:


Grandpa with two of his daughters-in-law:


Logan and I remembered that a couple weeks before Liam was due, we also went bowling! Here we tried to recreate a photo we took two years ago while I was carrying Liam!

Here I am with Zeke at 37 1/2 weeks:

And with Liam at 36 weeks:


Today (the 20th) is Zeke's actual due date and I am thankful he is already here with us!! Too bad he missed all the Holiday fun!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Winter Wonderland!

It wasn't "the first snowfall of the winter," but certainly the most accumulation we have had so far!

On Monday evening the snow was really starting to come down about the time Daddy was getting home from work. Liam heard the garage door and ran out to greet Logan. And he just lit up when he saw what was falling from the sky! He ran to the driveway and just stood looking straight up smiling.

"Snow!" he said. I had him come back inside and got him all bundled up and sent him outside with Daddy.

The first thing he did was dive down and roll around in this mysterious white stuff. The shock of the cold hit him and he cried a little. But, after he realized the true definition of cold, and that it would not hurt him, he was fine!


He ran up and down the sidewalk and watched it fall under the streetlights. Then they headed back to our front yard to make some snowballs! Logan taught him how to gather the snow in his hands.


Then Logan would say, "Go throw it at Mommy!" Liam would parrot, "Go frow to Mommy!" But then it would stick to his mittens! I know, I know. Those are not the right kind of mittens for snow. But I tried to dress him so quickly, and the good mittens just would not go on!! It was so cute how the snow would stick though!


Then Logan got to teach him how to clap his hands and watch the snow go swirling off the mittens.

It was such a sweet Daddy-Son experience, it almost made me teary! Liam loves his Daddy!


When they came inside I wished Liam was old enough for hot chocolate and marshmallows! That will come soon enough. The only thing he was thinking about was "Liam take a coat off." So Daddy helped him get undressed.

And Liam helped Daddy get undressed.

Logan let him bring a snowball inside and they put it in a cup to watch it melt. Liam's first science lesson! But, he was a little more interested in Daddy's hat.


What did Zeke think of all this? He was perfectly content to stay snuggled up in bed. I think he will be more excited about next year's snow!

Bringing Zeke Home

Sorry we haven't blogged since Zeke was born! Obviously, there are a lot of adjustments around here with 2 boys now!

We brought Zeke home on Saturday. It seemed like just yesterday we were bringing Liam home! I wanted to post a few pictures because coming home from the hospital has quite a tradition on the Bratvold side of the family.

My dad, Larry, was brought home on a snowy day in December in a special homemade outfit. Well, 27 years later the same outfit was on my sister, Kari, the day she went home from the hospital. Then 2 1/2 years after that, I wore the precious outfit!

Fastforward 28 years and I dressed my sweet first born, William Justice, in this keepsake. Here is Liam the day he came home from the hospital after he was born March 2, 2009.

And now 22 months after Liam, it was Zeke's turn! Here is little Ezekiel Bravery saying goodbye to the hospital and hello to his new life!



I think the boys look so much alike! We will see how they grow and change. At this point, Zeke has dark fuzz on his head, but Liam had little to no fuzz at this point. What he did have was strawberry blonde. Both priceless gifts from the Lord!