christmas tree

Dustin took this video of Elijah helping us put up the Christmas tree. Eli loves the tree, he is in total awe of it. He has to have the lights on anytime that he is downstairs.

Thanks Dad!

When Dustin and I got married I brought three dressers with me that my dad had refinished for me. One is completely mine, one is Eli's and the other one Dustin shares with me. In WV we bought Dustin a dresser at a second hand store, so Dustin would have one of his own. The dresser was nice and all but it was HEAVY and the drawers were tiny. So my Dad found this dresser at a estate sale and refinished it to match the two dressers that I already had. The dresser is really, really nice! Dustin very much enjoys having his own drawers to put his clothes in. THANKS DAD!!!!

Elijah at 21 months

Well the end of last month Elijah turned 21 months old. It is hard to believe that in just a few short months he will be two! Unfortunately Dustin and I both agree that he is already starting to enter the Terrible Twos though. His favorite word is "no" and he likes to say it all day everyday about everything. The only time he does say yes is when you ask him about "M's" (m&m's) and anything related to Spongebob. He has a fascination with clocks (wall clocks and watches) and will excitedly point them out wherever he sees them. He also knows 10 letters of the alphabet, and he loves to yell them out over and over again when he sees them. He almost always has one of Daddy's Astros hats on his head. He even takes his naps wearing them most days. He loves playing with his Mr. Potato head and our living room is always covered in all the little pieces from him. He has figured out how to lock the dead bolt on our garage door. And he even locked Dustin in the garage this last weekend. Overall, Elijah is a fun little guy that keeps us busy and very entertained. Everyday is a new adventure with him, and it is really fun to watch him change every day. This is Elijah's favorite way to watch Sesame Street, which is one of his favorite shows. I love Sesame Street because when it is on Eli is glued to the tv for a whole hour!

Peppers, Pickles and Olives

Elijah is a very funny kid. He hardly eats anything, and when he does decide to eat he wants things with very grown-up flavors. He loves pickles and olives, both the green and the black. Anytime the fridge door opens he runs and points at and yells for a pickle or olive. He would eat a whole jar of either one at a sitting if I let him. LOL He also has decided that he likes green and red peppers raw. Unfortunately they do not like him and they give him horrible painful gas. Now you are probably asking yourself why if this was the case would I let him eat the few pieces he is eating in the picture. Honestly he has to be involved in everything I do in the kitchen so not letting him watch me cut the peppers was not an option. I tried to trick him though by cutting up an apple first and giving him a wedge of that, but he was not fooled. He would grab every slice of pepper that I cut and take one small bite from it and then move on to the next slice. The whole time making "mmmmmmmm" sounds and little happy noises to make sure that Dustin and I both knew how pleased he was with himself. I didn't realize how quickly the small bites he had taken added up until later that night when I was up all night dealing with a screaming unhappy kid. Thank goodness for infant gas relief medicine! lOL

Happy Hallowen

Little Amusements

Okay, that crazy thing around Elijah's neck is a cone-shaped dog collar. When we were visiting my parents their labrador Gus had a boo-boo on his tail that he would not leave alone. So the vet gave my parents this collar for him to wear. Well, Gus wanted absolutely nothing to do with the collar, but Elijah loved it. He wore it for several hours before it was time to go to bed. What a goober!

Glad When Daddy Comes Home

Everyday Elijah listens for Dustin's car to come down the street, and then he runs to the window to wait for his Daddy. It is amazing because we will be in the kitchen making dinner and Eli will just stop what he is doing and will go running to the door. He hears Dustin's car before you can even see it coming down the street! Pretty incredible for a little guy. Then when Dustin comes in the door Eli has to take his glasses and badges and wear them around the living room for a while to act like Daddy. Elijah also takes Dustin's boots and put them very nicely and neatly in front of the door.

Cheese Head

Every night about an hour to an hour and a half before Elijah goes to bed he goes crazy with energy. He will run and run and run around the living room until Dustin and I are very ready for him to go to bed. Last night he found his cheese head hat in the closet and he acted like a crazy man with it.

Bay Beach Park

There is a really nice park down the road from us that is really fun. They have a small zoo with local animals there including a porcupine, mountain lion, coyote and wolves. There are tons of squirrels and chipmunks that will run right onto the trail to meet you to see if you have food for them. We brought sunflower seeds with us and I would put a little pile of the seeds on the ground right in front of Eli in the stroller. It was hilarious to watch the chipmunks pack their cheeks with the seeds. The park also has a large pond/man made lake that is filled with ducks and geese. It was a little crazy when Elijah and I started feeding the ducks and geese, because as soon as they saw the food all of them ran at us. And there are probably close to a hundred of them all gathered together, which is a little overwhelming. Elijah was fearless though, I was more nervous than he was. Especially when one goose hissed and kind of charged at him! I quick grabbed him and pulled him back to me, but Elijah was completely unphased.

Happy Anniversary

Today is Dustin and I's third anniversary. The last three years Dustin and I have been through alot together. We have had some amazingly great and joyful times and we have had some hard times as well. The greatest thing is that every moment, even the hardest and the worst, have brought us closer together and have helped us grow in our marriage. I am grateful for the life Dustin and I have together and for the joy that Elijah has brought to our family.

Elijah's New Style

Elijah got a haircut this last weekend. It took all three of us a few days to get used to his new look. Elijah would not touch his hair for about a day, but he has since accepted his new hair style. It has taken me a little longer to get used to how different he looks. He no longer looks like my baby, he is a little boy now. Elijah also has recently decided that he needs to pick the clothes that he wears each day by himself. He does not differentiate between pajamas and clothes, so he sometimes leaves the house in a combination of the two. He will often go through several shirts and pants in a day, sometimes even wearing a few of each all at the same time. He also likes to try to wear my clothes, he will try to put on anything that is left on the floor or in an open basket, hamper or drawer. He especially likes my socks, slippers and shoes.

Who live's in an apartment in Green Bay, WI?

Spongebob Eli pants!!!! Elijah got some new pajamas this week and they instantly have became his favorite pair. Somehow, despite all of Dustin and I's efforts Elijah has become Spongebob's biggest fan. Anytime he hears the show, even if it is just a second of the opening song while we are flipping past it, he runs and claps until we let him watch it.

Bear Lake, Utah

We are so grateful that Uncle Kirk and Aunt Heidi invited us to visit with them and many other members of the Dexter family at their house in Utah. Elijah and Dustin had both never met any of the members of my Mom's side of the family. It was really great to see Elijah meet his Great Grandma Dexter who has showered him with beautiful hand made gifts for the last 18 months. I was glad too that Dustin was also able to meet some of the cousins that I tell him stories about from when we were little. Everyone welcomed Dustin and Elijah with open arms and love, Dustin fit right in with the family. He even enjoyed the Dexter sense of humor! LOL We all had a great time in Utah and I will cherish the memories we made for all the years to come.

Bear Lake Beach

Even though the water in Bear Lake was too cold for Elijah to want to swim in, he had a great time digging and getting very dirty in the sand on the beach.

Fun with the ATV

The view from the top of the ridge where Uncle Kirk and Aunt Heidi live overlooking Bear Lake.

Uncle Kirk let Dustin bring the rest of us out in his fancy 6 person ATV. It was a blast!

Elijah was not too happy about the helmet he had to wear, but he most definately enjoyed the ride and the wind on his face.

Driving Miss Addie

Elijah and my cousin Jody's little girl Addie had a great time together. They were quick buddies, and they played together the whole visit. They were adorable to watch together.

Horseback Riding in Cache National Forest

While we were visiting the Dexter Family in Utah we were able to go horseback riding in the Cache National Forest. The ride was two hours long with a lunch break in the midle. The first half of the ride was up the mountain and the last half was the ride back down. Which let me tell you was alot harder on the body than the ride up. LOL I think everyone's bum was a little sore. But the views were definately worth the pain. The view from the top of the mountain truly made you appreciate all of the amazing and beautiful wonders that our Heavenly Father has made for us to enjoy.

Dustin took this picture so unfortunately he is not in it. But you can see the guide in the front, my cousin Taylor, Uncle Kirk, my cousin Paige, me and my Dad. We took a trail that went all along the top ridge of the mountain. The view was gorgeous!

My Dad, Uncle Kirk and I right before we started the ride.

Elijah and Cousin Jack

While we were in Utah last week we were able to meet Elijah's newest cousin Jack. Jack is a real cutie and we were gald that we got to meet him. I think Eli liked Jack, he was just kind of wary of him. I think Elijah was amazed that such a little guy could be alive.

Fun with Stickers

Elijah is 18 Months Old!

On Sunday Elijah was officially 18 months old. Our little guy is growing up so fast. He had his wellness check at the doctor today, and the doctor said everything is great. The doctor did grin and say that Eli's head is a little large for his size. But Dustin and I are alright with that since we know his head is just larger than the norm because he is a genius. LOL We were excited to find out that Eli has finally broken 20lbs for his weight, he now weighs 21.6lbs, and he is 31" tall. The last few months it has been really fun to watch Eli. He has started singing in the car with me, and he sings to himself while he plays with his toys. His favorite words are "ticka, ticka, ticka" that he says when he tickles mom and dad and he loves to say "eyes" and then poke you in the eyes (lovingly of course). He also likes to ask "what's this" or say "ohhhh, this" and clap his hands when he finds something he knows he shouldn't play with. He loves to wear shoes, and lately he insists on wearing two different ones at the same time. His favorite combination is to wear one white and blue Velcro tennis shoe and one brown leather sandal. It is truly a great look, and he has sported it all over Green Bay. He loves the video of silly sesame street songs that Grandma and Grandpa got him, and he tries to convince Dustin and I to let him watch it over and over again. Right now a few of the foods will actually eat are Curious George fruit snacks, green beans, chicken nuggets, fish sticks and strawberries.

Exercising the 2nd Ammendment

Dustin and a few of the other Tuggle Amigos (Uncle Frank and Dad) went shooting to celebrate the 4th of July. Dustin was excited because he was able to shoot the SKS for the first time since he had made some improvements and changes to the stock and some other parts of the gun. My Dad was very excited to go shooting (if you couldn't tell by the goofy little boy grin on his face.) Uncle Frank shooting his chinese SKS.

Happy 4th of July

We had a great 4th of July this year. We went to see my parents and the Tuggle family in Illinois. Aunt Kathy and Uncle Jerry had everyone come over for a BBQ, and Erin made us this very festive and very yummy cake for dessert. Uncle Jerry gave Elijah a flag and he was more than willing to put on a show of his patriotism for everyone. He ran around waving the flag and dancing for everyone until he was exhausted and couldn't do it anymore. Dustin and I brought some sparklers and a fountain thing down from Wisconsin with us and we set them off at my parents house. Elijah loved the sparklers, but he was a little wary of the fountain and the whizzing and screaming noises that it made as it sparked.

Daddy's Little Helper

Elijah loves helping Daddy do "manly" things around the house. He especially likes playing with Dustin's tools, so Dustin bought him his very own Craftsman set. The set is really cute, it came with a little rolling tool chest with a tool box full of tools that attachs to the top of the cart. Elijah loves that he can roll the whole set wherever Dustin goes. The cart has slots on the top of it so Eli can attach the nuts and bolts to the top ELi now has his very own hammer that he can use, which is better than him carrying around Dustin's heavy real one He has figured out how to use both the flat head and the philips head screwdrivers He has not figured out what he is suppossed to use the pliers for yet though

Texas with the Coffmans

We were able to go and visit with all of Dustin's family, (minus his brother Andrew who is on his mission) at their parents house in Texas. We had a great time fishing, swimming and just visiting with everyone. Elijah loved seeing his cousins Savannah and Cammi. Elijah enjoying his first real swim. He really took to the water! Okay, well this picture is just funny! His legs look hilarious underneath his big inner tube swimming suit. Elijah getting ready to "dive" into the water. Elijah loves his cousin Cammi and wanted to do everything she did and be everywhere where she was. Cammi was really great about playing with him. The guys all went fishing at the lake behind Lily and Brian's house. Dustin caught a big ol' catfish. It was so hot and humid the few days we were there that the camera lens fogged up, and that is why the picture is blurry around the edges. It was amazing how humid it was. Ugh!