A Picture Memory

This picture was altered in photoshop to create a unique twist to the normal photographs we post. It represents a memory of this Christmas from Ethan's perspective. He's so young and innocent, as he looks at our tree and all the objects and lights. What a distraction to have all the toys and presents underneath. As he sat there staring at everything that early morning he said to us, "Mommy, did Ho Ho bring that other little boy toys like me?" As he's looking at all that is there, Nate was taking pictures and captured that moment. And although some would say it isn't a great photo because you can't see his face, we see something different. That he stopped and wondered about someone else's Christmas morning.

Santa Delivered

Christmas came early on Sunday morning - around 6:30 a.m. Apparently, Santa had stopped by during the night and left what I had asked for. A new robot. I also got some sets to build robots on my own (Kinex), the board game Candyland, a music/microphone cassette player, Dora the Explorer V-tech game, Buzz Lightyear underwear, and many other nice things....
We spent the day at my Grandma & Grandpa Vote's house (aka Mama & Papa) with our family - my favorite Aunt Lynn & Uncle Steve were there. My Uncle Layne (aka "Dude") and Laban & Lori teased me all afternoon. Everyone ate and played cards. We also opened presents together and I got some more nice things. When we got home I was exhuasted. Too much activity for one day. Overall, I'd say we had a nice Christmas. We're very blessed. Hope you all enjoyed the holidays as much as we did - just being together!

My Favorite Things.....

It's almost here....I'm sure I'll have many pictures to share with you after Christmas. But for today, I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite things (or at least until I get that Robot I asked Santa for).

I have 4 blankets just like this one - 2 blue ones, 1 purple one, & 1 green one. My MaMa gave my mom the purple one before I was even born. They noticed how much I loved that specific blanket, as it has a certain feel, when I was a baby. It became my favorite. So my mom went to JCPenney's and bought 3 more exactly the same. Ever since I could grasp items, I would find the corner of this blanket and put it between my fingers, rubbing my nose with it as I went to sleep. I'm 3 1/2 and I still have the same routine today.
My other favorite thing is Larry the cow. I've been sleeping with him for a long time and he's "my buddy." I take very good care of him. When he's sick, I give him medicine. When he misses his mommy, I give him kisses & hugs. When he's tired, I tuck him in bed. He takes care of my by keeping me company at night.

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! Love, Ethan

Merry Christmas!!!

I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas!!! I'm looking forward to the season this year. I'm understanding more and more about how Christmas came about. Although I enjoy recieving gifts, my parents have talked a lot this year about givingto others who may not be as fortunate as we are. I've helped picked out presents for our family members on my own and for a needy family. Each year we adopt a family through my mom's work and buy gifts for them - so that they can have a nice Christmas like we are blessed to have each year. This year it was a single mom with a 3 year old boy and I gave several toys and some clothes of mine. At first I was hestitant to "share" my toys, but last night I surprised both my mom and dad. I have two of the exact same robots that I recieved for my birthday. And although I play with them both, last night I (totally on my own - out of the blue) told my parents that I only needed one robot and I wanted to give the other to a little boy who doesn't have a robot. "That would make him happy."

Needless to say my mom and dad were surprised, but extremely proud. I may be 3 1/2, but it's never to early to start instilling the value of giving. Of course I got a lot of praise for my willingness to share and mom said that made her Christmas this year.

As you will see in the picture, I have my own little tree in my room. I help decorate it ever year and we have a couple family Christmas traditions:

1) We always open presents on Christmas morning at our house. I have one big unopened gift that comes from Santa and is sitting out when I wake up. Then we go to my Grandma and Grandpa Vote's or My Aunt Lynn & Uncle Steve's and just enjoy the day with all of them.

2) Every year I get a new pair of pajama's that I open on Christmas Eve (after midnigt mass). I wear these to bed that night and then I have them on Christmas morning and look extra cute :)

3) Since I have my own tree, I pick out an ornament every year that represents "me". So it's something that I have interest in. For instance my first Christmas I was only 5 months old, so Mom & Dad choose a Firetruck because my room was decorated in cars, trucks, & airplanes. My second Christmas ornament was a duck with googles and flippers, because I had been taking swim classess (with Mom & Dad) and LOVED water!!! Last year I helped decide on an Elmo ornament because I enjoyed Sesame Street. This year I choose on my own - and I picked out a Scooby Do ornament, because I've discovered that tv cartoon and it was one of Dad's favorite's as a kid, so we watch it together (plus I like dogs). So every Christmas this is a tradition for us. That's our family traditions this time of year. I hope we have many Christmas seasons to come and enjoy these things. Usually we travel north and spend New Years with my dad's side of the family (my other grandparents/family), but this year we are staying home because mom just had surgery again and needs to take it easy. Hopefully we'll see them soon, because I miss seeing them and enjoy seeing them.

Merry Christmas!!! More pictures to come later.
Love, Ethan

TURKEY DAY IS GREAT

Turkey Day was great here! We did a lot of fun things. I had a special Thanksgiving lunch at school and mom came to eat with me. I also made a cool hat with special feathers and wore it all week at home. We put up our Christmas tree in the living room over the weekend and we also put my little tree up in my room. I helped put the decorations up "all by myself." I'll get pictures up soon. As for Turkey Day - Dad was in charge of cooking the turkey this year for our family dinner. He prepared by spending a lot of time getting this bird ready. Mom thought he was crazy to "marinate" a turkey, because she said he'd end up frying off all the seasoning or catch something on fire (which he didn't).

Dad was a little disappointed that the turkey ended up a little more "done" than he wanted, despite following the directions as to how long to fry it. He thought he'd ruined it, but it turned out to be very good. Everyone loved it! Even though it was a little crispy on the outside, it was very juicy on the inside. I think he's started a new family tradition for Thanksgiving - which probably means we'll be in charge of the turkey every year now - mom will love that.
By the way, I did help Dad in the kitchen. Everytime he wasn't looking I was touching the bird because it was wierd. Dad kept making me wash my hands everytime I touched it. I didn't understand because I can touch it when I eat at the dinner table....he tried to explain.

And someone gave us free tickets to the circus, so mom and MaMa took me. I got to ride a pony! It was a lot of fun going with them and eating popcorn. We watched animals and clowns run around. I hope we can go again next year.