January 10, 2004

The fall and the holidays were a busy time for Evan, with lots of travel and visits with family.

In September we went to Albuquerque to visit Grandma and Grandpa Schultz, Aunt Jodi, Uncle James, and cousin Silas. We visited the New Mexico State Fair on our first night in Albuquerque, then we spent a long weekend at a cabin in southern Colorado, near the town of Antonita, where Evan had a great time playing on the trampoline set into the ground in the play yard. Evan enjoyed walking in the woods, but on the one long hike fell asleep on Mom's shoulder and took his nap on a blanket on the mountainside. Back in Albuquerque, he enjoyed Grandma and Grandpa's back yard, and a visit from our friends, the Lewis's.

In October Grandma and Grandpa Schultz came to visit us in Palatine. We went to an exhibit of sculpture from Zimbabwe at the Garfield conservatory. Evan went trick-or-treating at a few houses in our neighborhood, and thought the whole idea of getting candy was a good one - we had to stop him from walking up to people's front doors the next few times we walked outside.

In November, Mrs. Benjamin (Evan's godmother) gave a birthday party for Kristin. Evan thought the candle was fun, but couldn't wait until the singing was over to start on the ice cream cake!

For Thanksgiving we went to visit Grandpa Liming in Michigan. Evan's Liming great- grandparents, Aunt Katie and Uncle Skyler joined us for Thanksgiving dinner - which Evan slept through. He really enjoyed the pumpkin pie, though. We also visited Nana and Papa that weekend, and had a second Thanksgiving dinner with Great-Grandma Priestley and Papa's whole family.

Grandma Schultz came back in early December to provide child care while Kristin wrapped things up at work. During her visit, Kristin's Aunt Gloria and her cousin Becky came up from Omaha with Becky's three kids. The kids all enjoyed a birthday party for cousin Max, who lives in Lombard, and a visit to the DuPage Children's Museum. It was fun to have a mini-reunion of Kristin's side of the family, and get all the young kids together to play - Evan had a blast.

Evan was amazed when we put the Christmas tree up in the living room - he finally ended up just running around and around that level of the house in excitement. (Click here to see what we mean!) He was mesmerized by the lights on the tree, and learned the word "yellow" - which he uses for the color yellow, as well as for lights in general. We went to the Chicago Botanic Gardens for their Christmas celebration, and it was great; the trees were all beautifully decorated, as was the education center. Evan was particularly excited about the train which ran around the base of one of the Christmas trees, and he enjoyed a cup of hot cocoa, too - but the sleigh ride was not something he wanted to try. Maybe next year.

On Christmas Eve we went to church at 4:30, then to supper at the home of our good friends the Kinsellas. Santa visited while we were there, and Evan got brave enough to go up to get his presents (lots of trucks!), but still didn't want to have his picture with Santa. Christmas morning we opened our stockings, then headed off for Michigan, where we had supper with Grandpa Liming. While we were there, Evan said his first sentence! Lee held him up to see the top of the tree, and asked, "What's that, Evan?" And he answered, "It is a star." We were thrilled, of course.

We stayed with Nana and Papa for a few days after Christmas, and enjoyed a fun outing to Frankenmouth, as well as playing in the snow in Nana and Papa's fun back yard - Evan even sledded down their new hill on a garbage can lid! The whole Priestley clan got together for our annual Christmas dinner that weekend, and it was a great time. Evan made a huge haul in trucks, buses, etc., so the downstairs of our house looks like a parking garage now.

We were home for one day before flying to Albuquerque for New Year's, where we opened gifts yet again. Evan was thrilled with the warmer weather, which allowed him to play outside in the yard and the nearby park. We visited the new Explora! children's museum - not once, but twice - and Evan gave it a thumbs up. We also went to the Natural History Museum (otherwise known as the "dinosaur museum") with the Lewises.

We greatly enjoyed spending time with Evan's cousin, Silas, who was growing and growing and getting to be much more playful than the last time we'd seen him. Evan thought it was pretty neat to have a baby around, even though he did feel a little jealous still when Kristin or Lee held Silas or played with him. When we asked Evan what he thought about the idea of having a little baby brother or sister, he pointed at himself and said, very seriously, "Baby!"