Anabel's here

Anabel Jeanne Bechtel arrived on April 5th, 2011.

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Christmas in February

Wow! Time gets away from you. We had a great holiday season. Sam loved all the preparations and all the presents. Enjoy the pictures and Happy Valentine's Day.

The Continuing Adventures of Fred the Roarbot

Last week, El bought Sam some new jammies. One pair were robot-print with dials and tubes and switches. We now wear these almost every night. Additionally, Sam prefers to be called Fred these days. Fair enough.

I've posted up a couple of pictures from the last few months. The first is Sam on our recent flight to Las Vegas, the second is Sam playing in the huge sheets of bubble-wrap that our new gym equipment was packed in.

All in all, things are good. "La segunda" is due in about 10 weeks. We are lucky.

Sam's Big Swing

Last weekend we had a great, warm family day at Sinks Canyon. Sam enjoyed the BIG SWING on a rope anchored 80 feet overhead.

Dada and Sam

We were at a friend's wedding in Teton Valley a month ago and the best photographer in the world, Mei Ratz, took some beautiful pictures of Steve and Sam.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.

Sam has found a new love, ice cream. He is in summer heaven.

The ice cream headache grimace is so sweet and memorable.

A summer evening in the yard.

Sam is enjoying his diaper free days of summer. He likes to watch himself go potty in the grass or on the concrete. We had a nice evening on Sunday after a relaxing weekend with Nana. Nana brought all things elephants. Sam was especially excited by the greeting card that trumpeted when you opened it. Steve and I had been trying to make good elephant noises but failing. Nana showed up just in time.

These boots were made for walking...

Sam's 2nd Birthday

Sam's second birthday was a bit postponed due to the stomach flu. Both Steve and Sam were sick for a couple of weeks. I luckily avoided it.

Aunt Leslie and Uncle Scott made Sam's cake again this year. It tasted as good as it looked. Happy Birthday little boy.

Sunglasses

Two Cool dudes. Asha gave Sam fast red sunglasses for his birthday.

Sick Sam on his Birthday

The light's on
In the middle of the night
There's a sick little child around
Momma said to Poppa "Don't you worry, I think her fever's coming down."

Oh yes and I know, it's just a cold or it's just the flu
But I say a little prayer,I say a little prayer for you
I say a little prayer, I say a little prayer for you
Let her get better, let her get better soon please.

Put Aretha Franklin on
Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up, turn it up
In the middle of the night
Cause that'll do as much good
As any medicine
To make her feel alright

Momma been a walkin with ya
Poppa been a walkin with ya
Walkin up and down the hallway
Look out the window
See the city lights shining
When you're sick you look so tiny
I'm gonna put you in my pocket
Go down to where it's warmer
I'm gonna throw you in the ocean
And you will turn into a dolphin
And when you get all better
You will swim back to me

Let her get better
Let her daddy get better too
Let em get better so I can get better too.

I say a little prayer. I say a little prayer for you.

More to see!

We have so many new pictures. I'm going to keep going until we are caught up.

Uncle Scott and Aunt Leslie gave Sam skis as an early Birthday present.

Jagoe found some gently worn cowboy boots at a Jackson thrift shop. They are too big but Sam doesn't care. He loves them. He's a real cowboy now.

A sleepy car ride to see the buffalo in Thermopolis.

Spring??

Wow! It has been a really long time since we posted. Here goes. We are busy. Steve was in Cincinnati for a good friend's wedding. He also managed two days of climbing in the Red River Gorge. He can be very creative when he wants to be. Two days after he left I left for the Grand Canyon with my brother, Matt and two friends, Neil and Christine. We completed a "Grand" adventure in the Rim to Rim to Rim. That's right, South Rim to North Rim and back. It was a beautiful challenge. When asked were Mama was Sam said, "Mama run all over". Sam survived both trips and loved visits from Nana and Grandma and Grand Dad.

We have had lots of snow and rain this spring. It doesn't feel like spring or summer yet. Sam is growing and changing every day. He loves to talk and he does it well. We hear "what's that" a lot. Sam's 2nd Birthday is right around the corner. The time has flown by. He loves the Happy Birthday song and will be so thrilled when everyone is singing it to him!

Last night we went to the Gannett Grill for dinner. After dinner we were enjoying some chocolate peanut butter cookie made by Sophie when Sam proclaimed he was eating a "poop cookie". Steve and I practically fell off the picnic table bench we laughed so hard. Talking is so fun.

Springtime?

The time gets away from us. Sam is growing and changing so fast that we'd be hard-pressed to capture it all, even if we posted daily. This spring is all about bikes and playing with the shop-vac in the garage. No matter what the weather, Sam's preference is "outside." It's either "yeyyow bike" or "boo bike" or the wagon. Sometimes, he prefers to go on foot, and would like you to run with him, saying, "Dada run!"

He engages the dogs more now, talking directly to "Bug" and "Ovid." Olive is the more patient of the two, and will occasionally even let him sit on her back.

My current favorite is when Sam sees something he really likes. He leans slightly forward at the waist an makes the "oooh" sound, then says, "Whoa...dude!"

As always, the days are too short and race away.

Dancin Machine

"one, two, three, two..."

Sam is learning and growing so fast, it's hard to keep up.

Last weekend, we froze out at the Sled Dog Races, and then climbed in the sun at Sinks in the afternoon.

Sam's "hat"

Happy Holidays

The Bechtels had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. We spent Christmas in Casper with family and 2009 ended with pots and pan banging at 6:30 PM. Sam wouldn't make it to midnight and neither would Steve and me.

We are so grateful for a wonderful year full of happiness and adventure. We are also looking forward to what 2010 holds. We wish you all a happy and healthy year.

Christmas is coming and we are all sick. Today will be another pajama-wearing-house-bound-snot-blowing-day. The cold that Sam caught two weeks ago has now infected Steve and me. I keep thinking that when I we wake up in the morning someone will feel better but during the night something happens and instead someone feels worse. Don't worry Family we will do whatever it takes to kick this cold before we see you on Thursday.

We were discussing our pre-Sam health this morning. Oh what a wonderful thing it was. It seems that no amount of hand-washing can take us back to that place.

Despite our colds we are all very excited for Christmas and to see everyone.

I hope you are wrapping gifts and drinking egg nog!

Ellen

Fall 2009

Time is flying by. Since the last time we wrote, Sam has become a very big boy. In late October, we drove to Denver, and flew to Kentucky (via a short visit to cousin Caleb) to go climbing. We stayed a week with our good friends Janelle, Mike, Axel, and Lucas Anderson at their cabin in the Red River Gorge.

Sam has learned so many new words we can't even remember them all. He's figuring things out faster than Mom and Dad can adapt. Like how to get on the kitchen table, how to make calls on the phone, how to slide the child safety gate away from the fireplace, how to climb up onto the bed, open boxes, reach into the knife drawer, open the oven, turn on/off the gas on the stove, unplug appliances, flush the toilet, unroll the toilet paper (only one full roll at a time), put toys in the garbage can, get in the dishwasher, open closet doors, throw heavy objects, using a broom or stick to clear off tables or shelves, and how to get on Olive's back for a short ride.

Sam has become very conversational, and is really fond of kissing...especially Mama. When upset, he has several ways of saying her name. Moh-Maaah, Maw-mae, Baba (when his nose is stuffy), MaMAA, etc. Ellen started a list recently, and ended up with many more words than would fit on one page.