Just Woke Up

Dancing at Elmo Show

Tub

Getting Ready for Halloween

Leaves

Confused in the Bathroom

Eli & Hana Swing

Apple Cider Donut

Hazel starts cooing

Alphabet through F

Hazel Swings

Lily & Jason

November 2011 Photos

View the photos online
or order prints through Walgreens

October 2011

View the photos online
or order prints through Walgreens

Eli's Stick

Animal Sounds

Eli Meets Hazel at Home

Eli's Fist Bump

Hazel Yawns

Eli Eats His Corn

Eli Adores Hazel

Hazel without So Many Wires

Eli in the Backyard

Hiccups

Eli meets Hazel

Hazel's born!

September Photos

Over 40 photos last month! What do you expect now that Hazel's on the scene?!?!

Here are the photos for viewing online in Picasa Web Albums.

Here are the photos for ordering prints via Walgreens.

Hummus is Yummy

Car Sounds

Spinning Wheel

August Photos Again

After searching our iPhones, I did find a few notable photos of Eli for the month of August. Enjoy.

View them on Picasa Web Albums.

Order them from Walgreens.

August Photos

Well, it's only one. We must have been in baby girl preparation mode in the month of August for the photos of Eli were few and far between.

Basketball

Eli Falls Asleep

Fake Tantrum

Funny Face

Flying Bear

Bath Faucet Fun

Fire Engine

Eli Hugs Grace

Eli June 2011 Photos

View them online in Picasa Web Albums here.

Order prints from Walgreens here.

July Photos

View them online here.

Order prints here.

Scales

Spinning Chair

Ketchup

Ketchup Bottle

Eli Greets the Fans

Cleaning up at Burger King

Eli Drives

Pickup Stones

Horse Ride on Dad

Broom

New Shoes

Eli eats pizza

Bubble Wrap

School's Out Forever Dog

Ribbon Ball

Body Slams

Bread Slice

Eli makes some noise

Eli climbs a chair

Eli on a cleaning kick

Eli and the mouse

Eli picks flowers

Eli & Emma

Eli & Grace

Eli pulls a weed

Eli wakes up

Eli May Photos

View the photos in Picasa Web Albums.

Order prints from Walgreens.

Eli and the Easter Basket

Eli in the Tunnel

First Bites with a Fork

Glass Door

Chatty Eli

Eli the Hairdresser

Eli Fears the Koosh

Side Step

Why we baptized Eli today

Our pastor asked us to share with the congregation why we wanted to have Eli baptized. Here's what we told them:

1. Children have always been part of the covenant God has made with his people. Children were included all the way back in Genesis 17 in God's covenant with Abraham and again on Pentecost when Peter speaks about God's promise being "for you and for your children." Jen and I place our faith in this God, are members of Christ's church, and are filled with the Holy Spirit. As our son, Eli is part of our family, this New Community congregation, and the covenant community we call the Church.

2. We realize that baptizing Eli as a baby runs counter to the hyper-individualism rampant in America today. Baptism places the emphasis on God and what God has done in Christ and what God is doing in Eli. Eli's baptism today is far more about God than it is about Eli. Rather than focus on Eli's helplessness, just like our own, focus on God's graciousness. This sacrament is a visible sign of the invisible grace that God gives to Eli. Perhaps the easiest way to express it is that God says "yes" to Eli.

3. Baptism is not just a sign of God's faithfulness and unrelenting love, it is also a promise of future faith. We look forward to the day when Eli says "yes" back to God. Baptizing Eli makes blatantly clear what we already know - that God acts first in our salvation and that whatever faith we do have, it is because God has given it to us. We baptize Eli today in the promise of faith that is to come. Eli already has a relationship with Christ and the Church even if he has not made a decision to convert. In baptizing Eli, we demonstrate what is true: that Eli belongs to God and is a part of the covenant community until the day that he should reject them. In other words, Eli's "in" until he takes himself "out."

Desk Chair

Diaper Champ

Eli at the Playground

Eating Asparagus - Almost

Diaper Liners

Looking Outside

Failed Feeding

Eli April 2011 (8 photos), by Andrew Vanover

I'd like to share my Walgreens Photo Center photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

More April Photos

April Photos

First Steps

Eli took his first steps last Friday! I wasn't there, and this photo was taken maybe an hour after the event. Jen saw it live. Eli was standing at a bench at his friend Lukas' house. They were standing on this "bench" of two chairs facing each other. Eli was on one end of the "bench" and wanted to get to the other end...but Lukas was in the way. So he just stepped around Lukas to the other side of the bench! I guess all it took was a little motivation.

Eli and the Beads

Opening Birthday Presents

Room to Crawl

Crawling with Grandpa George

Eli Chuckles

Eli's Birthday Balloon

Eli claps

Eli and the Laundry

Eli March 2011 (21 photos), by Andrew Vanover

I'd like to share my Walgreens Photo Center photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

Eli March Photos

View them online here in Picasa Web Albums.

If you want to order prints, you can through Walgreens.

Eli and the Alarm Clock

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After the Donut...

Eli's First Birthday Donut

Eli's First Year Slideshow

Eli's First Birthday

Opening presents is fun...

...but not as much fun as reading the directions!

My first birthday cupcake, yum!!!

Grilled Filets on Valentine's

In the spirit of this forty-degree Chicago weather, I grilled a pair of filet mignons when Jen got home from work tonight. I love you!

Eli January 2011, by Andrew Vanover

I'd like to share my Walgreens Photo Center photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

Eli eats an apple