Vintage Vault

Here is a random cute video of our boy. It's been in a folder on our computer desktop called "Videos to blog" for about 3 months. So... enjoy some classic Elijah back when he was learning that he could use his voice!

Thanksgiving in Delaware!

This year the Brechts decided to go to Delaware for Thanksgiving. Why? We wanted to be closer to the original Thanksgiving location where the holiday was first celebrated. Mission accomplished. We got to experience many East Coast phenomena that we midwesterners (Josh and Elijah) don't understand.
1. Friendly's. Late night Ice Cream. Better than Cold Stone? Yes. Cheaper than Cold Stone? Yes. Especially when your waitress messes up your order and you get 2 sundaes and fries for free.
2. Cheese Steaks. Anyone who has EVER been to an eating establishment that offers a menu item called Philly Cheese Steak with Gail will know her passion, fury, and outrage!!!! "IT'S NOT A REAL CHEESE STEAK UNLESS IT'S IN PHILLY," she will scream as she slaps you in the face for even thinking about ordering one! So we had a Cheese Steak... in Delaware (which apparently counts as authentic, by the way). It was glorious. She's right. Midwest imposters are not even in the game.
3. Fancy Pants Thanksgiving Dinner. We even drank wine from Crystal wine glasses. Ooooo...faaabulous.

Here's the play by play:
Elijah's first Thanksgiving! He was PUMPED for dinner!

The feast begins... with sweet potatoes!

Remember folks... one of these containers is considered a full meal for him... our son knows what Thanksgiving is all about!!!

The formal pose:

Okay. This is Elijah's new favorite thing. He LOVES being upside down! He has discovered the joy of blood all rushing to his head and thinks it's HILARIOUS!

With Vera...

Uncle John teaching him how to listen to rap music

Uncle Bob throwing the kid...

Aunt Christine making Big E laugh...

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAL!!!!!!!!!!

My favorite new toy is my new soccer ball from Tia Christy. She gave it to me at the beach this summer. I've been practicing since I got it, and I think I'm ready to play!


He spies the ball...


He looks for the goal...

He kindly asks the goalie if he could put the ball in the net.

He shoots...

He...

sucks his fingers.

We've got lots of work to do, son.

Fall Fun!

Our friends next door took Elijah for his first ride in a Radio Flyer. They filled it with leaves and pretended it was a hay rack ride on the farm! Here's some pictures and thoughts from Elijah:

I'm a big boy!

Here's my next door friend Chris, who helped fill the tractor with leaves. He also made a fort to play in, but I'm too small just yet. Chris makes me laugh a lot!!

I started getting sleepy from all that work.

So Mommy came and picked me up and put me to bed.

We love our neighbors! Thanks for great fall fun!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Hey friends and family! It's my first halloween. Mom and dad did not really consult me on my costume choice. I wanted to be Slash (the guitarist from Guns-n-Roses) but since I can't talk yet... I ended up being Baby Bumble Bee Brecht. I'm pretty adorable.

I LOVE my mama!

Pumpkins? What are these? Can I eat them?

Can I eat that one?

Pumpkins are off limits, I guess. But MAN I love to suck these fingers!!!!!

Bzzzz bzzzz bzzz --- Trick or Treat! Bobbing for candy is fun!

I came up with a butterfingers.
I like my own fingers, thank you very much.
I don't know how the real candy tastes, but the wrapper is fantastic!

Pollinate, pollinate, make honey - honey make honey honey - honey!!

How many photos can I be in today?! I've had it! I'm going to eat my play gym!

Going in for the sting.

After the fun at home, we went to a bonfire and party at the neighbors house. I hung out and EVERYONE wanted to hold me because I'm the cutest.

All in all, it was a pretty good first Halloween.

I Miss Grandma

Remember me, Grandma?

It's Elijah.

I miss you today. I'm wearing the cute outfit you gave me for fall, and I miss your pretty smile.Mommy and Daddy and I are going to carve pumpkins today.

But it won't be the same without you and Grandpa.

We're praying for you and missing you and hoping you have a happy halloween, and that you get lots of candy and give it all to me.

Tell Grandpa I'm going to be REALLY scary tomorrow.

(He'll need some prep time to get over how scary I'll look.)

We love you, and can't wait to see you again!

Fun on the Farm!!!

Hi. It's Josh, here. I haven't blogged for a long, long, long, long time since I've been busy reading heavy books with large words and writing papers. Today is Messiah Church's youth Halloween party, and I needed to shave my beard for the costume. I figured as long as I am going THIS wild already, why not blog?

A couple of weeks ago we went to Iowa when both Gail and I had some time off work. We stayed with Elijah's grandparents and had a Fuller Still concert in Monticello, IA (woo woo!). The concert was Graham-less, but we were still well received. Apparently Lutherans don't need drums to have a good time. Who knew?

Elijah would like to tell you a little about his visit...

Hey, friends. Whatz Up? I went to Grandpa and Grandma's house and it ruled!

Grandma got this fancy car-chair-spaceship-mobile thing! I handled it like a pro!

Here I am inventing. Yes, to the untrained eye it may look like I'm just playing, having fun, and looking cute. But no, I'm working on inventing cool stuff. Like a diaper that changes itself, and a remote control to get Mom and Dad to do WHAT I want, WHEN I want!

No, Minnesotan friends, this is not snow, it's just a white blanket. Calm down.
Mom and Grandma thought it would be fun to have a photo shoot. Apparently, rather than being the next Thomas Edison, they have big dreams of me being the next Derek Zoolander. I am pretty adorable!