Merry Christmas!

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there.

Ethan's Eyes

Our poor Ethan's eyes! As you can see in this picture, his crossed eye problem can be quite dramatic at times (we typically try NOT to post pictures like this). We went back to Dr. Spencer in Des Moines this past week. She was very honest with us and said that she doesn't really know the best plan of attack for Ethan. He actually has 3 different problems. His eyes cross, the right more than the left, but they both do. He also still has nystagmus or eye bouncing which he compensates for by tipping his chin down and tilting his head to the side. Dr. Spencer really wants to help him in as few surgical procedures as possible, as do we. So, we are off to Iowa City for a second opinion. Dr. Spencer as well as our pediatrician recommended we see Dr. Olson there. They sent Ethan's records which Dr. Olson reviewed and referred us on to Dr. Drack in Iowa City. We have an appointment for February 4th. The good news is Dr. Spencer does not feel it is majorly affecting his vision right now....as he has figured out how to compensate. Although, she said that it will definitely slow him up and cause problems once he starts school. We feel blessed that we otherwise have a very healthy, active little boy! We'll update you after we see Iowa City in February.

Mindy's Family Christmas

Looks like trouble

Cody and Jen

Adam and Mindy

Megan

Brandee

Mom/Grammy

This is how Aidan walked C.J.

Whoopie Cushion Fun

EmmaJean

Ethan & Auntie MiMi

Sit-n-Spin! (they play music now)

Rip and Tear

Aidan's most favorite gift...a BROOM!

More Presents

The Gang

The rest of the Gang

This little tower is filled with 20 brightly colored balls...

to get scattered across our house

Thanks for all of the great gifts! We had a blast!

Thanksgiving

We apologize for being so far behind on our blog. We been busy, busy getting ready for the holidays. Here's some pictures from Thanksgiving at our house. We hosted a little of Adam's family, a little of Mindy's family, and a few friends. It was a great day!

Sharing the Love

I heart pickles

Hey Tex!

Look what just strolled into town...

Cheese

Riding his "horse"

fall fun

What a busy fall! A few weeks ago we rode the Pumpkin Train in Boone. The boys recently have taken great interest in trains, so it was a lot of fun for them. We've been in the yard raking leavings, putting things away for the winter, and staking up wood for our fireplace. The boys have been very big helpers! We also took them out trick or treating around our neighborhood. They were totally getting the hang of things and ran up to every house that had a light on. Next year should be even more fun. Of course every day the boys surprise us with the new "tricks" they know. Here's a few of their latest...

I want this, and this, and this...

I can plug my ears when I don't want to listen

snap, snap!

roar!

team work?

cheese!

being goofy

On the pumpkin train...CHOO CHOO!

Birthday Week

making salad

Our Auntie Megan (or Mimi as the boys call her) came and stayed the whole week of our birthday. Auntie B arrived half way through. What a wonderful time we had with them. They are way more creative and fun than Mom and Dad!

what a mess!

playdough!

Hopefully they come back soon!

what fun it is to be two

aidan wanted to dig right in

ethan wasn't so sure

Welcome to our Chaos

a look at a typical day in our life

We had previously used babysites.com to keep everyone up to date on our lives. It seem "blogging" is the current trend...and we don't really like to be behind the times. So here goes The Rash Family blog. Check back soon for pics from our birthday party!