2008 In Pictures

2008 has been a great year in our lives. We've had many changes and challenges, and lots of fun times too. Most of them have been well-documented on this very blog, but we thought we'd put together a retrospective of the year anyway. Here you'll find some of the most important and fun things we did in 2008, and some of the best pictures we took of Eli.

I know we're notorious for epic blog entries, but this one tops them all. At well over 100 photos, grab a chair, and maybe a drink and an energy bar, and behold the wonder that was 2008. A warning: due to the whims of blogger, some photos appear slightly out of order. They are in order by month, starting in January, but occasionally it jumps a week ahead of time here and there. There are way too many of them to go back and fix. So we'll all have to live with the slight disorder!

We started the year in NC on vacation, where our friend Tommy snapped some shots of 3-month-old EliAll of these shots were taken in maybe a minute.At least one of them was entered in a baby photo contest back in NC, but we're not sure what ever came of that.
Eli and his great-grandfather in NC.
Eli and Jessa spent one day in CO and then boarded another plane for Washington. Here, Eli has his very own disco.
Family photo in WA.
Hanging out in Eric's office before the big youth lock-in.
Snuggling with Mortimer the Moose. Whatever happened to Mortimer?
We stood in line for many hours hoping to see Barack Obama speak in Denver. It was about 20 degrees, but over 20,000 people came out. This was obviously before we knew how it would all turn out. We didn't make it into the auditorium (just missed!), but we did get to hear a short speech from Obama outside.
Eli with real live Secret Service agents.

Before swimming.
Swimming with mom.
Warm and cozy.
Even back in January and February, Eli was starting to push up to get ready to crawl.
Lunch with dad, with color-coordinated outfits.
Surprisingly chipper after getting some shots at the pediatrician.
Our big event in March was the move from Denver to Morrison. We are so, so happy with the change. Here's Eli on moving day. True to Colorado form, it was 70 degrees on moving day and snowed 14 inches the next day.
Eli in his parents' new room in the mountains.
2008 was the year that Jessa's creative side exploded. Here, she shows off a loaf of bread she baked.
Eli in his new room.
Posing in his Easter outfit.
Your mama dresses you funny.
Hanging out in the sun on the deck.
Sometime in early Spring, Eli started pulling up and standing and cruising around furniture.
Boo!
In the waiting room at the pediatrician's office.
April 2nd was Eli's half-birthday! Unfortunately for him, cake was not yet on his approved list of foods.
Swinging in the snow in the back yard.
Looking just like his mom.
Hanging out in our vacated house in Denver, while Eric and Jessa talked to the realtor about listing it. The house sold in July.
Standing tall in the crib.
Playtime on the deck is so exciting!
Mr. Smiley.
We spent Mother's Day in Washington Park, where mom and Eli caught a short nap.
They woke up soon, though, and we had a lovely day in the park.
Eli and dad bowling. Eli was mostly interested in chewing on pizza crusts.
We took him out to the ballgame, where he tried on Eric's baseball cap.
As Eli got better with solid foods, high chair time became a highlight of the day. Early on, he insisted on using the spoon himself.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Looking cute.
Jessa and Eli took a trip out to Seattle for Michelle's graduation. Here, Eli hangs out on a chilly beach.
Playing with the Seattle statuary.

Pool playtime with Miles.
Happy happy high chair!
Eli had a blast with this tunnel.
Naked, for some reason.
2008 was also the year of a thousand slings. Here's one that was in use for a month or two.
In front of aunt Kelly's apartment in Seattle.
Here's a relatively early example of Eli's favorite activity, stair-climbing.
And another of his favorites, making messes in the high chair.
In July, we took a vacation to NC. Here, Eli entertains the Dendy side of the family.
Playing in Gram's fountain in Black Mountain.
Having lunch with Mary Allison, McCool, and an incipient Wren at My Father's Pizza in Black Mountain.
Seeing great-grandfather and some old friends at Givens.
Pop is ok here. It just looks like something has gone wrong.
Wearing his festivity at Jessa's 30th birthday party in NC.
Here, we were waiting for a table at Doc Chey's in downtown Asheville and watching some construction equipment. Eli was mesmerized.
Skinny-dipping in a cold mountain stream at Graveyard Fields in NC.
Eli and Eric, right before their fateful plunge into the water. Definitely a lowlight of the year.
The family at Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park.
The grandparents came into town to visit!
A highlight of the summer was our trip to camp with the church. Eli was a very happy camper.
He liked to play at the pool....
....especially with his teal ghost towel.
The view from the dining hall.
Towards the end of summer, Eli became more and more able to get into mischief.
Exploring the back yard in his hiking boots.
Wearing his way-too-small hat. By the end of 2008, Eli was 15 months old and wearing a 3T hat. Eric's hats fit him.
Jessa captured one of his first long-ish standing spells. This one lasted about 15 seconds without him holding on to anything!
He learned to say his own version of "up please," which is really two grunts, but we understand what he means.
One of the best pictures we took of Eli this year.
Hanging out with his buddy at Tiny Town.
On the train with mama at Tiny Town.
We took a return journey to the top of Mt. Evans, a 14,000 foot mountain.
After-church picnic.
The growing pile of stuff required to get Eli through a day necessitated a bigger vehicle. Here, Eli snoozes in our new Commander.
This is from September, when Eli was anticipating Halloween with his skeleton jammies.
It rained one day! This is rare in Colorado.
Eli loves books. We can buy an extra 30 minutes of sleep in the morning by stashing books in his crib for him to play with when he wakes up.
Being cute.
Trying a cupcake at a friend's birthday party. He liked it.
Eli hanging out in the yellow Jeep (possibly soon a casualty of baby #2).
Eli hanging out with the youth group.
Contemplating pine cones in the back yard.
One of Eli's highlights of 2008 would no doubt be "Red Car," his favorite wheeled contraption.
Another of the best photos of 2008.
Climbing the slide.
A new skill for the fall: stripping himself naked in the crib.
October meant birthday time! The presents started arriving in September, and Eli has only gotten better at opening them.
Pleased with himself.
Birthday cake. He wasn't quite sure what to do with it.
Wearing mom's Obama t-shirt in anticipation of the election.
Spiky static hair on the trampoline in the back yard.
Another example of Jessa's craftiness: cupcakes for Eli's birthday party.
Eli in his costume at his birthday party.

Edit: Aunt Allie demanded this shot.

It was a cold and rainy day, but the kids all had fun. Here, Eli gets down and dirty.
Eli wore this hat about twice before it was too small. 2T.
The first snow of the year came in October. Eli wasn't sure about it.
Eli and mom beside a huge cottonwood tree and a beaver pond.
One of the hazards of being a potter's kid is baths in the industrial sink in the studio.
Our family as jack-o-lanterns.
Playing in dad's office.
At the pottery studio, looking just like mom.
Go Heels!
Go Obama!
Another of the better photos of 2008.
Entertaining himself while Jessa makes calls for the Obama campaign.
Playing in the crunchy fall leaves.
Dad and Eli in the mountain town of Frisco in late November.
We started noticing that Eli loves train tables.
The Christmas tree is captivating to Eli. It went up the day after Thanksgiving, of course.
The latest manifestation of Jessa's craftiness: sewing..
Brushing teeth!
In early December, we took an impromptu trip to NC. Here, he brushes his teeth in Gram's spare bathroom.
Playing with train tables in downtown Asheville.
Being the grocer at the Curious George exhibit downtown Asheville.
Climbing the stairs with great-grandfather.
Taking in the woods around Gram's house.
Eli drew all of his Dendy relatives down to his level.
Eli and Eric looking out the plane's window on the flight home.
This sleepy, sweaty boy found a shoe on the floor!
Home from NC, passed out under the Christmas tree. What a great present!
On Christmas morning, Eli found a train set from Santa!As 2008 ends, big things are in store for 2009!