And now you're two...

Dear Ledger,

Another year has flown by.  We have watched you grow from a baby to a little boy... right in front of our eyes.  Last summer, we took a family vacation to Colorado and you loved spending time with aunt Jaime and uncle V and Grammie and Grandpa.  We toured the Denver Aquarium and the Colorado Springs Zoo and visited Red Rocks and waterfalls.  You loved every minute of it!

We also took a Mommy and Daddy vacation and Ledger stayed with Oma and Doodah.  Although it was difficult for us to leave, you didn't bat an eye.  We spent the rest of the summer spending as much time as possible at the lake and in the pool.  You took to the water right away and spent most of your time wearing only a diaper and playing in the hose whenever you had the chance.

As we approached the fall, we loved watching Chiefs football and cheering for our favorite team!  We made a trip to Pittsburg to visit the Vanderbecks and watched a Pitt State football game.  We went to the KC Renaissance Fair, but you were a little overwhelmed by the costumes and craziness.  Your vocabulary really started to blossom and you constantly were learning new tricks to show off.

At Halloween, we went to three different pumpkin patches, but never carved a single pumpkin!  You dressed up like a cowardly lion and went trick-or-treating on Santa Fe street.  You had your first dum dum and loved it!

As we approached the holidays, you started really developing an ornery side.  You started being destructive and testing the limits that Mommy and Daddy would set for you.  You really loved Christmas time and helped us decorate.  We also went to the Parade of Lights with Jarod, Briana, and Shawn -- which has quickly developed into an annual tradition.  You got a huge stack of presents for Christmas, but your favorite gift was a toy vacuum.  And you vacuumed and vacuumed and vacuumed for the remainder of the holiday break.

With the arrival of the new year, you started to display your talent for singing and dancing.  You loved to read books with Mommy and Daddy.  You had your first real snow experience.  You loved eating the snow, but didn't like having cold hands!  We went to a few of cousin Ethan's basketball games, where you loved to play with the basketball and run on the court after the game.  In February, we converted your crib into a toddler bed.  As with everything else, you took it in stride and immediately loved being in a "big boy bed".

As spring approached, we continued to have new adventures.  We visited the nearby park when weather permitted and played inside when it didn't.  We spent quality time with family and friends.  We went to the circus and hunted Easter eggs.  You got a new "spiky" haircut.

And then you turned TWO.

You are an amazing boy.  You love to sing Twinkle Twinkle and ABCs.  You can hear an airplane or a train from miles away.  You can spot tractors and trucks as they speed by on the road.  You are affectionate and love to give hugs, kisses, and cuddle... when you're in the mood.  You are definitely an outside boy and spend as much time in the yard as we can handle.  You smile and laugh all the time and love it when you can make Mommy and Daddy laugh too.

We love you so much.  Every second we get to spend with you is a blessing in our lives.

Love,

Mommy and Daddy.