Kind of ridiculous...

...how many pictures I'm posting here...sorry! I got a new camera from Mike's parents for Christmas, so I've been taking a crazy amount of pictures to try to figure out all of the features and functionality. I love it! I figured I better post these before I collect anymore!

Here are some pictures from Christmas...eve, morning, and day! Most of these presents are from Papa and Nana to Ben and they stayed at their house for when he plays over there. I was grateful, as our house is quickly turning into a Toys R Us.

Just a little Daddy and Benny fun...

He kept taking down his stocking and wearing it on his legs...goofball!

I had no idea he would like this gift so much. It's a LeapFrog Karaoke Sing-a-long/Read-a-long DVD with books (teaches vowel sounds and basic reading skills). He has watched it probably seven or eight times since Christmas and knows all the characters and storylines already. At least it's educational...right? :)

Ok...no more pictures for now!! My whole family arrives tomorrow though...so that won't last long! :)

An "old train engine" and some doggie slippers...

We've had a fun Christmas with Ben this year (still more to come!). We celebrated Christmas Eve with Mike's family at his parent's house (Nana and Papa), Christmas morning with just the three of us, then more time with Papa, Nana, Uncle Brad and the rest of his family on Christmas day. We are looking forward to celebrating the New Year with my family (Grammy and Pops), when they all travel here next week to visit for a few days (my doc wouldn't let me fly to Missouri this late in my pregnancy). I used Papa and Nana's camera on Christmas Eve and I haven't gotten the pictures off of their card yet...so I guess those will come later!

Ben is VERY blessed to have so many people in his life who give SO generously to him and this Christmas was no exception (I feel like this is a major understatement...it will be good for him to have a sister to share some of the "spotlight" and presents with!). He received lots of fun presents from all his great-grandparents and from Papa, Nana and Brad. He also got just what he wanted from Santa...an "old train engine" (ok..so it was from Wal-Mart and we already have to do a return/exchange due to the cheapness factor...but Santa tried!) and some doggie slippers! He got some other fun stocking stuffers too...like Handy Manny underwear...woo hoo! :)

Here he is opening his "choo choo" from Santa. On the evening of the 23rd we were getting into the car after one of Mike's basketball games and Ben saw the train box in the far back of my car (I completely forgot that Mike had hidden it there...great hiding place?!). Well, of course he was asking if it was for him and if he could open it when we got home. I said it was for someone else (yes, I lied!) and that if he was good, Santa might bring him one too (oh the joys of dealing with a three-year-old!). He cried for 20 minutes and I felt like crap, but all turned out ok on Christmas morning....as you'll see in the video below.

How Many Kings?

This song pretty much sums up my thoughts on the season. The video is nothing spectacular, but the words are just so moving and really make me appreciate and remember what God did for us when He sent His Son.

I wish each of you a very merry and blessed Christmas with your families (especially you...Heidi, Mark, Ava and sweet baby Kaiya...I hope tomorrow is a wonderful day for you guys to spend together at HOME, as a family...God is good!).

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat...

Or we could just substitute "the goose" for Ali and that would work too! :) I only have about 40 days until my due date...wow! At my check-up this week I was told that Natalie weighs (according to the very accurate ultrasound measurements...note sarcasm)...5 lbs 11 oz. Does that seem big to anyone else? I'm just imagining her head being in the 75th percentile like her big brother and I'm getting a little nervous! :)

Anyway, I feel like we've been so busy the last couple of weeks, but I can't figure out what all we've been doing?! This time of year just always feels crazy. I haven't taken many pictures lately, so I thought I'd post a collage of Ben's Christmas picture from his very first, through this year. It was fun to look at how he's changed...still cute as ever, if you ask me! :)

Ben had his Christmas concert at preschool a couple of weeks ago. He did a great job during the first concert he performed in back in the Fall, but this one was a different story. It was in the evening and he hadn't had a nap. Plus, he was very distracted by the "jingle bells" they were given to ring during the performance. Apparently they didn't practice the hand motions with the bells...because he couldn't multi-task. :) This video is not the greatest (or maybe it's the peformance?), so I'll be very impressed if you actually know what it is that they are singing...but listen closely at about seconds 35-39 and you'll hear my little munchkin (front row, center, striped blue/white shirt) YELLING the words to the song above everyone else. I just watch those few seconds over and over and laugh. He's destined to be a star. Ha!

30 years of life!

Today is Mike's big day...he turns 30! It sounds so old (only have five more months until I'm there...whoa!). I've known him and loved him for almost a third of his life! Time flies! I just thought I'd let you all go on a "walk down memory lane" with this post. There are a lot (and I mean a lot!) of pictures here from his childhood all the way through our college years together and the early daddy years. He was just such a cute kid...I couldn't cut much out!

Mick, I love you and I love sharing my life with you. You are a WONDERFUL daddy to Ben (and soon Natalie) and you love me, even when I'm a pain (and extremely hormonal...which says a lot!). There are so many things I love about you...the way you put your family first...the pride you take in your coaching and the way you treat the kids...the goofy comments you make that I don't really want to laugh at, but can't help it...the way you treat Benny...your willingness to "put up" with many of my requests (well, at least most of the time)...the way you get over things so quickly...your willingness to admit when you are wrong...and the list goes on! Basically, I like you and I think you're cool. Thanks for being my guy. Hope you have a very, happy 30th!

Here he is as a little guy...lovely 1979 decor! What kid has two mobiles above their crib? :)

Do you see the resemblance between him and Ben in any of these photos?

Some lovely high school and college shots...don't worry, the mohawk didn't last long!

The dating years...

Finally, the daddy years begin...

30 years well spent!

Silent night...

Benny and I were watching different videos on YouTube this afternoon and we came across this music video of "Silent Night" by Sixpence None the Richer. We probably watched it five times in a row and Ben would tell me the whole story of Jesus' birth. It was neat to see that he really understands the Christmas story and the real significance of this holiday that is so easily overshadowed by everything else (presents, Santa, etc.).

As I was listening to this song for probably the hundredth time (or more) in my life, I couldn't help but think of my friends, Heidi and Mark, and their baby girl, Kaiya. Just thinking of little Kaiya, literally, "sleeping in heavenly peace" in that hospital bed gave me such peace myself. I can't imagine how people get through something like Heidi and Mark are going through without a personal relationship with Christ. I thank God that they have such strong faith through this whole ordeal. I thank God that he is giving them positive news, little by little, about their baby girl's health. I rest knowing that God's plan is always better than any other plan we, as humans, could come up with. I know he is holding Kaiya in His arms as she fights this battle and I trust that He will use her life and this situation to witness to others.

I hope you hear this song through "new ears" this Christmas. I know I have. Thank you, God, for sending your Son.

Prayer request...

Please keep my dear friend Heidi's family in your prayers, specifically her sweet newborn, Kaiya, who is currently in the ICU dealing with bacterial meningitis. Pray for the next 48 hours as they hope and pray for improvements in their sweet baby girl. Pray for "peace that passes understanding" as Mark and Heidi go through this. Pray for big sister, Ava, still only a baby herself, as she can not be with her mom, dad and sister during this time. Thank you!

To keep updated, please check out their blog... http://dekorne.blogspot.com/2008/12/sad-day.html

Hospital care page... http://www.carepages.com/carepages/Kaiya (you'll have to create an account)

New rooms!

Over the past couple of months we've been working on decorating Ben's new "big boy room" and modifying his "baby" room for his sister. Below are some pictures of both rooms.

Ben picked out this bear bedding at Target and we created the rest of the room around it. I really love the way it turned out. My mom made the "Ben" pillow, small patchwork pillow, fleece throw (at the end of the bed), and the curtain box. She painted the whole room when she visited in October too! The "border" is actually individually painted squares...it's my favorite part! The words on the wall are from one of Ben's favorite books with the same title.

Here is the baby's room! Like I said, this used to be Ben's baby room, so to "girl it up" a bit we added the pink stripe to the wall, a pink sheet, and tried to get rid of some of the more boyish stuff. My mom, again, made the bedding, curtain boxes, small quilt on the wall, etc (all when Ben was born). You probably can't tell from these pictures, but everything is a vintage Pooh bear print. It was neutral enough that it worked for a boy or girl. Finally, I don't think I've officially announced her name until now...but it's going to be Natalie...each letter below has a Pooh character on it. :)

Santa Claus is coming to town...

We spent the morning at Westfield (my work) where they were holding a Polar Express Christmas event for employees and their families. The kids were encouraged to wear their pj's just like the children on the movie (which Ben LOVES...he knows the words to most of the soundtrack). Ben had fun making snacks for Santa's reindeer, playing in the gingerbread house, and visiting Santa. He wouldn't look Santa directly in the eyes, but he did ask for an "old train engine" and some doggie slippers. I have no clue where he came up with these requests?! :)

"The psycho"

It's no secret to those who have been around me lately...I'm extremely hormonal (Mike just tells me I'm psycho...to put it nicely). I'm ultra-sensitive right now and I'm driving myself nuts and probably everyone around me! This pregnancy is SO different from my pregnancy with Ben. I felt so even-keeled, emotion wise, during those nine months, even with all of the medical issues I had (ruptured appendix at 18 weeks, gall bladder issues causing early contractions around seven mths, etc). I've heard every pregnancy is different...and boy do I believe it now.

I've been in bed for the last hour, but couldn't fall asleep...just a million things running through my head...I felt the need to vent...so, lucky you! I am approaching 32 weeks and just feel overwhelmed with life (as a result of the aforementioned hormones...which make me irrational...regardless, I still feel the way I feel!). I feel like everything at work is really piling up right now! I am ending 2008 and have all kinds of things to wrap up over the next two to three weeks, but I'm also planning for 2009 and have coworkers to "train" to do my job while I'm out on leave. As I'm writing this, I realize how silly it sounds. Why do I lie awake at night thinking about this stuff? It's all important to me and I really do take pride in my job. It's my nature to want to do my best and perform well and have everything be just right...but I know it's not as important as my baby or my Ben or Mike. I just wish I could not care right now...but I do...therefore, I stress.

Anyway, I realize this is completely boring and why I'm posting it for you all to read is beyond me...but I blame it on hormones. I blame everything on them these days and so far it's gotten me off the hook for lots of bad behavior! :) I realize there are people out there, probably some of you, who are dealing with far, far, far worse situations than anything I am complaining about. I should be grateful and most of the time I am...but right now...I'm tired and stressed and hormonal...so, sorry for the rant!

I guess I just need to remind myself of the verse below from 1 Corinthians. I like this version from The Message. I think I'll print it and hang in on my desk at work and somewhere here at home too.

"No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

I actually feel better after writing this all out...like, at least for the moment, I put things back in perspective. I'm sure I'll relapse...but maybe now I can fall asleep. I'll leave you with a belly shot...here she is...the reason her Mommy is affectionately referred to now as "the psycho." I really can't wait to meet her and have all this behind me.

More weekend fun...

We had a fun afternoon/evening yesterday with Mike's family (Nana, Papa, Brad and Christina). We headed to downtown Akron to Lock 3 to go ice skating. Ben had never been ice skating and was really excited. I, of course, couldn't go due to the big gut, but Ben had fun "skating" with his Daddy (it was more like being pushed around the rink by Daddy).

Ben also had fun riding on the carousel with Uncle Brad and Christina. I've never seen a carousel go this fast...it was hard to catch a clear picture! Afterwards, we came back to our house and played Balderdash (the best game ever...in my opinion). We had A LOT of good laughs. A fun day!

Story of the day: After church today we went to Baja Fresh for a quick lunch. Ben had his Lightning McQueen car in the car with us and desperately wanted to bring it into the restaurant. Mike told him no because he would lose it, but he insisted, so we caved. Well, we ended up making a couple of other stops before we left the strip mall and, of course, Lightning was no where to be found when we were ready to leave. Once Ben discovered he was GONE he had a major melt down (similar to the Dora balloon incident). He wasn't throwing a fit, he was genuinely upset, hurt, traumatized by the fact that his "Lightning with the white wall tires is....guh..guh...gone." He was sobbing and could barely speak from his carseat...begging Daddy to turn around and go search for his beloved car. In the middle of his very pathetic and sad display of emotion, he said in the most heartfelt way..."Dear Jesus, please give me Lightning back. Please." It was SO sweet and sad. I am an EMOTIONAL nightmare right now due to my crazy pregnancy hormones and I started crying because it was just so cute that he would ask Jesus for help. I think he's learned his lesson now. Santa may just have to bring him a new Lightning with white wall tires for Christmas...who knows?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving yesterday! We had a very relaxing day. We headed to Mamaw and Papaw's house (Mike's dad's parents) and spent the day with his family. I was SO tired all day for some reason (probably from eating too much), so I didn't end up getting too many pictures. I did catch a few cute ones of Ben and Ellie though (Mike's cutie-pie cousin). Ben loved playing with her. I can't wait to see him with his little sister! :)

I also captured this LOVELY gem of a picture. It's my brother-in-law, Brad, sporting Granny Ina's Christmas sweatshirt that she made herself several years ago (you can't tell here, but there is puff-paint and glitter involved). He is planning to wear it to an upcoming Christmas party. If you know Brad, this kind of thing is pretty typical. You can always count on a good laugh when he's around. Bradley...you're hot. :)

We went to the outlet mall today and let Benny ride the train. He was very excited, even though there isn't much to see on the 20 minute ride other than the outside of each of the stores and the highway...woo hoo! :) Here we are on the "choo choo"...

I have such a blessed life and I know I don't thank God nearly as often as I should. So, just wanted to take a second to say that I am so thankful for the big things in life (family, friends, home, job, etc), but also all the little things that happen everyday that I know God is orchestrating for my good, as I trust in Him.

"Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." James 1:17

Randomness...

Ben often asks to sleep with one of his cars, so I was glad I could catch the photo below...proving that he holds on...even while fast asleep. :) Oh and if, by chance, he should accidentally let go in his sleep, he will wake up and search frantically for the car...upon finding the vehicle...he will fall right back to sleep. I wish that was all it took for me some nights....

I discovered, about a month ago, that Ben knows how to use a mouse. I had no idea. We have a LeapFrog computer type game that hooks to the TV and I first noticed him using it with that, but he can even sit down to our regular computer and play different games at PlayhouseDisney.com too. He is so proud of himself, but I have to admit it's a little weird to see my baby sitting at the computer...he looks so grown up!

Last night we put up our Christmas tree...a little earlier than normal....but we were in the mood, so we went with it. :) Ben LOVED helping hang the ornaments on the tree and commenting on the ones he remembered or had made.

Random story of the day: I had an appointment with my OB this morning and Ben went with me (like he has MANY times before). Right in the middle of my non-stress test he decided he had to go potty. I, obviously, couldn't take him, so I told him to just go on his own down the hall and be a big boy like at preschool. Well, the toliet was WAY too high for him to stand and go on his own, so the nice nurse offered to help. He normally stands to go and I just lift him high enough so that he "hits" the water and not anything else. Well, she sat him down and he didn't hold his "thingy" down and ended up peeing ALL OVER HER scrubs. She brought him back to me and was laughing at the giant wet spot on her pants. I felt SO terrible, but luckily she had a great sense of humor about it. He also asked her if he could pee in a cup, since he's seen me do that every time we go in there. NICE!? :) I just keep thinking about her walking around with my child's pee on her scrubs ALL day today?!!! Thankfully, I still passed the stress test! :)

Winter wonderland!

Well, last week I was posting about our hike at the park in 70 degree weather and this week I'm posting about playing in the snow...weird!? Actually, it's pretty typical for Northeast Ohio. It has been snowing on and off for two days now and I decided to let my little munchkin have some fun in it today! I wasn't going to go out, so I told him he had to stay on the deck...but that didn't last, so out I went. I did get a few cute pictures though. I especially love the top left one below. He is wearing his Daddy's hat and it was a little large! :) The fun only lasted about 20 minutes...but it was worth it!

Just some pictures of me and my best buddy! Can I still call him that when the new little one arrives? :)

Last, but not least, here he is in the lovely pilgrim hat he made at preschool today! :) The gold buckle is slightly off center...but I think I can safely say that he is NOT into art projects! I was just happy that he was actually proud of this creation!

Ephesians 6:1-3

Benny and I worked on learning a new Bible verse today...Ephesians 6:1-3. He was not overly cooperative when I was trying to coerce him into "performing" it for me on video though (I can't imagine why??!). I attempted to get it on film, no joke, about 15 times before I gave up and went with what I'm posting below. :)

Just a couple of other pictures from our day...I love when I catch a cute smile!

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your Father and Mother' -- which is the first commandment with a promise - 'that it may go well with you and that you may live a long life on the earth.'" Ephesians 6:1-3

Busy weekend...lots of pictures!

This weekend went by really fast because it was filled with fun stuff. Friday night we hung out with friends from our small group and had a blast together. I had the waiter at Macaroni Grille take a group picture of us and it turned out really blurry...bummer (Kim...just wait...I'll get one of you!!). Yesterday we attended a family wedding and Benny had an absolute BLAST on the dance floor! He made friends with all kinds of little kids and they all had a fun time "busting a move" together (it was more like chasing, crashing into each other, and the occasional "booty shake" to make all the adults laugh).

A couple of the pictures below are from Nana and Papa's camera and for some reason we all look really tan?! I think I need to get a camera like theirs so I look like I've been on a tropical vacation all year long. :)

This morning Ben's preschool performed at the Methodist church in town. We were really nervous about how he would do because he was a TOTAL grouch this morning from staying up too late last night...but he ended up doing awesome! Somehow he wound up front and center (his teachers probably figured he would end up there anyway if they didn't just do it to begin with). They sang "My God is So Big" and "Do Unto Others" for the congregation...cheesy arm motions and all! I heard his voice, loud and clear, on several occasions and the best part of the whole performance was the big ol' bow he took at the end. It was mostly funny because he was the ONLY one who did it. It wasn't part of the script. He learned it from watching the Little Einsteins. What a ham!? :) Unfortunately we were pretty far back, so my pictures leave a little bit to be desired....kind of dark and blurry..but you get the idea! Oh...and he did have on a cute sweater that apparently he made his teacher take off before he would go on stage...so he looks like a slob!

Just a couple other random pictures from our weekend. Uncle Brad and Christina were in town for the wedding and I thought this picture of Brad and Ben watching The Incredibles on the floor together was really cute. One of the rare moments when they aren't acting crazy together!

Christina got a new puppy from the "doggy shelter" recently. Here are Benny, Nana and Willow together. Isn't this cute?

Lastly...here's the belly. This picture is cheesy looking, but several people have asked for a belly shot...and this is the best I can do right now. I was 28 weeks on Friday. I just have to say that she is CRAZY...she wiggles non-stop. I sometimes wonder if she ever sleeps. I do love feeling her squirm though. I remember missing that feeling after Ben was born. Despite all the pounds I've put on (approx 25 so far...ahh!)...it's still so fun to have a little life inside and to know I'll meet her in just 2 1/2 months!

Ok..sorry for the world's longest post. I'm done now. :)

Exploring we will go...

It was a beautiful day outside today...70 degrees and sunny...so after preschool, Ben and I headed to Hubbard Valley Park to have some fun! He played on the playground, threw rocks in the lake, and we went on a pretty long hike for a little person! I made up some cheesy song that I kept singing to him..."Oh..exploring we will go...exploring we will go...hi ho the derry-o...exploring we will go." Whenever I stopped singing it he would say... "Mom, we need to keep exploring!" It was a fun afternoon and he's taking a good, long nap in his bed now!

Silly boys, fun with toys, and more of "the Duke"...

Ben's buddy Nate came over to play earlier this week and they had a blast in the basement together. Here are a few shots I caught of the two of them being silly little three-year-olds!

Ben loves toys! We had a fun time playing together in our jammies on one of my days off this week...we put together puzzles, pretended like we were cowboys, played with the ViewMaster (which now makes sounds for each "slide"...do you remember this toy?!) and of course played with the Hot Wheels!

Just a few more shots of "the Duke" from the Halloween festivities last night (and our pumpkin carving fun on Tuesday night!). Ben hasn't been feeling too hot the past couple of days and he didn't want to go door-to-door, but he was really excited about passing out candy to all the trick or treaters (and shooting them!).

My little cowboy...

I know it's pretty hard to decipher between the real John Wayne and my silly three-year-old in the photos below...but give it your best shot (ha ha...no pun intended!). We went to "Boo at the Zoo" at the Akron Zoo last night with Papa and Nana. It rained the WHOLE time and we were pretty much all soaked, but Ben still had fun collecting treats. His cowboy hat did a nice job of keeping his face dry! Now I just have to figure out how to clean his muddy chaps before he Trick-or-Treats next weekend. Although, I somehow doubt that John Wayne's mom washed his chaps inbetween all his cowboy adventures. Maybe I'll just leave them muddy... :)

Seven things about me...

I've been tagged (by my friend Sheila) to post seven things about myself....this is hard....and I'm not creative...but I'll give it a whirl!

1 - I was born with a hole in my heart. It closed on it's own by the time I was 10 years old, but I still have to visit a Cardiologist every so many years to have it checked. I have a minor heart murmur because of it. Glad I never had to have heart surgery!

2 - I love all things salty! I put salt on everything...even before I taste it....pasta, pizza, veggies, etc. You name it, I salt it. I even salt some sweet things, just because I like the mix of salty and sweet. I'm weird. I think Ben has inherited this love, as well. He asks for the salt shaker at restaurants before our food arrives so he can pour himself some and dip his finger in it. :)

3 - I was a really late bloomer. It wasn't until the end of my sophomore year of high school that I actually grew. I was 4'11 until then and under 100 lbs. I HATED it! I had to sit on a pillow when I got my drivers license. I looked like I was 10 years old. I grew six inches in six months between my junior and senior year. I am a whopping 5'4 now and weigh MUCH more than 100 lbs...I can tell you that much!! :)

4 - I was a cheerleader in high school. I can't believe I'm admitting this, actually. I was even the captain for a couple of years (ha!). We cheered for every sport...boys and girls...even girls volleyball and wrestling! I think I only made the squad my freshman year because I was so small and they thought I might be good to toss around or place at the top of the pyramid (this was before the aforementioned growth spurt).

5 - Mike, Ben and I have been on several different billboards and commercials. The staff at the good ol Wadsworth Rittman Hospital asked if they could take our family picture, after Ben was born in May of 2005, for some promotional materials they were creating. I didn't think it was that big of a deal because I figured they would just use it on a couple of brochures or something. Well, I was wrong. About three months after Ben was born, I was driving home from work and looked up to see our faces on a billboard near the entrance to my neighborhood. I was shocked! We ended up on commercials, in the newspaper, and all kinds of other places. People still ask me..."Is that you I saw on the side of a bus?" Don't you think after three and a half years they could get a new family? :) (They were very nice to give Ben a $500 savings bond and to pay off our hospital bill though...so I guess I shouldn't complain too much!)

6 - In between my current pregnancy and Ben I lost two babies to miscarriage. I would never wish this on anyone, but I have so many friends and family who have gone through the same type of thing. I am so thankful to God for the blessing of another baby. I look forward to the day when I'll get to meet the other two little ones in heaven. I was recently reading a really inspirational blog I like to follow and learned that October 15th was the National Day of Rememberance for pregnancy and infant loss. If you have ever lost a child, it's a really great blog to help you put everything in perspective. (I hope I haven't offended anyone by posting something like this on my list of seven things about me. I surely didn't mean to! I know these are typically pretty lighthearted! Sorry!)

7 - I'm a pretty boring person (in case you haven't gathered that so far). By boring I mean...predictable. I'm not the type who seeks change just for the sake of change. I'm pretty content most of the time. I like living in a small, suburban town. I like knowing that I have a secure and stable job that I can go to and I'll be happy to work the remainder of my career there (probably will...knowing me). I'm just not all that adventurous....I think it's the worrier in me. I think I got this from my mom. :) Mike usually has to talk me into big purchases (like cars or a house, for that matter). I can always get there...but it just takes me a tad longer than some, I suppose. :) I like to think that I help balance out the "less change resistant" behavior that my hubby possesses.

Well...I think that's all for now. Hope I didn't bore anyone. My guess is that you probably didn't get far enough to read this if I did. I tag anyone who feels like doing this and hasn't before (Katie and Annie...I'd like to read yours!). :)

The Gerber's!

We spent the weekend in Indiana with our good friends, the Gerber's. It was a fun and relaxing weekend. We loved visiting with them and spending time with their little man, Will, again. He is 21 months old and almost the same size as Ben (just slightly shorter...pretty much the same weight!). He is adorable and it was fun to watch him and Ben interact. Even with some of the sharing issues that seemed to happen, they still had a blast playing together!

We watched Coach Gerber and the Norwell Knights take home a victory on Friday night. The boys had fun zooming their tractors in the stands and running all over like crazy men. On Saturday we went to the Fort Wayne zoo to a Halloween event. Ben loved collecting candy and checking out all the pumpkins that were painted to look like different movie and tv show characters. Oh, and yes, Ben is actually IN Will's crib in the top right picture! They had fun filling his crib with every stuffed animal he owned!

The highlight of our trip was the ride we got to take on a combine on Saturday morning. Ben was in heaven! We were amazed at how ENORMOUS this piece of machinery was. It was really fun!

Thanks for such a fun weekend, Gerber's, and for all your hospitality! :)

My funny little man...

Some recent comments and funny stories from Ben...

- We were watching an episode of Extreme Home Makeover last Sunday night. You know how whenever the family sees their new home and their new bedrooms they always respond with an enthusiastic "Oh my gosh!" because they are so overwhelmed and amazed at what they see. Well, my mom was in town and we had been painting and decorating Ben's new big boy bedroom last week. We had just finished that evening and he walked into his room to go to bed that night and gave us an enthusiastic "Oh my gosh!" with his hands up on his cheeks. It was TOO funny! He says it ALL the time now about anything and everything!

- Ben has learned some random words in other languages from shows like Diego and Dora, etc. Well, the other day we were talking about how to say goodbye or farewell in several languages, so I had him saying "Arrivederci" with his best Italian accent...mostly for laughs...don't worry, I'm not teaching him multiple languages or anything...I'm not that good! HA! Anyway, the following morning I was leaving for work, and I said goodbye to him and gave him a kiss and he said "Arrivederci, Mommy!" :)

- Mike, Ben and I were driving somewhere in the car last weekend just having a nice little chat. I can't even remember what we were talking about, but Ben chimed in from the backseat with a "You can't be serious?!" :)

- Since Ben turned three, he has definitely been asserting himself more. Well, lately, when he gets good and mad about something he will sternly tell me "If you do that one more time, I will have to spank your booty!" I can't imagine where he has heard this?! :)

- Recently, when his Granny (Mike's mom's mom) was watching him, he asked her, in reference to her belly..."Are you having a baby like my Mommy?" She politely responded letting him know that she just has an "old granny belly" and that there was no baby inside!!! I gotta be honest, I'm glad it was her and not some stranger!

- Ben has really been noticing the differences between girl stuff and boy stuff since we found out we were having a girl. On several occasions he has seen commercials for girl items, such as Barbies or Princess things and has said to me "I would like to buy that for my sister." :) :) (He also seems to think that the baby is going to come out of my leg?! Not sure where he got that idea or how that would acutally work....but somehow it sounds more appealing than reality!)

- As you know, we've been working hard on potty training for awhile now. He has made great strides, but STILL has not mastered the pooping part (I'm at a loss....my only thought at this point is that I can't imagine he will be pooping his pants when he's in high school, so eventually it will work itself out...right?). Anyway, recently we caught him flushing his undies and jogging pants DOWN the toliet. Unfortunately we were too late to catch him before he flushed the undies, but we did witness him pulling his jogging pants out of the toliet. When asked why he did this he said they were "dirty." Did he think the toliet was the washing machine or what? What a NUT!!!!

- Finally, he has recently developed a love for all things cowboy related. When asked what he wanted to be for Halloween, he said "John Wayne!" Nice! He and his Dad have enjoyed some time together watching John Wayne movies and he REALLY watches them...even the boring parts. I don't get it. We purchased a cowboy costume for him at Children's Place. Now we just need some boots and he'll be ready to go!

Just have one picture I thought I'd throw in here. It really doesn't align with all of the nutty stuff I've mentioned above, but oh well. Here he is very focused on some "monster truck" game he and Daddy were playing on the computer this evening. I just love his little profile. :)

The fun never ends...

There are lots of different farms and orchards near our home, so we spent the afternoon with Nana and Papa at Ramseyer Farms and The Barn. Ben insisted on pulling the heavy, pumpkin-filled, wagon the whole time we were at the farm. The warm weather hit and it was 80 degrees today. A little too hot for me, but I guess I shouldn't complain since it's October!

Fall fun with Grammy and Pops!

Grammy and Pops arrived into town this weekend and we've had a lot of fun so far! Warning: Lots of pictures ahead...sorry!

Walsh Farms on Friday evening...

Baumann Orchards this morning...we picked apples, went on a hayride, and saw how the apples were made into cider.

This afternoon we went to Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens (a big castle in Akron on awesome property). They have a Fall festival going on this weekend. Ben had a blast painting a pumpkin, getting his face painted, and walking through the "Butterfly Sanctuary."

Just a couple of random shots!

I figured I had better post something before I collected anymore pictures! My dad heads home tomorrow, but my mom is staying through next week to help Mike and I with some painting and home stuff. By the way, I realize I have the same gray sweater on in every picture I've posted recently. I have limited options these days!! More to come...I'm sure! :)