HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Worn-out Fireman

We went to our ward Trunk-or-Treat party tonight. Benjamin had a ton of fun for the first hour and a half, and then around his usual bedtime he just hit a brick wall. I think the big red bump on his head might have had something to do with it - he tripped as he was running in the gym and from that point on, he was worn out and just wanted to be held. As you can see from the picture and the video, he wouldn't crack a smile after 8 o'clock. He perked up a little when we went around the parking lot collecting candy. :) We made him say "Trick-or-Treat!" at every stop; it was pretty cute to hear him.

Here's a little video of him in the 'parade' across the stage. You can tell he was very tired at this point! He wasn't into having his hat on, but hopefully people understand from his coat that he is supposed to be a fireman. (I know there's a lot of my pregnant tummy in this footage... try to overlook that if you can!)

"sad pun-kin, happy pun-kin!"

On Monday of this week we went to the grocery store and picked out pumpkins to carve. That night for Family Home Evening we carved our pumpkins with Benjamin. He had fun fitting the tops on the Jack-o-lanterns; in fact, I could hardly empty out a spoonful of pumpkin insides without him trying to cover up the hole with the lid.
I carved a happy pumpkin and Jed made a sad one (see the pumpkin-seed tear?). Benjamin is always talking about the happy and sad pumpkins, and now sometimes when he is playing with toys he'll bring me one of his trucks or blocks and say it is sad. Thanks a lot, Jed!

Look, a FIRE TRUCK!

Benjamin got to see REAL firefighters today! Melody's apartment complex invited the fire station to come and show the trucks to the children this morning. They let the kids go inside the ambulance, gave them each a fireman hat, and one of the firefighters even donned the big firesuit for the kids to see. Benjamin loved seeing the big red fire engine, and I was excited that he could get some exposure to the firetrucks because he is going to be a fireman for Halloween!

When the ambulance and fire engine left, Benny and I were waiting on the sidewalk to watch them drive away. The firemen all waved to Benjamin, and turned on their flashing lights and sirens just for him. They were very sweet to indulge him.

Autumn party at Fun Acres

Last night we went to a party sponsored by Jed's medical program. It was at 'Fun Acres', and it was really fun for all the kids. They let the children feed the goats and chickens. Benny loved that. There was also a hayride, corn maze, pizza party, and various games set out on the lawn. They had a canoe sitting on the grass that was full of dried corn kernels and plastic buckets. Boy, was that a HIT. We had to drag Benny away from it when it was time for pizza. I was wishing I had one in my backyard!

Apple Charlie's

We went to an apple orchard this morning with Anona, Abram & Grant, Melody & Eirik, and Christina & Garrett. The boys picked a few apples, but mostly they enjoyed standing under the trees and eating them. Benjamin picked a green apple and started munching on it before I could pick him a ripe one. When I saw how much he was enjoying it, I gave it a nibble and sure enough it tasted very green! But he didn't seem to mind.

Scarecrow Festival

Last week Benjamin and I went to the local 'Scarecrow Festival'. We went with Christina and her kids and Anona and her boys. There was a big monster truck that I thought Benjamin would be thrilled to see and touch. He got scared when I tried to sit him on the tall tire for a picture, so I held him instead...

He really enjoyed the ponies, though. He was very excited to get to ride one, and thought going around in circles on his pony was such an adventure! Here he is on Peanut, his brown pony:

I have to add that I ruefully paid $3 to let him ride the pony in circles for a few minutes. My parents own horses and take their grandkids out on rides often, so I could just imagine them shaking their heads at the absurdity of me paying money for him to go on a silly 4 minute ride in circles. Ah well, that's what I deserve for living so far away, right Mom and Dad? :)

My husband the chef

To my chagrin, I've discovered that Jed is a better cook than me. Let's get one thing straight - he doesn't cook. So you can imagine what a blow this is to me. He just has the THEORY of cooking - the innate sense. Two examples:

This morning I made aebleskivers. My in-laws have this fantastic tradition of making Danish aebleskivers for special breakfasts. This is a cast iron aebleskiver pan, and these are some aebleskivers that I made today:
Nate gave us a pan for Christmas last year, which I seasoned according to the manufacturer's instructions. But the first time I made them they all stuck to the pan and made an infuriating mess. I put it away for 9 months and then took it out last weekend and reseasoned it. I tried again this morning and this time I put about 1 1/2 tsp of oil in each hole. I know- that's a lot, but when I tried putting in less, they would stick in the holes and start to burn! After my third batch Jed said I should just spray the holes with Pam. I mocked at such a silly suggestion. If they are sticking with a pool of oil in them, they would absolutely make a burned mess if I tried to just spray the pan with a thin layer of Pam! Clearly he had no idea what he was talking about. But, he insisted that I try it, and I finally grudgingly gave it a shot. (Of course I first tried to make him promise that he would clean the pan!) It worked wonders. I couldn't believe that he was right! To top it off, he took charge of the next batch so I could eat some and he said he wasn't going to use any Pam at all. I was totally against it (thinking of the mess I had last time), but again it worked out perfectly. I shouldn't have been so shocked because this isn't the first time he's outwitted me in cooking....

Last weekend for General Conference I made my favorite Sour Cream Blueberry Pancakes. I had just put new pancakes on the griddle and Jed and Benny were sitting at the table waiting for their second helping. I was standing over the pancakes, waiting to see the tell-tale bubbles forming on top. Jed came over and said "Don't they need to be flipped?" He picked up the spatula and started to tease the edge of one. I said, "No, no! Don't touch it!" I am very protective of my pancakes. Guys just don't know what they are doing - watch and you'll notice they are always flattening pancakes by tapping or whacking them with the spatula while they finish cooking! Anyway, Jed managed to evade me from trying to get the spatula back, and he peeked under one of them and guess what! They were just about to start to burn! What in the world? I could blame it on the fact that I've never used an electric stove before and I'm trying to get used to it. Or I could say that these pancakes are very strange and just don't form bubbles on top. But I'm afraid I have to confess that the real reason is that my husband is a cooking genius and I have a lot to learn from him!

We caught a fish THIS BIG!

This morning we went 'fishing' on Lake Erie. As you can see, our fishing pole is highly capable of catching and reeling in an ENORMOUS fish, but since we didn't have any bait on it, or a hook for that matter, the fish weren't fooled.

Benjamin really liked seeing the bubble fall into the water below the bridge and then getting to reel it in again. Thanks Melody for taking us fishing, and thanks Eirik for letting us use your fishing rod!

They Roared Their Terrible Roars

This clip is of Benjamin reciting part of "Where the Wild Things Are." When we were reading it tonight I found out that he had memorized "they roared their terrible roars, and gnashed their terrible teeth, and rolled their terrible eyes, and showed their terrible claws!" I had to try to get it on video because I thought it was pretty funny.


I also have to document Benjamin’s very first prayer, given entirely by himself with no prompting. (The “Heavenly Father” sounds more like, “Heav’ly Fa’er.”)
September 20, 2007:

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thankful Trains
Thankful for Family
Please Bless Sleep Good
Please Bless Our Family
Heavenly Father,
Thankful for Our Family
Please Bless Sleep Good
Jesus Christ, Amen

Raspberry Patch

We went Raspberry Picking! Last Monday Melody and I ventured out to a 'U-Pick' raspberry patch. For nearly an hour and a half we plucked the ripe raspberries and collected them in buckets around our necks. We got a total of 7 pints between the two of us (14 cups). So fun!

When I got home, Jed and I enjoyed bowls of fresh raspberries with milk and a little sugar. Yum! Later in the week I made some raspberry freezer jam.

Nursery Colors

After much deliberation, I've decided I might sew the new baby's bumper pad and dust ruffle myself (with considerable help from my mother-in-law!). I think I've settled on this palette:

I'm thinking I would like the dust ruffle to look something like this.

And this would be the bumper pad, with the edging and ties in pomegranate:

I'll make a window valance that is the same design as the dust ruffle.

I really love these fabrics. They are warm and inviting. And I really wanted to incorporate that robin-egg blue. But, I am still not sure this is a good idea.... I mean, this isn't going to be cheap, and it's going to be a lot of work since I'm a poor seamstress. If I could only find something that I really love that is premade and not completely out of my price range, then I could buy it and have it all done, but I just can't find anything that has these colors, or this look.

I'm converted.

I had a great weekend because I found lots of great deals at garage sales. I have never been a successful garage sale shopper, and I never understood how other people could find such great things at these 'junk' sales. But now I too can relate to the excitement of finding a treasure at a garage sale.

On Thursday morning I bought Benjamin two awesome helicopters for 25¢ each, and this great interactive toy & blocks builder (pictured). Among other things, I also got a darling little desk/sewing table that is painted pale blue that I'll keep in the nursery.

On Saturday morning I went to a Mom2Mom sale in the area and bought some great winter clothes for Ben for $1 each. I also made my first baby girl purchases.... a sweet little white cardigan with embroidered flowers, a cute pink newborn outfit, some tiny tights...

Then I went to my friend's garage sale and bought a huge firetruck that makes siren and horn sounds, for 50¢. It is the COOLEST toy!

On Saturday afternoon I went to the Library Book Sale, which I have been looking forward to ever since we moved here. And to top off my perfect purchases of the day, I found the book 1776! HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!! I was super excited. Only 2 bucks. And I've been wanting that book for a long time.

Later on, we spent some quality family time at the park. Jed kept me entertained by shooting off a toy plane over and over. The plane actually got some impressive height and distance. Here's Benjamin showing off his tummy, just like Mommy.

Sneak Peak

Here's a picture of our baby girl....
I have to say, if an ultrasound picture could ever be considered sweet, then this one would be it. I love that you can see her mouth, nose, eyes and forehead, and her round little body. This picture makes her so much more real to me. I can almost imagine holding her in my arms. That makes me so excited! She was kicking and squirming a ton during the ultrasound. It was fun to SEE her squirming at the same time as FEELING her little kicks. What a cutie. I already love her!

Singing Primary Songs

Sometimes on Sunday mornings I put in a Primary Song CD for Benjamin to listen to while Jed and I get ready for church. He recognizes a lot of these songs because I sing him Primary songs before he takes naps and before bed, and during the day at times. Well, while I was in the bathroom putting on makeup I heard him singing along to "I am a Child of God." It was so cute, I had to take some video, and I was pleasantly surprised that he actually kept on singing while I videotaped him. He obviously knows the first verse better than the second, but he knows the chorus pretty well. And at the very end "to live with him some day", you'll notice he says "Amen" instead of the word "day." I don't know where that came from....

Wild Fowl Festival

Ben and I went to the Wild Fowl Festival on Lake Erie this morning.
There were lots of booths of people selling hunting stuff, including duck-call whistles, hunting-dog puppies, and tons and tons of duck decoys. We got to hold and pet the little puppies, and there were big dogs everywhere for Benjamin to admire. We wandered around and saw some clay pigeon shooting out on the lake and part of the dog distance jumping contest. That was fun - the owners would throw an orange buoy out in the water and the dog would jump off the dock to go after it. Benjamin's favorite part of the festival was throwing pebbles into the water and riding the trolley back to our parking lot. :) The trolley looked like a train on wheels, and it had a big bell on it that rang all the way. I guess it's good that he's easy to please.

Time for Cozy PJs

The weather has turned a little chilly. I guess Autumn is on its way. We discovered this week that Benjamin's bedroom gets really cold at night, much colder than the rest of the house. On Wednesday morning when I went in to get him, his bare little feet were like icecubes. He looked so cold standing there, waiting at the door. I gathered him up, picked up a few books, and brought him to my bedroom. I laid him down where I had just been laying, where the blankets were nice and warm. I opened our blinds so that the morning sun streamed in and made the room feel cozy. Then I snuggled in next to him under the blankets and we read books together. He rested his frozen little feet on my legs where they could get warm, and we just hung out in bed for awhile. It was so fun! I love his little voice saying, "One more book" while he holds up his little finger and looks at me expectantly. He thought he was in heaven, having me read him books first thing in the morning. I think it will be one of my fondest memories.

Later that day we went to the store and bought him a few pairs of cozy winter pajamas with feet. He loves his new PJs, and he looks so cute in them. Here he is this morning sporting his new winter wear. (He told me he was drawing a frog on his doodle pad. Isn't he a born artist?)

Oh Beautiful, for Patriot Dreams...

I finished reading a fantastic book, Celia Garth, by Gwen Bristow. This novel was set in Charleston, South Carolina, during the Revolutionary War. I love books, fiction and nonfiction, about American History. I love learning about the heroes during the Revolutionary War and Civil War, those that gave great sacrifices and led the people in the cause they believed in. In this particular novel, it goes into some detail about the rebel resistance in Charleston after the British captured the city, in about 1780. One of my favorite quotes from the book is about the people who were part of the resistance: “Celia wondered how many people there were who, like herself, led a secret life. People who seemed colorless, but who actually were walking hand in hand with glory.” (p. 294) That gave me a shiver when I read it. There were so many people during those wars that were courageous and patriotic, who didn’t do it for recognition or glory, but for the cause of freedom. This novel made me recognize and feel the terror of the war, when people’s homes were ransacked and the inhabitants murdered during raids by the invading army, when soldiers died in battle and skirmishes and left behind loved ones who mourned for them. But it also showed how the citizens rallied and fought back, how the patriot soldiers regrouped and continued to fight, hiding in the swamps to avoid being captured, and how they all hung on to that glimmer of hope that they would be able to ultimately win the war, and win their independence.
Today Benjamin and I went to the library and we happened to pick out a book about American History. As I looked at the portraits of John Adams, Thomas Paine, Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, and so forth, I felt…. well, it’s hard to describe the emotion I felt, and I always feel about American History. I felt deep respect and gratitude, almost a lump in my throat; I felt thankful for our country and for the people who founded it and fought for it during those difficult times. I guess the best way of describing it is a feeling of patriotism. I love the United States; I hope I can teach my children how incredible the events were that surrounded the founding of this nation, and how blessed we are to live here.

'These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated. Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but "to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER" and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious; for so unlimited a power can belong only to God.'

The Crisis, by Thomas Paine
December 23, 1776

Moonraker's Bride

I just finished another fantastic book by Madeleine Brent. I've read it before and knew I loved it, but I couldn't remember it very well. I was excited when I found that our library here had Moonraker's Bride. It was awesome. I have never found a book that could hold a candle to my all-time favorite, Tregaron's Daughter, also by Madeleine Brent... But Moonraker's Bride came pretty close, so close that I actually considered that they might be a tie. (Yes, are you impressed Chrissy?!) If you are reading this, and like the older type (published in the 70's) of mystery romances, then go to your library and put it on hold right away! Unless you're in Kville, in which case you'll have to log on to Amazon. It's worth it.
I loved it, and read it within 24 hours. I actually stayed up until 2 am reading it. I know, that is verging on compulsive... okay, so it's completely compulsive. I can't help myself. I even reread the ending and various parts of the novel over and over, and over again. What can I say? I like to relish a good book.

We've got news...

IT'S A GIRL!

That's right, we went to the doctor this morning for an ultrasound and we found out that we'll be having a little girl in January. What was my initial reaction? Incredulous. Amazed. A girl? Crazy! I've only ever experienced a boy, so I can't imagine having a girl. Although I was totally surprised, I am super excited! I'm 21 1/2 weeks along now, so this pregnancy is moving right along. :) Now for a name.....