Tuesday, November 4, 2008






So, Ben has fully recovered from what we are pretty sure was viral meninigitis. It was a long seven days! Running temps from 103-105.0 at one point. Luckily my mom was here to help out with the little guy. He absolutely loves playing outside and we are taking advantage of this beautiful weather we are having. Here are a few pictures from this week.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Where Has the Time Gone???









Really, Where has the time gone? These days pass me by so quickly. I was watching baby videos of Ben the other day and it really seems hard to remember what he was like. I couldn't believe how small he seemed. He is adjusting to mothers' day out ok. He is completely captivated by planes and trains. We are taking him to the airshow Saturday, I have included a few pictures. We live close enough to the base that we can see them practicing from our backyard. Pretty cool actually. I also included a picture of one very unhappy Spidey-man. Oh well, hopefully he won't be that mad about it at Halloween!


Thursday, August 28, 2008

17 mth stats

31" inches tall
24 lbs

WORDS KNOWN:
BYE
DOG
UH OH
TA DA
SHOES
KEYS
CHEESE
NOOOOOOOO
THAT!
BOOK
NOSE
TOY

I am sure there are others but I am at a loss right now to remember the rest. He survived (barely) his first day of mother's day out. Crying and upset most of the day. But he made it. We'll see how he does next time. He is running! Pointing at everything he wants and trying really hard to communicate with us. He is definately a momma's boy, but is growing more and more attached to his daddy! It is so great to see him interacting with him.... He is just so full of life and getting more and more interesting everyday!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

That lived in the charcoal grill.........





Needless to say since Ben got here I have been more than lax with my cleaning efforts. Mostly when it comes to outdoor areas. We have this little covered porch off the side of our master bedroom that has been completely ignored since last fall. Since it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind as well. Well, today I decided to make the effort to see that it got clean. I should have known something was up because my weimaraner had been pretty content to stay outside for awhile. I made my way over to where she was, cleaning supplies in hand and started to grab the dog bed (that was heading straight to the trash) and noticed something very weird beside it. Fungus? Crazy mushroom? Poo? What was it? A poor toad that had been tortured I am sure for the last hour. Completely puffed up and not moving. YUCK. Time to put the dog up.
By the time I made my way back over, poor toad had started moving. Thank goodness I did not have to bury a toad today. Next I made my way over to a decrepit hammock that had been neatly rolled and tucked away in the corner, I moved it only for something to shoot right out from behind it scaring the bejeezeez out of me. This time it was a lizard. Then a few spiders. Oh and a cricket. I had more than enough wild animals for one day. But there was one more thing to clean around…. The charcoal grill. If you know me at all you know I don’t have patience for cooking, let alone grilling, so it’s not been used in close to a year. I move it only for a swarm of wasps to appear. This is when I decided to get a bit of exercise in and go running around my yard. Running to the garage to find the spray to kill the wasps that lived in the charcoal grill. Next time I am cleaning it in the middle of winter!
Oh and some recent pics of Ben!

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Ben and the Dogs........

So, Little Ben has always loved sharing his food with the dogs. In fact, I usually put the dogs out before I feed him due to the fact that he would rather give them the food than eat it himself. But the other day, we had a first in the house! It was oddly quiet, I was in the kitchen and the dogs weren't. I should have known something was up, usually if you get within a foot of the kitchen they come begging. I turned the corner to the hallway to see sweet little Ben, drinking milk from his sippy and then spitting it back out on the floor for the dogs to lick up. He laughed hysterically the moment he realized he was caught. My first instinct should have been to pick up the video camera but sadly, it was not. Instead, I started cleaning. I might restage it just so I can post it on YOUTUBE! It really was a funny sight to see! No wonder the dogs tolerate so much from him! He gives them more treats than we do!

Saturday, July 19, 2008

It's been a while.....






Wow... I just realized it's been about a month without a new post! Needless to say I have been extremely busy since going back to work part-time. Ben is almost 16mths old now. He is running, talking a bit more and just loving life right now. We have been in Knoxville, Tn since July 11th and are heading home this coming Monday. It has been a very busy trip so far. Here are some recent photos from this week:

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Rotavirus?



So we are here, day 8 of Rotavirus! Ben has actually been mostly himself except for the
slight occasional fever and the horrible, putrid, constant, neverending diarrhea. I have had three layers of bedding sheets on in his crib with protectors in between each one so the idea was
to be able to pull one set off and have clean set underneath. Novel idea.. But not always workable. So on with the washing of the sheets and the changing of the diapers. We have been through two packs of wipes in 8 days. Who knows how many diapers. He is off to grandma's tonight. I need a twenty-four break from nastiness. I am hoping we are coming to the end of it. (fingers crossed, prayers said)

I am now a working stay at home mom. Does that even sound right? I am in the office
about 1.5 days a week, out on appointments on nights and the occasional weekend and Ben is getting lots of quality time with Daddy and Gramme. David keeps him all day on Mondays for me and now really looks forward to the time he gets to spend with him. Otherwise, I am sure if I wasn't "working" he would not take off that time to be with him. So far, I can't complain too much but it is definately an adjustment.

Hope all is well!


Friday, May 23, 2008

I passed!

Yeah! I passed the test and am officially a licensed Life/Health insurance
agent. So now I can officially forget everything that I learned in order to pass the test. Yes, most of it will not be needed in the real world of selling life insurance. So, now one more class required by the company I am going to work for and then in about a month things should slow down a bit. The learning is the hard part, I think actually doing the work will be easy. We'll see...............

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

FIRST CAMPING TRIP






Well, this last weekend we took Ben on his first of hopefully many camping trips to come. He had

such a great time. He did really well sleeping in the tent although he woke up as soon as the sun came up....5:54 one morning. I however know now that my limit for sleeping in a tent is one night not two! Must take air mattress for future trips. Anyway, just wanted to share these pics.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Mothers Day




I had a great 2cd mothers day! My sister was in town so we had very relaxing, easy Sunday morning. Sadly we did not make to church, babies, naptimes and sunday mornings do not always mix well. We went to the zoo that afternoon and yes, for the sake of my son.....I rode a camel!

I still cannot believe I did it. Ben seemed much more interested in the ropes that secured us in than the camel itself. Oh well, at least we have pictures to prove it! He was completely exhausted after he spent most of the time there trying to hijack everyone's strollers and wagons.

My son, you see, has a total fascination with wheels. He fell fast asleep in his carseat holding his sippy and his new souvenier Zoo truck.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

I survived!

I survived a week of Insurance Licensing Classes! While I am no authority, I do know alot more
about annuities, ppos, hmos, medicare and medicaid than I really care to. All the fun stuff about life insurance was actually very interesting! Now all that's left is to pass the test next week. For those of you who know me, and those that don't, I am returning to the rat race after 2 years off. However, I will still be working from home. That is the only way I would ever consider working again is to have the freedom to still be a full time mom and squeeze in a full time job during Ben's naps and during my late night boughts of insomnia.
So, while the next 2 months of classes and courses will keep me busy.. I am looking forward to the challenge!

Thursday, April 24, 2008









Busy Busy Busy.......... Will write something sometime when I have more time........






Saturday, April 19, 2008

Avery




So, Ben got to hang out with his little friend Avery this week! She is two months older than Ben and they really do seem to enjoy each other. They even played "ball" together.....throwing a big ball back and forth for a couple minutes........ Too cute!












Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Baby Ben




I can not believe still that Ben is already a year old. I was just looking through his baby pictures and had to share a couple. People are always telling you how fast it goes and you just don't know until it's you, and your baby! I am amazed at how much he's grown and changed and know now
that he's already walking, it will be about a minute for he's talking and I just can't get enough of him.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Knoxville, TN





Home Sweet Home......


This week we are in Knoxville, TN visiting family and friends. Monday we took a trip up to see my grandmother in Kentucky so she could finally meet her great-grandson. We had a great time!

These are pictures taken down at UT Gardens which is just a beautiful place to visit. Ben is walking all of the time now and doesn't want to sit still for a minute!


Saturday, April 5, 2008

Travelling Tips?

So, we took an eight hour road trip last night in which I thought Ben would sleep most of the way since we left so late. Well, that was the plan anyway. Turns out he hates being confined in his carseat for any length of time. This was not the case until he started walking and decided that he does not like to sit still. I had my mom with me last night so she was able to keep him occupied at times.. he was sooooo cranky! I have to make the trip back later this week by myself!!! Help!?! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Monday, March 31, 2008

Happy Birthday Ben




So Ben turned one yesterday! It was tons of fun, he had no problem devouring his little chocolate cupcake. Twenty-five close family members and friends helped up celebrate! He now has a huge inventory of cars and trucks and fun toys to last him a long time. Thanks everyone who helped us celebrate!


Monday, March 24, 2008

Grateful

I am completely grateful to all of our armed services for protecting and fighting for our great country. I am disgusted by our media’s representation of our struggle to maintain our freedom. I was reading today’s headlines and it read “Military Death toll reaches 4,000 in Iraq.” God bless those families for their losses. I am totally humbled by their willingness to serve and protect. But we lost over 58,000 in Vietnam and over 418,500 in the 2cd World War. Can we get a little perspective in the media, please?
Our military budget (that certain politicians want to cut in half) is what allowed us to save more human lives in the first place. Without our current advances in technology we would be completely vulnerable to other countries attacks. We are a super power for a reason. We have to be. People fear the most that which they don’t understand. The majority of the middle east hates us because they have no concept of freedom. They raise their children from a very young age to hate, not just dislike but to hate the Western World. These children are the next generation of suicide bombers that our children will be battling in 25 years. There is no end to the Iraq war……it’s not just about pulling out of Iraq. It’s the same battle that been predicted from the beginning of time.

The following is from” They Stumble Together” by Douglas S. Winnail

The prophet Hosea revealed the cause of the problems in the Israelite nations. He wrote: "...Because you have forgotten the law of your God… Because they have ceased obeying the Lord" (Hosea 4:6, 10). This willing ignorance and disobedience has spawned a whole series of problems, "swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed upon bloodshed" (Hosea 4:2). Long before Hosea’s time, God warned the people He had blessed and chosen to be a light to the world: "When you have eaten and are full… Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments" (Deuteronomy 8:10–11). Yet God foresaw the Israelite peoples’ tendency to forget, so He inspired Moses to record sober warnings for their descendants: "I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you. And evil will befall you in the latter days, because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands" (Deuteronomy 31:29).
It is no coincidence that the growing troubles now threatening the Israelite nations have arisen while they are tolerating and promoting the abortion of millions of unborn babies, leading the world in adultery and divorce and celebrating homosexual relationships and same-sex marriages—all practices the Bible clearly calls abominations (Leviticus 18:20–22). Because of these flagrant sins, God reveals that these nations will "reap the consequences" of their actions (Jeremiah 2:17–19; Hosea 4:9–10). Scripture shows that God himself is "fashioning a disaster and devising a plan against" the modern Israelite nations, and that those disasters will come upon the nations "suddenly" (Jeremiah 6:26; 15:8). It is time to wake up to the power and relevance of Bible prophecy!

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Friday, March 21, 2008

Good Friday at Wye Mountain




So, there is this beautiful place up on Wye Mountain where they have a daffodil field for all to enjoy. We took the hour or so drive up there this morning and while Ben was not completely thrilled with the big field of flowers I did manage to snap a few cute pictures.........





Saturday, March 15, 2008

Ode to the Irish....




With hair as red as ours you know we're a bit Irish! A few pics from the St. Patty's parade today!



The Irish...
Be they kings, or poets, or farmers,They're a people of great worth,They keep company with the angels,And bring a bit of heaven here to earth


Get down on your knees and thank God you're still on your feet.

Irish Saying


May you live as long as you want,And never want as long as you live.

Irish Saying