Christmas is near...

 

 With Thanksgiving over there is only one thing to do...

 

 decorate and begin the Christmas festivities!

 

 

 We all joined in at the Mueting house with decorating our trees, outside, and just about every room in the house got some special Christmas touch.  Marie loved decorating her tree for her room and Bennett loved looking at all the lights.

The kids even got to open an early present from Aunt Tina...warm boots for both kiddos will come in handy this winter!

 We also got to welcome Santa to town at the Holiday Lights Parade downtown. Marie loved seeing Santa come down the street in a horse-drawn carriage.

 

 

Bennett slept for the majority of the parade but woke up just in time for the lighting of the Christmas Tree.

Christmas is such a fun time of year and we are so excited to celebrate this season as a family of four.

 

Merry Christmas!

Time for Turkey

Marie was so into Thanksgiving this year...she asked us when it would be here many times the past few weeks. She was very excited to eat turkey and see her family. So, when the big day finally arrived that is exactly what she did. 

 

 

We traveled to Spencer for the holiday where we met Andy's side of the family and my mom for the celebration. Our Thanksgiving day included the annual Turkey Trot in which Marie ran with Uncle Nate and Aunt Katie. I still can't believe she ran and kept up with them for quite a long time. Bennett enjoyed getting outside for the Turkey Trot too but he decided to drive in the car for most of it...with Marie behind the wheel for part of the drive!

We ate a fabulous meal, played games, danced, and ended our day with pie.

 

As always we took turns sharing what we were thankful for this year.  I tried to explain to Marie what that meant and gave her some examples a few days before Thanksgiving.  She said she was thankful for her room and her stuffed blonde puppy. 

So, when her time came at the table, I expected to hear those 2 things.  I was pleasantly surprised when I heard, "I am thankful for my new big house and my mommy & daddy."  It shocked me so much it made me a bit emotional.  This move has been a difficult one for us to get used to, especially us girls. Hearing that she is thankful for her home helps me breathe a sigh of relief and look forward to the memories we can make here.

Benny at 5 months

 

 Bennett is 5 months and getting cuter by the month if you ask me. He is such a content and lovable little guy who continues to love to chew on toys, play with his sister and pull her hair, try to catch Charlie's wagging tail, watch out the window, cuddle with Mom, play with Dad, and eat.

 

Sleeping is becoming less important to him and more important to mom so we are hoping to get that figured out soon. He is very quick at rolling from his stomach to his back but doesn't try to go from his back to his stomach yet. He is getting stronger at sitting upright but still needs our help. His 12 month jammies are getting pretty tight on him as we speak. 

 

He is loving the Christmas lights and we can't wait for him to experience his first Christmas with our family!

 

Little Mommy

Marie is really growing into her "big sister" role. Bennett appreciates this too as he only eats cereal for her!  Apparently Andy and I are 2nd best in this little boy's eyes.

 

Van Beek Thanksgiving

We were able to get a jump start on celebrating Thanksgiving this past weekend with the Van Beek side of the family. The kids love going to Sheldon to see everyone and play at Grandma Nel's.

 

  Uncle Paul bonded with Bennett...

 

 Daddy discovered some fun trucks in the play room with Marie...

 

 Abby spent some time with one of her favorite uncles....

 

 

and the youngest grandkids got much needed cuddle time with Whitnee and Brandon.

 

 

Miss Anneke is moving around more and discovered  the dog water dish...something every grandkid has had fun playing in while being chased away by us all. 

 

We had a great time and look forward to the Holidays coming up soon!

Fall Treat

A cool fall evening calls for caramel apples and apple cider...so that is just what we made for our bedtime snack this week.

Marie had read a book with caramel apples in it and has been curious about this snack ever since.

 



 

She agreed they were delicious but didn't really like how the caramel stuck in her teeth.

Bennett enjoyed watching us make the treats - next year you can eat them buddy!

 

Big Steps for Bennett

 

 Bennett has been making great strides the past few days. We have introduced a little cereal and he is liking it so far. Marie wanted to make sure he ate his supper...this girl is always willing to help out with her little brother.

 

Bennett also rolled from his tummy to his back this week!  It was out of pure frustration and anger that we were making him lay on his tummy...but he did it! 

 



 

What a big boy we have!

What a weekend!

This past weekend is such a whirlwind to recall...here is my best attempt:

 



Thursday we packed up everything and headed to Des Moines. Andy was being honored with a scholarship at a Family Medicine Conference there so the whole family minus Char decided to go along.  We were all excited to spend some time in our "old town" as Marie puts it.

 

 

 

We started by enjoying dinner with the Lyddon Family. We miss these friends so much and wish we could see them more often. This was the first time they were meeting Bennett.  Gabe and Bennett liked to hang out on the couch while Marie got her nails done by Lexi.

 



 

We woke up Friday morning and enjoyed room service - Marie loved eating her scrambled eggs in bed. We also got to enjoy the pool for just a bit before moving on to our next stop.

On our way to the Science Center, we stopped by Children's Garden, Marie's former daycare.  This was such a mixed emotion stop for us. Marie remembered everyone and even hugged her little buddy Jack.  I was reminded of how special that daycare is and wish Bennett could have been a part of it.  It was fun to have Marie's infant room teacher, Miss Carnatta see Bennett.  She would have been his teacher too.

 

Next stop, the Science Center!

Daddy had fun here, too...until some naughty little boys messed up his masterpiece.

 After our busy morning, we were able to meet the Van Meeteren's for lunch. They were in town for Bryant's sister's wedding.  We never get to see them enough so when we get the chance, we make it happen no matter how short the visit.

 

Our 3 kiddos!

On Friday evening, Andy & I were at the banquet where Andy received his scholarship award. The kids got to spend more time with the Lyddon's.

 

Saturday morning we headed to Ames for the ISU game versus Oklahoma.  There we met Grammy & Papa for tailgating. 

Bennett did well at his first football game - he slept the entire time.

 Marie had fun too - playing games at the tailgate party, running around playing in the dirt, eating popcorn and cotton candy, and of course going down to the field with Papa.

 

We had such a great weekend but are happy to be home and napping - what a fun and exhausting little trip!

Trick-or-Treat Time

 

Happy Halloween from the Mueting Family!

 

 

Marie, aka Ariel, loved walking through the neighborhood asking for her treats.

Bennett, aka Rex Burkhead (Nebraska football player), took a ride in the stroller around the neighborhood and helped Daddy hand out candy.

 

 

Our neighborhood was so full of kids and excitement on Halloween night - what a fun way to enjoy the holiday!