Picture Perfect Day

 Sometimes we get those days where everything seems to just work out.  And when those days happen, I try really hard to soak in every moment to the last drop.  Sunday was one of those days for me. Nothing extraordinary - just family time.  The weather was nearly perfect, we had well-behaved children, our aging dog showing signs of spunk, and our puppy along for his first family adventure. 

there is nothing like digging in the mud

Bennett had fun feeling the sand and trying to keep his hat away from Gus

Char enjoying the view from the long hike

the windy day provided the perfect opportunity to fly Marie's kite

 2 thirsty kids after a lot of playing

 

Exhausted from the fun afternoon

Life with Gus

This has been quite an eventful weekend with our new addition, Gus.  It has been a weekend full of potty training, playing, and prying puppy teeth off our hands and feet.  So far, he has been a very good little guy. 

He is sleeping in his kennel in the garage at night. He whines for about 5-10 minutes but then goes to sleep.  He hasn't had any accident in his kennel at night yet.  To help him sleep away from his litter mates and mama, we have a heartbeat sound app on an iTouch.

He and Marie have already bonded.  He follows her around the house and yard just waiting for her to tell him what to do next.  And, when he doesn't do what she asks him to do, she just picks him up and makes him do it.  Marie is accepting some responsibilities too.  She helped Andy fix up the "Dog Barn" in our back yard, she takes Gus out to go potty when he starts to sniff around, and she is good at making sure he has fresh water and plenty of cuddle time. She doesn't love his sharp puppy teeth but she is learning how to offer Gus an alternative, such as a toy, when he tries to nibble on her toes or fingers.

Bennett and Gus are getting along pretty well too.  Bennett prefers Gus when he is sleeping and Gus prefers to chew on Bennett's ears. The two of them tend to want the same toy and the same time.  Maybe this will get Benny to move a little more...

Charlie is doing pretty well with the new addition, too.  He gives Gus a little attention once in awhile.  Gus likes to follow Charlie around the house like a little brother following his big brother who is way too cool to pay attention to the little brother...

Welcome to the family Gus - we love you so much already!

Meet Gus

In a weak moment one night after a long conversation we agreed to this...

Meet Gus.  

He is our newest family member. 

He was born on March 6, 2013.

He came to live with us on April 26th.

Stay tuned...this little guy is making our home even more exciting and busy!

Bennett at 10 months

Our Benny is 10 months old!  I can't believe it.  Every month that passes reminds me how quickly time flies by. Not only is Bennett getting older but it also puts into perspective how quickly our first year in Sioux City and Residency has gone! 

Bennett finally has two teeth on the bottom and his front top teeth are getting pretty puffy so they may be popping out soon.  He has had some very fussy few weeks dealing with that teething so hopefully the rest of his teeth come in a bit easier for him.

He loves standing up by things to play.  We are not really sure he is ever going to crawl - he has no interest in it at all.  He is starting to get on all fours and kind of rock.
He would rather roll a ball back and forth and play catch than anything else.  He drinks really well from a sippy cup, eats table food, and continues to nurse morning & night. He sleeps through the night very well unless dealing with cough/cold or teeth.

He has had a few more "firsts' this past month:

First ice cream

 

First time feeding Charlie from his tray:

And some first fits have been happening when things don't go quite like he wants. Our little "go with the flow guy" is starting to voice his opinion a bit more around the house lately.

It's hard to believe this big guy is nearing 1 year old!  

What a sweet boy we have...

Charlie Boy

Life continues to throw some curve balls at Charlie.

The good news is that we have his thyroid medication at the correct level for now, the pain medication he is on seems to help his mobility and stiffness, and his appetite is still intact.

Unfortunately, our walks are getting shorter, naps longer, and not much chasing the ball in the yard.

Charlie always seemed like a crazy, somewhat naughty, indestructible dog.

He would run for hours...jumping through the brush, crashing through the trees, chasing deer, and still need a bike ride to wind down. 

We would throw his water toy into the river over and over again just to have him retrieve it, run to us, and drop it at our feet. And just as we were ready to pick it up to throw it again, he would shake his dirty wet fur in our faces...typical Charlie.

He chewed Andy's favorite Twins hat, my brand new sandals, and countless rawhide bones.

It feels like this old age came out of nowhere even though I know it has been creeping up on us for quite some time. 

Our life with Char is changing.  

We spend more time cuddling and massaging sore muscles and less time running and chasing balls and toys.  

Our role is no longer to help him get energy out but to help him remain energetic.

We covet all the time we have with our bud and we will continue to do our part as long as we can. 

He is such an important part of our family and always will be. 

Field Trip

What has 4 elephants, 6 tigers, 6 camels, 12 puppies, and a human cannonball? 

The Circus!

Marie and Mommy spent the day at the circus with her daycare class. There was so much to see but I think the favorite was the human cannonball or the tricksters on the bikes.

 

We had cotton candy, popcorn, and a really tired girl by the end of the day.   

Marie was sick for 2 days this week so we were thankful she was better in time for her exciting field trip!

Our "Brave" Girl

History repeats itself is a common saying.  I am here to tell you that this saying is definitely true in our house. Marie gets herself stuck on a movie or book for several months and then moves on to another. Andy & I become very good at playing our parts during these phases:

"Daddy, you be King Triton and I'll be Ariel."

"Mommy, you be the evil stepmother and I'll be Cinderella."

"Daddy, you be Prince Eric and I'll be Ariel."

"Mommy, you be Mother Gothel and I'll be Rapunzel."

"Daddy, you be Flynn Rider and I'll be Rapunzel."

(By the way - why are the mothers in these movies always mean?! I always get stuck playing the bad guy...)

Well, now we are stuck on the newest movie, "Brave."

At first glance I thought this movie was going to be way too scary and not "princess" enough for our little princess.  But we rented it from a Blockbuster here in Sioux City (yes, those stores do still exist) and then we rented it again, and again.  Marie fell in love with the story line, characters, and loved to remind me that the girl had big curly hair just like me.
So, the Easter Bunny surprised Marie with her very own copy of "Brave."

Since Easter, we have watched this move approximately 57 times.  No joke.  57 times!

This is not your average princess movie.  Merida is an expert at archery, riding horses, and even scaling rocky mountain tops.  She is talented, smart, independent, funny, sarcastic, and often at odds with her mother...hmm, sound familiar?

Eleanor, her mother, expects a lot out of Merida as the oldest in the family.  She wants her to be kind, smart, look presentable, and always do her best for her kingdom and family. She often forgets to play with Merida and focuses much of her time on the "to do" lists and expectations of others....hmm, sound familiar?

By the end of the movie, the two come together and learn to respect the differences that make them unique. They remember to play together, learn from each other, and spend quality time together as they are.

Not only has Marie picked up pretending to play with a bow & arrow from this movie, but I have picked up a lesson or two myself. 

So, I will always say "yes" when Marie asks, 

"Mom, you be the mommy Eleanor and I'll be Merida."

Spring Fever

We have been spending so much time outside with this nice weather!  On Friday we made it to the park in the afternoon and even Daddy got to join us.  Marie loves going to the park and Bennett is getting more and more into these outings.  He is starting to get frustrated and bored with not being able to move exactly how he wants to.  

 Do you see these two boys and their very similar expression? 

Like father like son!

Marie is very proud of mastering parts of the park that were too scary for her last spring.

Benny so proud of himself for standing on the equipment, too!

We had a fun afternoon outing followed by lots of spring cleaning, yard work, and some planting too.  We are going to do a garden for the first time this year. Marie and Daddy are taking this job on together. Hopefully in a few months we will have lots of good veggies and fruit to share!

Easter Celebrations

Our church helped us celebrate Easter by putting on an Easter Egg Hunt and Carnival.  We had no idea there was going to be a carnival involved but it proved to be so much fun!  Our friend Melissa came along with us to help with the kiddos and Marie always likes it when she gets to see Melissa. 

The kids made bunny ears, frosted cookies, got their faces painted, ate cookies, and hunted eggs. It was a beautiful day to be outside, too!

Trying to have a family picture but a certain someone was done with it all.

I love this picture of Bennett trying to get the egg from Marie. He was quiet but sneaky...

After the hunt and carnival we headed home and took long naps before playing outside some more.  We had our first BBQ of the season, too.  We are so ready for this nice weather to be here!

On Sunday we went to Sheldon to celebrate Easter with the Van Beek's and celebrate Anneke's 1st birthday. 

It was so much fun to watch Bennett and Anneke together...she is moving all around him and they love to give each other kisses. 

We had such a great Easter Weekend!