Getting Along

 So It's been 3 months since Charlie passed away.

Every day is different for us. 

Some days are easy where we don't even think about him being gone and other days where we drive by a familiar gravel road and choke down a big lump in our throats.

He has left a hole in our home and even though our house is loud, busy, and crazy most of the time, it still feels like a big black cuddly dog is missing.

Marie has spent a lot of time talking about Charlie.  Nearly every night at bedtime she prays for Charlie to get better in heaven, she hopes another family will get to have him when he is better so they can love him like we did, she reminds me that we can't see him but he can see us, and she makes sure to tell me that he loved her the best because they liked to cuddle. 

For her first birthday she received a stuffed black lab from a dear friend of ours which she has named Charlie.   

This has always been a favorite stuffed animal but it now has even more meaning.

 

 We are a family who needs a dog.

So thankfully, Charlie advised us to get Gus. 

He and Marie run and play together until they are completely out of breath. 

We love to walk him, play fetch with him, cuddle with him, and take him swimming.

It is interesting to see how he is different with the kids. 

He plays with Marie much like a little brother - gets into her things, chases her, bothers her, and follows her around. 

Bennett & Gus like to play near each other, share toys, and Gus is always concerned when Bennett is crying. Much like Charlie was with Marie.  They sneak away and get into trouble together - finding water and getting dirty and making a mess in every room.

 

 Gus is a good dog. 

He had a short time with Charlie but it is clear he learned a lot from him.  

He is growing quickly and we are so happy to have him in our family.

Big Boy Bennett

Bennett has done so much growing in the past few weeks!
He is officially a toddler - finally!  It took him so long to get up enough courage or gusto and let go of the furniture but he is now walking all over the place.
He still gets off balance sometimes and he had the bumps, scratches, and marks to prove it.

 He loves to go down the slides, climb up the slides, play ball, and throw rocks.

 He had some silly hair that kind of curled but mostly stuck out like Donald Trump...so, we made the decision to give him his first hair cut.

 

He handled it very well and it went quickly. I can't believe what a difference it made in how old he looks!  He looks like such a big boy now.

Marie's First day of Preschool

 Here she is all ready to go on her first day with her new Princess book bag and school supplies.

Marie was so excited to start on Monday she could hardly get to sleep!  

Finally when the time came, she walked right into the room, hung up her bag, and blew Mom a kiss goodbye. 

And here she is with her first preschool award of excellence for following directions and being a good listener on her first day!

She loved everything about her first day except that she didn't get to use her new scissors yet.  

We reassured her that she will have plenty of time to use that scissors.

Marie is looking forward to all she will learn in school as well as the fun field trips she will get to experience!

Riding in Style

Thanks to Aunt Tina & Uncle Brian the kids have a new toy.

They enjoy cruising around the yard while Gus chases them. 

Bennett's legs are a bit too short to push the gas pedal so Marie does most of the driving.  

If only it were big enough for Mom & Dad!

Bountiful Garden

We are officially eating the fruits (and veggies) of our labor!  The garden is going strong and we are loving the fresh produce for our dinner.

 As you can see the plants are giant!  We must have some amazing soil because the tomato plants are about 6 ft tall. That makes it interesting when digging through for the ripe ones!

 

Marie is most excited about the pumpkins which are starting to appear. 

They are not going to be large pumpkins but it will be fun to use them in our fall decorating and activities!

Time with Uncle Nathan

As soon as we woke up on Saturday Marie was ready to get her swimsuit on and head to Papa's Boat!  

Uncle Nathan shared her enthusiasm and off we went.

We spent time boating, tubing, eating, swimming, and of course squirting each other as many times as we could.  

Marie and Bennett both love playing on the tube and dunking anyone they can get their hands on.

 It was a beautiful day and thankfully we got off the water right as the rain moved in.

 

Nathan came to spend the night in Sioux City on Sunday.

He played and played and played, got his nails painted, watched movies, went swimming with us, and even babysat the kids on Monday. 

Thanks for coming Uncle Nathan!

Arnold's Park

The kids were so excited that Uncle Nathan came to visit this past weekend! 

Nathan arrived late Friday night so we decided to spend one last night at Arnold's Park this summer while waited patiently.

We started with supper at Bob's. The kids preferred the lake view during their dinner vs. talking with their parents...imagine that!

Marie and Bennett both loved the rides and they each did several.  Some together, some separate, and some with Mom & Dad. 

 Marie loved the Ferris Wheel, roller coaster, trampoline, and log ride. Yep, the log ride!  She loved it..she went on it 2 times - one with Mom and one with Dad. As we approached the drop off she screamed, "This is awesome!"

 

Bennett loved the boats, Ferris Wheel, and train. His sister was pretty insistent they ride in their own separate seats so we nervously tightened him in. As you can see he loved every second of it!

 Until the train - no smiles on the train, just worry.  

However, as soon as we would say "Hi Benny!"  He would smile at us.

 

After one final ride on the Ferris Wheel and an ice cream cone, we headed back to Grammy & Papa's house to see Uncle Nathan!