I don't know...

...what happens! I try to keep up on blogging, but then an entire month goes by and I didn't blog AT ALL! Here's the thing, I take pictures, I really do! I have all sorts of pictures that I completely intended on posting for all of you! Even Ben has started taking blog pictures, they just never seem to make their way onto the blog! I am going to try to do better (I realize I say this about every other month) but I am going to this time!

This summer Uncle Ben gave Landen his first "kitchen cut" except he got it outside where the hair could FLY! Now he will inform Ben that he "needs a new buzz."

I'm not sure if I mentioned this in my LACK of blogging in the Spring, but Ben is coaching for the Nooksack High school football team. It started with Spring practice and now that Fall is here...football has picked up with force! I think a fellow coaches wife said it best tonight at the "family dinner" before practice when she said "I've gotten used to being a coaches widow." Ha! It is a HUGE time commitment but man does Ben LOVE it! I can see it all over his face every time he comes home from practice, games, and coaches meetings. (yes there are coaches meetings!) So needless to say Friday nights you will find us at the games! I am so happy that Ben has found his passion and pray that God continues to open doors in this area!

I have started the school year and found myself wondering "where the heck did summer go?" SERIOUSLY??? I am happy to be back into the routine, especially with Ben having so many commitments to football. I am teaming with Amy Moss this year and it is going AWESOME! One of my second graders said it best today when she told me that "you and Ms. Moss are very organized." (I took it as a compliment!) I am teaching another year split up...mornings are special education k-5 and afternoons are with my multi-age kiddos (1st and 2nd graders together!) I am looking forward to another great year and feel SO blessed to have a full-time job. I am officially accepted into my masters program...I am transferring credits from this past year and am looking forward to Spring of 2012 when my masters will be completed, Lord willing, my national boards certification earned, and my ELL endorsement finished! I'm not sure what I'll do with my time after that!!

AND the best of news of all....I AM GOING TO BE AN AUNTIE AGAIN!! I am so excited for Kate and Darren...and Landen! He is finally going to be a big brother, and just ask him about it and he'll tell you about his "sister-brother." For now that is all the major news I have...Ben and football, Abbie and school and work, and Landen being a brother! Have a great weekend everyone!!

HOT Summer Day...

We have really been enjoying this weather! Ben and I bought Ruby a life jacket a few months ago and couldn't decide what size to buy her...the size that would fit right now, or the size that would fit when she is full grown. We decided to go with the bigger one but now I am wondering if it will ever fit...she is such a peanut!

Ruby wasn't a huge fan of swimming...not like Qoen is, but she didn't get as uptight as Ace does when he swims. I think when she grows into her life jacket it might get better!

Enjoy the sunshine everyone!

Ruby Girl

Here is an updated picture of the little lady...she is getting so big! I think she is full grown now...which is nice because now she will stay in the same size dress! This is her newest dress...I love this one, she is starting to get used to wearing them too...and really, she doesn't mind them at all.
We had a sad day recently...Ruby's sister was hit by a car...this makes us even more thankful for our little fury babies.

A Great Visit...

My Aunt and Uncle from Virginia came to visit this week and sadly the only picture I have of their visit is Landen and I sitting by the fire at grandma's house...this is how we spent most of our time...but if I had been a better blogger I would have captured more pictures...sorry guys...but it was a great visit!

Seattle Aquarium!

Katie and Darren took a quick vacation...that meant that between mom, dad, Ben and I we had the little man for 5 full days!! Ben and I thought it would be fun to take him to the Seattle Aquarium...and of course visit Kacie again! All week we kept talking about going to see the fish and naturally Landen wanted to see sharks! Any time you asked him where we were going he said "the zium." We drove down with no problems what so ever...other than the brief stand still on the freeway as we entered Seattle...Landen is quite the backseat driver! He kept telling Uncle Ben to "GO!" Along the way he also told us that "green means go and red means stop." He has become very familiar with the Space Needle after going to Kacie's apartment and can now point it out with no prompting!
When we finally got to the "zium" he LOVED everything. That smile didn't leave his face! Here's a tip for the Seattle Aquarium...having the "touch pool" the first thing in the door at the aquarium makes a two year old think that EVERY tank in the entire aquarium is a touch tank! "Pick me up Uncle Ben I want to touch it!" at every single area!

Landen LOVED Kacie, of course, and it was great to have an extra set of hands with the little man...anyone who knows my nephew knows what I mean!

Landen got used to climbing up onto my footrest to get an extra boost to touch in the touch tanks.

All of the precious creatures in the touch tanks!

Uncle Ben and Landen looking at the sea creatures in the water archway.

That little finger did a lot of point that day...

Landen hangin' onto an octopus leg...

I'm not really sure what this is a picture of...but it seemed "aquarium-ish"

Landen and Uncle Ben...you have No idea how many tries it took to get both heads in the circle cut outs at the same time...

Landen looking at the Sea Otters....again he had to be UP!

Landen looking at the seal on the dock!

During our aquarium adventure, Landen became obsessed with taking pictures! This was one of the pictures he took, trust me there were TONS!!! This one is cute because you can see his reflection in the window.

He finally started to understand the whole stick your head in the circle and smile thing!

Landen got "pocket money" from grandma before we left. All week he talked about wanting to buy a shark to take home...side note, there are NO sharks at the Seattle Aquarium...and when we finally got to the gift shop this is what he HAD to have...it's a grabber...it has absolutely nothing to do with the aquarium...but that's what he wanted to buy and he LOVES it! I did get him a stuffed shark and a "Curious George Goes to the Aquarium" book...for actual proof that yes we did go to the aquarium.

Ben and I in front of the fountain outside the aquarium...

Landen and Uncle Ben...and the grabber!

About three piers down I saw a huge carrousel in the distance...I thought it would be awesome to take Landen on his first carrousel ride...I couldn't wait to get a picture of him on a cute horse...that thought was shattered when Landen threw an absolute fit when Ben tried to put him on a horse...when we let him choose...he wanted to ride in the red sled behind this man who we didn't know...again this was the best picture I could get...since Landen is nearly not visible in the giant sled...but Uncle Ben looks cute waving! :)

It was a great trip!

College Friends...

...are the best! On Tuesday Ben and I had to go down to UofW for my annuel check up with my respetory doctor. (All is well, nothing has changed, which is good, and they are very pleased with my performance on the testing I did this year) We decided to make a day of it and met up with a friend of ours from Western! It has been probably two years since I have seen my good friend Kacie, and I was thrilled to get to spent the afternoon/evening with her! We had dinner on the pier at Anthony's...Kacie and I both had the most amazing crab...and Ben had the only thing on the menu that wasn't shell fish! :)

Ben and I got a quick picture with the water in the background...you can't see it in this picture but Mt. Raineer is in the background too! What a beautiful state we live in!!

After dinner we went back to Kacie's appartment to catch up and can you believe this is her view? This picture was taken on Kacie's balcony...Ben says this doesn't do it justice because it makes the Space Needle look farther away than it really it...but for the record it's a few blocks away. We had a great visit...until we got half way home and I realized that I forgot my purse at Kacie's! Whoops! Being the great friend that she is she mailed it to me over night the next day and I had it back very quickly! Now I live with my husband asking me if I "have my head" every time we leave some place!

It was a lot of fun dispite the purse situation and we plan to go back VERY soon!

Happy 4th of July!

We had a great (and safe) 4th of July this year! We spent our evening with great friends and good food. This year we went to Darrin and Emily's along with many others for a potluck and BBQ. We decided to make a traditional 4th Jell-O to share...I made Ben take a picture of his master piece especially for you all to see! Note to self...buy berries at the berry stand when you don't need a Costco sized container of strawberries and blueberries! Oh well, live and learn...I froze the blueberries for muffins and pancakes...and we have strawberry shortcake berries waiting for the shortcake to be made!

We watched Darrin light the fireworks while all the kiddos stood on the sidewalk in awe of the beautiful gun powder shooting up in the sky!

And of course Emily made awesome Moo-wiches...so huge, Ben could hardly get his mouth around it! Emily your such an awesome home-maker! When I grow up I want to be one just like you!

We had a great night and were reminded of the blessing of freedom we have in our country!