Thankful

Today Karissa's preschool class took a field trip to the local food pantry.  Of course, I forgot my camera.  It was interesting to watch the kids expressions seeing all the food and trying to get them to understand that this food was going to be given away to people who can't afford to buy groceries.  I am really glad we had the opportunity to do this and I hope something that was said stuck, because I want my kids to grow up wanting to help others who need it.  I am thankful for everything that God has provided and will continue to provide for us.  I pray that I can have a giving spirit every day, not just when it is almost Thanksgiving and I remember to be thankful for everything we have.  I pray that for all of you too.

Stephenie

Karissa Meets Turtle

This is for Shaundra so she can watch it whenever she wants :)

March or April of 2009.

First cereal

Oliver is now 4 months old and the doctor said it is time to start cereal.  At first I was very sad about this, because it seems like he grew up overnight.  Now I am slightly happy about it because it means that pretty soon he will be able to feed himself, and it is so cute to watch babies feed themselves with their little chubby fingers. :)

This is our first try at eating with a spoon :)

 He did not like it at first, and was angry at me for trying to put this stuff in his mouth.

Karissa took some pictures for me.
After the first 15 or so tries, he actually started to get the hang of it and enjoyed it more.

 All in all it was pretty messy, and very fun.
I wonder what milestone we will experience next?

Breakfast smoothie

 

Wondering what do do with all the fruit you bought?

Make a smoothie!

Delicious and nutritious, kids love 'em!

5th Anniversary Getaway

 

This past Friday, November the 5th, was our 5th anniversary.  We took a one night trip to a bed and breakfast in Middlebury, IN.  The name of the B&B is Mckenzie House.  It was so nice to get away for a bit, and this place was so wonderful.   Here are some pictures of our suite.

 

 The main house at Mckenzie House had a full basement which contained a movie room and a few games and music.  We played a few games of darts and bowling on the Wii.  I kicked Forrest's butt at bowling. :)

 

Mckenzie House also had a heated in ground pool and a hot tub.  The pool was closed for the season, but the hot tub stays open all year long.  This picture is of us wrapped up in our robes (provided by Mckenzie House) making our way to the hot tub. 

 

They also provided a fire pit for us.

This is the yummy breakfast that was waiting for us the next morning.  It was definitely better than anything we imagined. 

We can not say enough good things about Mckenzie House.  They provided a warm, comfortable retreat in a beautiful room and we felt so spoiled.  Their Christ-like attitude and approach to their business is so refreshing.  We are already planning our next visit!

I highly recommend Mckenzie House B&B if you are wanting this type of getaway.  This was our first time in a B&B so we do not have anything to compare it too, but this place was really awesome!

Check them out at http://mckenziehousebnb.com/ 

Comfy bed

 I had to write really quick to tell you about these flannel sheets.  My MIL got us a set for Forrest's birthday, and they are amazing!  They are Kimlor brand and you can get them at Sierra Trading Post.  They are like sleeping on pure heavenliness.  If you like flannel sheets, (we do, especially during the colder months) you should consider investing in a set of these.  Love them!  As if I needed anything else to make it harder to get out of bed in the morning.
 Here's a link:
 http://www.sierratradingpost.com/Kimlor.html

Trick or Treating

Karissa was a skeleton for this Halloween.  Everyone kept assuming she was a boy, girls can like creepy things too!

This is how Oliver was for most of the evening.

Auntie Shaundra and Todd joined us.

 Karissa loved the bouncy house at a trunk-or-treat we stopped at.

 

Auntie Shaundra tried out the skeleton mask.

 

Oliver woke up for the last little bit.

Weenie roast at Waldrop's

We had the pleasure of attending a bonfire cookout at our I3 leader's house.  It was a lot of fun for everyone.

The highlight of the night was throwing sticks into the fire.

 Eventually we had to tell Karissa to stop throwing sticks in the fire, because she was using up all of the firewood.                           

 Oliver was very snug.

Special thanks to Chris and Dave Waldrop for opening their home for us.

Raking leaves can be fun!

This is my first post, so bear with me.