A few fun things.

The Holiday Season is officially HERE! The first Christmas song I heard on the radio was on Nov 12. So early! We received our first Christmas card today. I love the Christmas card part of the holidays. We went to Ames the other night, lots of Christmas lights up.

Our Thanksgiving was nice and relaxing, for me at least. My mother in law is a diva in the kitchen so I don't even attempt to cook. We had lots of homemade food - turkey, real mashed potatoes, scalloped corn, cranberry sauce, squash soup, sweet potatoes, cabbage salad and 4 different pies even homemade whipped cream for the pie. I remember a quote.... Happiness is Homemade. Absolutely!

What have we been up too?
At a recent playdate, the kids made these really cute bear cookies. My fellow mom, Kelly, is so creative! Thanks to Katelyn and Ian for sharing their home and toys with us.

Isn't Ry's shirt cute? It has horse shoes all over it. That was suppose to be his horseback riding shirt but grandpa never got around to getting a horse out to ride this year :( I sure wish I knew how to ride horses or even saddle a horse.

Science Center: Ryan still loves the Science Center

Ryan and Mason trying to make BIG bubbles

Jack has it figured out

Jack and Ryan in the Robots simulator

Mason and Ryan watching their friend Aiden assist in a science experience

Aiden and Ryan riding the escalator

Disney On Ice: What a great show! Ryan and I both loved it. Here are just a few of the character we saw on the ice. We have so much fun at these shows.

Nemo and Dori

Of course, Mickey!

Simba and Nala from Loin King

A bunch of princess' in the ending act

Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story

Beautiful fireworks at the end of the show

I let Ry have one special treat during the show. He picked the snow cone in a shark.

Our friends!
Annie and Kalie
Ryan and I
Anna, Treyton and Cainan
Lisa and Mason
Natalie, Aiden and Erin
Marcie and Jaden


A fun little tidbit - See Marcie up there in the back right corner holding her 2.5 year old daughter, Jaden?? At the time of the photo she was pregnant with her second child, due Dec 3. We left the show around 9pm and Marcie had the baby 4.5 hours later. All I can say is WOW! No, she wasn't in labor during the show. Again, welcome to the world Avery Lynne!

Harvest 2008

What a year it has been for farming. A very wet spring turned into a wet fall. Basically the story goes...combine for 2 days - rain for 2 days - wait for the ground to dry for 2 days - back to fieldwork for 2 days - rain for 2 days - you get the point. We are finally on the last field but it is the largest field and hilly (so hilly and rocky that we call it the Montana farm) so it will take several days to finish. Ben said, "don't be surprised if we are in the fields on Thanksgiving. I am thinking...WONDERFUL! But that is part of farming and I was aware of it from the get go. Hopefully next year will be more typical.

Let's just get my BIG OOOPPPPS out of the way. Like I said, lots of rain this year so there are still soft spots in the field. I found one...lucky me! Yep, I was driving the tractor and grain cart when it sunk probably 2 to 3 foot into the field on the auger side to boot. The grain cart was fully loaded, 56,000+ lbs. We had to unload the corn before the cart was coming out of the ground. The only way to do it was to shoot the corn back into the combine which made a big pile of corn.

Brad's caption for this photo: "This is what it looks like when a woman does a mans job"

OUT! But look at that pile of corn. Ben says I better get the scoop shovel out.

Remember Brad's caption for the photo of my little oopps??? Plus the razzing that I got from him.....

REVENGE!!! KARMA!!! Whichever!

15 minutes later....

He slid the semi trailer into the ditch. I had to laugh AND get the camera back out.

Notice the front tire of the trailer, it is jammed into the hopper. The back tire is in the ditch.

I bet you can imagine how thrilled Ben was about all this. The poor guy always has to come along to fix our screw-ups. He stayed pretty calm though. I didn't get yelled at or even a guilt trip. I thought I might be fired after that mishap but no such luck. Still had to go back out there the next day.

Here are some photos from Harvest 2008...

Grandpa and Ryan working on the combine in early October

Ben working on the corn head

Ry looks so little in front of this big machine

This probably one of my favorite photos

Ben is using one of his old tractors that he loves to buy and fix up. He has a big ole smile on his face.

My little farmer boy!

Shocking...

I can't believe we have been married for 6 years already! Nov 2 was the big day. We weren't able to celebrate with a romantic candlelit dinner or anything though. Ben was in the fields from sun up to well past sun down. I had to take a "raincheck" as he put it.

Ben knows I want to take a big trip on our 10 year anniversary. Partially because we didn't take a honeymoon and partially because he is always doing fieldwork on my birthday and our anniversary. So if we get that trip taken it will more than make up for these years of special days being passed by.

Walk down memory lane....

Engagement - Christmas Eve 2001

Engagement Photo - Summer 2002

Wedding Day - Nov 2, 2002

Wedding Party along with our parents

Front Row: Emily and Payton (flowergirls) Dillon (ringbearer)

Second Row: Dad/Mardi (my parents), US, Brad/Donna (Ben's parents)

Third Row: Lars (Best Man), Jenn (Maid of Honor), Alex (my brother and groomsman), Theresa (bridesmaid), Katie (my cousin and bridesmaid) and Blaine (groomsman)

Reception - after a few drinks


Jenn and I - I am not sure what we are doing probably striking a pose!

October has come to an end

Before we get into more Halloween activities...I had a great 29th birthday. Ben and Ryan took me to lunch after I picked out my new laptop. Ben says the laptop is my present but I just think it was good timing because I was going to get a new laptop whether it was my birthday or not. Whichever, I am glad to have a laptop again. That night we went to supper at Brad and Donna's. Donna made one of my favorite meals...Jalapeno Beef Stew.
Thanks for the phone calls, emails and gifts.

Halloween Event #3 - Playgroup Halloween Party at Black's Farm

Black's Farm was a neat little place. Our party was in a rustic cabin which was okay for a Halloween party. We went on a hayrack ride, Ryan rode a pony and fed the animals.

Ryan and Natalie on the bouncy pumpkins

Ryan is riding the pony named Dixie

The whole group on what they call a hayrack ride - looks more like a trolley

Ryan and Treyton posing in the pumpkins

#4 - Living History Farms: Family Halloween

This is my favorite Halloween activity. We have taken Ryan for the last 3 years. We walk around the farm gathering candy, take a hayrack ride behind some massive horses (can't remember the name of the horses but they look like Clydesdales), roast marshmallows, eat popcorn and just enjoy the outdoors.

Ryan the firefighter on duty

We were there with a bunch of friends
(Aiden, Ryan, AJ, Treyton, Natalie, Cainan and Aubrey)

Everyone on the hayrack ride

#5 - Preschool Costume Party

#6 - Trick or Treating on Halloween Night!

Ryan with Great Grandma - we like to go down to Ames to trick or treat at great grandma's house. From there we make our way around her neighborhood.

Here is something fun.....the last 4 Halloweens!

8 weeks old

14 months old

2 years old

3 years old

4 years old

We have never gone to as stuff as we did this year. Ben asked me why I feel the need to go to EVERY Halloween activity that is available. It got me thinking....I guess I subconsciously know that winter is right around the corner so this is kind of like the last hoorah before we hunker down for 5 months. Gotta make the most of it. Plus Ryan loves it as much as I do.