It's been a while!!!

We're back! Hopefully it won't be a two-month delay on the blog ever again! We've been busy with work, school, soccer, and family time!! Olivia loves 2nd grade--reading, writing, and math are all of her favorites. She enjoys reading about animals and taking notes on what she reads. She literally has scrolls of notes she has taken rolled up and banded together with rubber bands. She and Ben played fall soccer and had a good time with Dad coaching. Olivia has just started her basketball season. Ben will probably start playing in January. With the nice weather they have been able to shoot hoops a lot in the driveway. Olivia has also started taking piano lessons this fall---so far she likes it and doesn't mind practicing:-) Ben turned five in October (see pictures below), and he is really growing up. He is excited to be starting kindergarten next fall. He is learning a lot at Carrie's--he's getting better every day at writing his letters. Sam is becoming quite a character--walking and running at times now. He likes to play hide-and-seek with his brother and sister--he really looks like a big boy now since his first hair cut last week. He likes to go outside and basically GO anywhere. He has recently started dancing when he hears music--he's almost as good as his dad:-) If anything needs to be taken out of drawers or the refrigerator, Sam is our man! Enjoy the pictures from the last couple of months:-)

Olivia and Ben helped rake leaves---jumping in them and throwing them in the air before bagging them up. They still enjoy playing together and get along well (most of the time) :-)
Sam wasn't a HUGE fan of getting his hair cut, but he was a trooper. The whole family went, so he had A LOT of support:-)
By the end he was too tired to cry . . .
When it was over, he was all smiles:-)

Happy Halloween! We watched some Husker football during the day with Cousin Millie--she was a little cat for her first Halloween. This was the best we could do for a group photo:-)

Olivia chose to be a cowgirl this year--pretty simple costume--she had fun!
Ben and Sam were both Batman----Sam didn't want to pose for an outside picture, but he did like wearing his costume------not as much as Ben though:-)
Great weather Halloween night. We took Sam to a few houses and then he went home to help Grandma Jane hand out candy. The big kids lasted for about one hour; boy, those pumpkins get heavy (according to Ben).

Sam's favorite part of the zoo on Ben's birthday was the aquarium. He ran ALL around!

After opening presents, going to the zoo, having birthday dinner at Grandma Jane's house, opening more presents, and going to Uncle Tyler's 30th surprise birthday party. . . . . the kids were finally exhausted! All three of them fell asleep in the car on the way home.


Ben had his first "kid party" two days after his birthday. We had it at the Mahoney State Park Activity Center with about 14 of his friends-----lots of climbing, sliding, and running around! He and his friends had a great time! I think Ben had that smile on his face all weekend!! When he went to bed that night, he told me it was "the best 5th birthday he had ever had" and that he couldn't wait until his 6th birthday!!!

One of Sam's favorite things to do is sit in his room and look at books. His favorite book at the moment is Where is Baby's Bellybutton? After his bath, Sam can usually be found "sitting down with a good book."

This is Sam's "dress-up" shirt--made for him by our friend, Dedra. He was going a little casual on this day with denim shorts.
Ben FINALLY turned 5 in October!!! It was a "super day"---Olivia and Mom didn't have school and Dad took the day off! He got lots of nice gifts and we went to the zoo (Ben's choice). He got a Super Friends movie--he and Olivia both love watching the old episodes of The Super Friends (Mom and Dad kinda like it, too)!!
Ben loves the Cat Complex at the zoo---He got to see the lion up close.
Before seeing the gorillas, I had to get a picture of my four monkeys with the apes!

Ben and Olivia really have enjoyed riding their bikes this fall. They set up these cones one weekend in September and rode and rode and rode for hours! They both are ready for a bigger bike. . . . .which they might be getting for Christmas:-)

Once Sam started walking at the end of August, there has been no stopping him! He loves to push around this red stool in the kitchen; he's crashed it to the floor a few times.
Sam with Daddy on his first day back to Carrie's house in August--all smiles as usual--he is loving every minute at daycare.
Olivia posing with Ben on her first day of 2nd grade! Ben is enjoying his last year at Carrie's house!