Put your running shoes on...

Ruark is crawling up a storm these days. He's into everything, opening cupboards, getting into toilets (that happened when Chase was watching him, not me), eating dog food, and generally just causing a mess behind us as we are cleaning. But he is so much fun now that he is so mobile! I think this is a perfect explanation of what he's up to by the look on his face..."Hey, I thought you were in the other room!"

His cheesey face! I love this smile! See all eight baby whites!

His first experience with snow...

This week we got snow and he loves standing at the back door banging on the glass and laughing as the puppies trudge through the white fluffy snow. We love being parents to this sweet energetic and fun little boy and can't wait to add to our joy we have found as parents.

Thanksgiving

Next week is Thanksgiving, and we are so thankful for all the blessings we have! I have been having so much fun preparing for Thanksgiving this year. Here are a few fun Thanksgiving songs I grew up singing around Thanksgiving and now we sing around here:



There's a big fat turkey out on Grandpa's farm

and he thinks he's very gay

he spreads his tail into a great big fan

and he struts around all day.



You can hear him gobble at the girls and boys

for he thinks he's singing when he makes that noise

but he'll sing his song another way

upon Thanksgiving day

kkkl kkklll (sounds turkey's make when they die) :)





Second Song



Turkey turkey in the yard

you'd better run away

farmer dell will look for you

before Thanksgiving Day.



Do not gobble quite so loud

don't go near your pen

quiet down and hide your head

he'll never find you then.



Because I was so pregnant last year I missed out on all the yummy food because my belly simply couldn't hold it all! I'm eating my fill this year because who know if I'll be pregnant again next Thanksgiving :)

Hair Cuts and Grape Juice

My sister has grape vines, and pretty much the coolest backyard I have ever seen. She had a baby last month and knowing she wouldn't be able to get around to canning her grape juice this year she sent up a huge box of grapes for me. I got 15 QUART JARS of PURE grape juice, no sugar or water added!!! I love canning, and I love it even more when the food is free!!! My house smells so yummy like grape juice and I am so excited to expand my food storage in new and tasty ways! Thank you Lisa!

Hair cuts and grape juice...Not two that often go together :) My son was in dire need of a hair cut! Here's a pic of him before

and after! Now he looks more like a little boy! We sure love our little man and can't believe how he's growing and how fast he is getting into things!

Ruark is finally crawling up on his hands and knees the entire time, which just makes him faster! He's walking with his "shopping cart toy" and he totally has a mechanical mind like his daddy. He loves taking things apart and figuring how they go back together! Example... He doesn't like the snacks he likes figuring out HOW to get into the snacks. He doesn't want the bottle he wants to figure out HOW to get into the bottle. Funny little boy.

Pinocchio

It all started when my mom began watching Pinocchio a few weeks ago, she couldn't get over how much Ruark looks like Pinocchio when he turns into a real boy. So she started calling him Pinocchio, I looked everywhere for a costume to buy. They don't make Pinocchio costumes in his size, and so it began. I thought, "it can't really be that hard can it?"

So it began, and it was so much fun! I didn't have a pattern I just went at the felt with some scissors and thread, added ribbons and buttons and did some thread work and WOW it's amazing how things come together! It was cuter than I could have imagined and cuter than any outfit I saw on the internet and now I can't wait to hopefully make Halloween costumes every year for my children! So here is his Pinocchio costume! Can't wait to see him in it!

Halloween

TIP: Next year give him less candy Grandma's!

Last night was Halloween and we had too much fun taking Ruark Trick or Treating. First I have to say I made Ruark's costume from SCRATCH! I'm so proud of how it turned out! I want to be the mom who makes the Halloween outfits, so I decided to try my hand at it this year and it turned out better than I could have imagined. I didn't have a pattern or anything, just started cutting! I can't wait for next year! Chase was Gepetto, Ruark was Pinocchio, and I was the Good Fairy who turned Pinocchio into a real boy. Chase had a "fat suit" under his clothes and he made the BEST Gepetto and Ruark was the cutest Pinocchio!

We went to see as many Grandparents as possible, they kept giving him suckers to suck on (paper still on). They forgot he has those little teeth and before we got out to the car he had bit through that wax paper and had some goodies :). Every kid is supposed to get sick from candy on Halloween night, it's only one night a year. Then we went back to our house for some 'Left for Dead' (only fitting to play a zombie video game on Halloween night, right?), pizza and time with friends. Our best friends had a little boy Alex last month and we can already tell our boys will be such good friends. I think they remember each other from the other side, I can't wait to see what good friends they will be! It's only fitting they are already getting along because as parents Ben and Dixie and us have such easy friendships. Here's a pic of the boys...Ruark loved seeing Alex laying in his bed he was standing on the ground laughing and reaching through the bars to get to him, Alex was laughing at Ruark too and grabbing his hand. Aww, they are too cute together! The funniest thing is how much little Alex resembles Ruark at that age! If you can believe it, he's growing even fast than Ruark did!