Brrr...

The snow is starting to come down in Cincinnati. We have to bundle up before heading outside. Here are some pictures of Howie enjoying one of the first snow falls. ohhhhh...

Thanksmas 2008

Every other year, my family celebrates "Thanksmas" during the November holidays since we are not together on Christmas. It is a combination of Thanksgiving turkey with Christmas presents and the usual holiday craziness. We gathered at Nonnie and Paw Paw's house (thank you Jenny and Sarah for traveling, thank you Nonnie and Paw Paw for hosting). Here are some photos of our week together.

Jesus, Bible, etc.

Before we headed out to church yesterday, I told Howie, "We are going to church to learn about Jesus and the Bible."  He gave a thoughtful look and repeated "Jesus... Bible... Nonnie."  Congratulations Mom, you rank right up there with our Lord. 

Indoor Turtle

The weather has turned bitter cold on us.  We are enjoying our sandbox in a new way. 

Updates

Here are some updates about our family for the masses...

1. Howie is climbing like a monkey.  The other day Rick was washing the dishes in the kitchen and looked over at the dining table.  Howie was perched on top of the table, proud as ever.  He climbed up the chair, then pulled himself up on the table.  Nothing is safe on the table anymore!

2. I (Becky) have taken a position with the University of Cincinnati as a Student Supervisor.  I will be observing and mentoring undergraduate students who are doing their pre-school placements in the teaching field.  There are two sets of observations, one will be in the middle of the quarter, the other at the end.  I also receive their weekly lessons to review and give feedback.  I'm looking forward to having a job that will allow me to still be a full-time mommy.  My position starts in January. 

3. Jake has moved away to DC.  He is now living with Howie's cousins (Nate and Danny).  Howie was showing more and more difficulty with rashes when Jake was near him.  We made a choice to find a new home for Jake because 1) it wasn't fair for Jake to be alienated from the family and 2) it wasn't fair for Howie to be uncomfortable.  What a hard decision!  It is still weird to not have a dog around the house.  We always loved coming home to the sound of whack, whack, whack (Jake's tail on the wall) and the house still seems rather empty. 

4.  Rick's company is going strong.  He has several guys who are working full-time with WebReliance and we are looking forward to celebrating a successful year with the first company holiday party. 

Trick-or-Treating in the Swing State

McCain came out on Halloween night to greet all the children.

Trick-or-Treat: Halloween 2008

Republican or Democrat?

Just days before the election, Howie cannot decide who to vote for. 

Boston Baby!

Howie and I packed up our clothes and busted out of Cincinnati on a mostly peanut-free flight to Boston, MA. We enjoyed a week with cousins Frankie and Dexter. It was a fun, noisy, energetic, loving, occasionally pushy, giggly, chilly, yummy week at Auntie Jenny's house.

We had difficulty getting any real posed pictures due to our babies being adverse to the camera. But, here are a few of the better ones...

Doing the City:

Make way for Ducklings...

Shish! (tranlated, Fish!)

The only ones laughing at Brueggers were us. After evacuating the place, leaving a women mopping the protein shake off the floor, we will not be returning anytime soon. :)

Frances puts on her best for our Halloween parade.

Howie is confused by the fluffy pink thing. He got his dose of "girl stuff" this week.

This picture cracks me up. How natural!

I'm Bringin' Home a Baby Bumble Bee

While eating a pear last night, Howie was stung by a bee. Amazingly, he did not have an allergic reaction; we are grateful for that! After a little Benadryl and some serious hugs, he felt all better. He's pretty good with massaging his lips with ice now. Today he is back to normal and looking a little less like a Botox accident.

Daddy

Let the Farm Events Roll...

We head over to the Sunflower Festival at Gorman Heritage Farm.  The flowers did not come up this year due to drought, but the rest of the farm was fun with our friends!