Halloween Pictures

We visited a few neighbors tonight and showed off Katie in her dalmation outfit. She was so cute!

Happy Autumn!

Franken-katie

This was heard throughout the neighborhood: "I have created life!"

Learning Cause and Effect

I made a yummy dessert with graham crackers and chocolate this afternoon. I left the cerel box on the counter, and when I was holding Katie, she pushed the box over. She did this 15 times!

Snow spittin'

Here we go again...

Grandma time

Today, grandma Bell came over for a visit with Katie and dinner with us. She enjoyed spending time with Katie and seeing her babble and try to roll over. The cake she brought was good as well.

Head-lifts and Daddy-snuggles

The Outside World

Meeting Tyler Joshua

On Friday we took soup, homemade bread, little smokies and a chocolate chip bundt cake over to the Earnest house. Mark was especially excited about the cake. Tyler had fun looking at Bryan, and Katie had fun in Tyler's swing. Welcome to the world, Tyler!

More Tummy Time!

Our Katie-Girl

Where's Katie?There she is!

More Sunday things

Before our photo shoot, we had a few funny moments to share.

1. Our friends Chris and Kendra Rickertt had a friend up to visit with them. As it turns out, the friend, Andrew Brown, is from West TN (Martin, more specifically). He's in with the FBC crowd (First Baptist Church), and he is great friends with my former youth minister, Michael Murray (also the dude who married us)!
2. After church we went to Target. Katie ran out of her 1-2 diapers, and I put her in 2's...but they seem so huge on her!!! Neither Target nor WalMart had any 1-2s!
3. While I was in WalMart, I bought Bryan something he's been waiting for for 31 years. He is now a proud owner of left-handed scissors
4. We stopped at McDonald's for lunch because Bryan is obsessed with the sweet tea. I told Bryan that I wanted chicken nuggets and a parfait. Simple, huh? When we went to order, Bryan asked the drive-through lady, "Do you guys have chicken nuggets?"

Video...

Up North to Horicon Marsh

Today we took a short drive to Horicon, WI. We got together with an ameteur photographer for a family fall shoot and then drove to the wildlife area. Family pictures to be posted at a later date!

The marsh is famous for thousands of geese nesting there. Unfortunately we saw more geese in the church parking lot this morning.

I liked this tree.

Ashley liked her cheetoes.

Katie liked her toy.

Migratory cattle

Who knew that German farmers bring their cattle down from the Alpine Meadows to spend the winter in a less harsh climate? Maybe German cows are the happiest cows--not California cows!

More from the Big Picture about fall around the world (thanks for the link, Schulzes). Nanna, you'll love this photo essay!

My house is cleaner than this

I'll admit...my house isn't perfect. I haven't swept the floor in weeks, there are stacks of papers and pledge cleaner on our fireplace mantel, and there were 4 empty cups in our bathroom yesterday. But at least our house is cleaner than this.

Mobile-watching

While Mom put away Katie's outgrown clothes, Katie entertained herself in her crib.

I think I filled my diaper

Nope, false alarm.

Gathering burps...

Katie usually gets wiped out after her last night feeding.

Holocaust Survivors Detail Their Love Story

Who doesn't like a good love story? (besides Bryan)

He was a teenager in a death camp in Nazi-controlled Germany. She was a bit younger, living free in the village, her family posing as Christians. Their eyes met through a barbed-wire fence and she wondered what she could do for this handsome young man...MORE

The look of a sick husband

Bryan wants equal face time. Go Pack.

Baby Earnest

Colby's mom gave birth yesterday to Tyler Joshua. Tyler weighed in at 9 lbs, 4 oz and 22 inches. No picture yet because Bryan and Katie are sick.

The looks of a sick baby

Dad gave Katie the beginnings of a viral infection...we went to the Urgent Care this afternoon after 2 days of fussy eating, and Katie's throat was pink.

Seperating the Right from the Left

Fall is coming! For us, this means organizing the home and purging things we've collected over the year. For example, we bring out our fall and winter wardrobe and start a goodwill box for summer clothes that we no longer use.

This morning, I noticed that we have 9 travel mugs for coffee, hot chocolate or tea. Since there are only 2 of us (and since I drink my coffee at home), I suggested to Bryan that we get rid of half the mugs. He seperated the mugs to the right and left of the coffee maker. Can you guess which were purged?

I immediately thought this practice (seperating the right from the left) as an allusion from the book of Matthew. Do we want to be goats or sheep?

Our new babysitter

Bryan thought this was funny.

Tummy time with Mom

Saturday Night Photo Op

It's been a while since we've posted a picture of us (Katie = sleeping).

Remembering the Mill

The Mill in Dyersburg used to be a thriving business for my hometown, but it closed about 10 years ago. The Mill bought cotton from West Tennessee farmers and produced the most beautiful fabrics. Well, one local lady bought a lot of the fabric when everything went on clearance during the closeout, and she has a business making items using the nostalgic material (the fabric, by the way, is softer than any fleece you can find at the commercial stores). Thanks to a couple of mom's friends, Katie has 2 beautiful mill blankets: a pink one with white piping, and a white one with pink piping. She loves these blankets--they are soft and super warm!

Twinkle Toes

Daddy can't wait until I begin ballerina classes.

Aloha, Katie!

Our oldtime Hawaii-living friend, Nate, visited Thursday night. He brought Katie gifts of wasabi peas and macadamian nut hersheys kisses. He and Bryan watched the movie Leatherheads (only "kind of funny, wasn't bad" according to Bryan). Last night Nate texted Bryan at 11pm to go out with the guys. But since we were already sleeping, Bryan missed the text.

Watching Mama

We only have one battery-operated toy upstairs--a musical thing with hanging play-things. Anyway, today Katie wanted to watch Mama instead of playing! Cute.

3 Months Old - spooky!

Grocery Deals

I did our Wednesday shopping last night, and again I must blog about the deals and steals; here you go, Michelle (and everyone else):

Kraft Mac&Cheese: 49 cents/box

Ken's bleu cheese dressing: $1.25

Juice (100% pomegrante--isn't that trendy!): $2.19

Frozen veggie steamers: FREE!!

Crest toothpaste: FREE!!

4 pack of peach dannon yogurt: 45 cents (total) or 11 cents per cup

10 pack of Quaker granola bars: 29 cents per pack

Also, I've got to mention the items we lost money on (bought without coupons), thanks to those "things we can't live without":

Kanuka cheese spread (extra sharp cheddar)

Yummy 8-o-clock coffee (french roast)

Pumpkin pie coffee creamer (our first time buying this flavor)

Old Spice clear gel deoderant (but it's worth it!!)

What are your weaknesses at the grocery store?

All Bundled Up

Today Katie and I ventured out for a walk (Shadow went, too). It was a chilly 55 degrees, and Katie kicked off her left sock twice.