Oh, A Camping We Will Go!!!

Most thought we were crazy (especially the family), but we did it anyway. The last time we went camping as a childless couple, we saw some people there with a baby. We decided if they could do it, so could we.

Will became an official camper this past Monday. Being the outdoors man that he is, he loved it. His favorite part was watching the boats that we could see on the lake from our campsite. (Yes, the danger of fire AND drowning!) But we all made it back in one piece.

Bi-Water Farm with Friends

We organized a trip to Bi-Water Farm in Georgetown with Amy and Shelley, 2 of my college roommates, and their kids. I had been many times with my kindergartners, but it's just as exhausting taking 5 kids as it is taking 30 or so!

Hannah and Will are pictured to the left, sporting their latest Halloween gear. To check out all the pictures, visit http://taralovesjohn.shutterfly.com. It's easier to upload a bunch of pictures there. If you're looking for a little more visual stimulation, that's where we'll be uploading more pics in the future. Don't forget to check us out on Facebook too! Different sites, different pictures!

October--The Best Month of the Year!

Beautiful leaves, Halloween, candy, pumpkins, apple cider, cool weather, church picnic...I could just scream!!!

Good Time for an Old Story

With good friends getting ready to leave for China, John and I have been reminiscing about our trip. Now don't think that I just go around telling stories on my husband--he's given me permission to post the stories I've told on him. But this is another good one that he reminded me of. I think he was embarrassed to post at the time...

The night we were scheduled to leave Beijing, we had to put our suitcases out to get picked up. This was a surprise to us and we didn't have much time before the bell boys would be around to collect them. Due to the restrictions from China airlines, there were only certain things we could take in our carry on, so we were running around trying to figure out how to pack and still be able to shower, etc. John was a good sport and got our bags out on time, but of course we forgot something and he, modest as he is, had to go back out to our bags wearing nothing but a robe. I was in the shower trying to use the liquids I needed so we could pack them up as well. After a few minutes I realized I hadn't heard John come back in. There was also a strange banging noise. I got out of the shower as quickly as I could and ran to the door. There stood John, panic stricken, trying to get back in the room before anyone saw him. I think John looks pretty cute in a robe. I wonder what the people across the hall would have said?

Cat Calls

Ikea has become one of our new favorite places in the past year. After our shopping excursion there this past Sunday, I left John and Will outside on a bench while I ran back in to take care of some business. When I came out, John was sitting there with is head in his hands and an embarrassed look on his face. Apparently an attractive and scantily clad girl and her boyfriend had walked by at the exact time Will decided to make one of his favorite noises--a quiet and high pitched "WowWowWowWowWow." The girl and her boyfriend both looked over at John and gave him dirty looks. By then, Will was just sitting there innocently and once again quiet.

Every Good Trip Starts Out Bad

Since John doesn't get 2 days off in a row very often, it seems that we hardly ever get out of town anymore. I was lucky to get to attend a Photoshop seminar in Cincinnati on Monday, so John requested 2 days off so we could make it a mini-vacation. We finally got to visit the Vineyard in Cincinnati. The last time we had tried to go the whole town had a power outage. Then we visited our usual haunts--Ikea, Jungle Jim's, Trader Joe's, Noodles and Company, Cheesecake Factory. (Do you see a trend?)

But, as I mentioned in the title, every good trip has to start out with something bad. At least in our family. I was running around doing the typical last minute stuff to get ready, so I asked John to get Will's breakfast. John does get to eat breakfast with us sometimes, so I figured he knew the routine. He asked to be reminded, so after a little teasing from me, I figured he could handle it. Part of Will's routine since we got back from China is that he gets his vitamins and any medicine he might need in his Danimals drinkable yogurt. Even at the breakfast buffets in China, Will had drinkable yogurt every morning.

A little aside, I've gotten very into couponing. I figure if I'm not earning us much money, at least I can save us some. This week I had a great coupon for Activia yogurt, which was also on sale. I like yogurt, so that's a deal I couldn't pass up. For those of you who don't know about Activia, it's not called Activia for nothing. Let's just say that it is designed to keep your bowels active. Now back to the story...

Imagine my surprise when I came downstairs to find Will sitting at the table with a straw in an Activia yogurt! Activia is a traditional, spoon kind of yogurt, not drinkable. I did a double take in the fridge to make sure we had perfectly good, drinkable Danimals. There they were, right on the top shelf. Remember, Will's medicine was in the yogurt, so it was important to have it all. So, as any good parents would do, after a lot of laughter, we tried to make sure he ate all of his yogurt. Needless to say, there have been a few extra diapers these last couple of days.

The Sweetest Sound You'll Ever Hear

Will loves to repeat us often. It's interesting to hear which words he likes to repeat. Last night when John was reading our nightly Bible stories, will was silently sipping away at his milk, then took the cup out of his mouth and said, "Jesus!" It came out more like, "Jesu," but of course we didn't care. We clapped and kissed him. It was the sweetest sound to hear our baby say Jesus' name.

Similarly, at dinner earlier in the evening, without prompting, Will folded his hands to pray before eating. We have never really made him do this because he won't sit still, but he's seen us do it. Then he said, "God," which also came out without the final sound. I usually start my dinner prayers with "God."

It's nice to know that with all the mistakes we will make over the years, Will is going to be picking up some good habits too. And these are the best kind.