what have we been up to?

Well, we've been busy. You know, lots of time outside stepping on bugs, playing with friends, reading books ("read books rock chair"), coloring--lots of coloring, wearing other peoples' shoes around the house, etc...And grandpa and grandma came to visit (on their way home from dropping off their youngest son at college) but I didn't get any pictures (sorry...they were here less than 24 hours...).

But here's what I got:

up north

Last week our family of 3 (.5) headed up to Sleeping Bear Dunes and Traverse City, Michigan for a little 3 day get-a-way. It was my first time up north (gasp! remember I've only lived in this great state for 2 years, total.) and Ben wasn't going to let another second go by without me seeing one of his favorite areas in the mitten. We hiked, climbed the dunes, ate, relaxed, read brochures (ben), toured, lived 3 days with no tv or internet, pointed out all the snowmobile trails, played at the beach, and had a fabulous time. Looks like the rest of America (so says Good Morning America) agrees with us.

lounging on the drive

the view from our abode. not. too. shabby.

this pictures just cracks me up. mini me?

Jonah desperately wanted his dad to sit by him on every chair/bench he could find.

see?

Glen Lake. beautiful.

Old Mission

"ba-oons!" and my lefty

we love balloons. LOVE. THEM. and coloring/drawing--which has been done pretty exclusively with the left hand for several weeks now...

the fair

my farmboy (the hubs) hates the thought of missing his beloved county fair. so though this wasn't Cass county glory, it was our local fair--and it seemed a sufficient introduction for our littlest one to his roots.

28 wks

here it is. as popularly requested. the bump shot. this may be the first and last one you get...just so you know.

and yes. I'm sure there is just one in there*.

and yes. I'm sure I have to wait until October to have this baby* (I didn't have the heart to tell this particular spectator that technically my due date was in november?!)

what can I say...I have big babies.

*if you find yourself in a conversation with a pregnant lady, try refrain from these questions. I'm sure she feels large enough.

yours, mine, ours

Jonah's been into labeling...everything. Really, he's just into establishing the possession of all things. Anything he sees gets an owner. Most things are either "mom's" or "dad's", occasionally "Jonah's", and possibly a "grandpa/ma's" (I believe he adequately labeled grandma's car the other day). To give you an idea...

While folding laundry, every item gets told their dutiful owner: "Dad's shirt, Mom's shorts, Jonah's suit" (which is an especially exciting find, because, could that mean, we're going to go swimming?!)

Laundry detergent: "Mom's"

Lawn mower: "Dad's"

Nail polish: "Mom's"

Ladder hanging in the garage: "Dad's"

Van: occasionally "Mom's" but mostly "My van!"

Any chevy: "Dad's" (what can I say, this kid knows his auto logos...especially his beloved toyota...)

M&M's in Target: "Mom's" (so I went through a slight peanut butter M&M phase early in pregnancy, I'm over it, but he must have a good memory...)

Ice Cream: "Dad and Mom's" although, today a picture of an ice cream cone got a "Dad!" not sure how Ben manage to snag that one (oh, and our poor kid has a dairy allergy, I'm not depriving him of one of the best tasting substances on this earth, don't worry...)

And the ski goggles hanging in the basement stairwell?: "Mom's". because, yes. yes I do wear them when I cut onions. And, yes. They work amazingly...

survival mode

With Jonah's new found "ability" of scaling the side of his crib, we've all been a little short on sleep around here. So today, we're surviving with a little of

this:

this:

and this:

(which if you haven't downloaded, for free, yet...you must. right here.)