preschool

this picture melts my heart.
wearing a backpack, on the porch steps already?
so many new adventures these days.

most of you know that ben started preschool last week.
it was a bit of a transition,
but it seems to be working out well.
lots of fun and learning -
can't wait to hear all about it.  :)

a cool evening walk

thanks to this lovely cool front that came through last night...

we were wearing jackets on our walk tonight - except for ben.  :)
we may have been a bit hasty in wearing an extra layer,
but after this summer the first cool winds of fall feel too good not too!

enjoy the weekend.

sunflower fields and windmills

that's where you find the dove.
or at least that's what i hear.  :)

a happy boy and a proud dad.
they had a wonderful time.
and of course, they did have a little noise "practice" for ben before heading out.

nine months (and a half)

just like everything else lately -
julia's nine month photos are a bit late.
and the photo girl was less than excited about me trying to make her sit still.
so i went with the flow,
and here they are...  

rolling around - and laughing!

what a pretty baby!

playing with ben's kitchen food -

and now the dishes -

get ready!

here comes the drama...

and we're done.  :)
this is the first picture i clicked that morning -
she was going after the camera strap.  

i have a blog?

really?
i must have forgotten.;)
sorry for the quiet around here, but we've been busy...

eating grass...

 playing in the rain...

 letting ben use the camera...

spending time with friends,
getting ready for preschool,
sorting summer and fall clothes,
going for evening walks,
trying to curl hair without heat,
working on some fun little photo projects,
planning a 4th birthday,
grocery shopping,
decluttering and going to the consignment store,
going to the park,
running through the sprinkler,
going to the fish museum,
traveling for work,
teething,
going to the library,
working on being content,
considering adding a dog to our family,
doing some design work,
enjoying some wonderfully cool weather,
and trying to enjoy the last weeks of summer.

happy weekend.

how julia looks at things

i've been busy cleaning house today,
and julia was my big helper.
she prefers to spend her time rolling and scooting around on the floor -
instead of being in the pack-n-play or jumparoo.
so i decided to take a little break and click some pictures of her view of the world (from the floor).

a day of showers

today i took a vacation day -
and drove 3 hours in a rain shower to be at a baby shower for a sweet friend.
it was a wonderful day!
i got to see some dear friends (thanks lisa!) and had a great time visiting and catching-up.

susan, you are going to be a wonderful mother,
and i can't wait to meet your little guy in november.
thanks for spending so much time with me today!