Levi is 4 months old & Pumpkin Patch - 10/15

Levi is 4 months old, as of yesterday. He's getting so big, so quickly. It's bittersweet to watch him grow and change, learning new things every day.

He's liking books and stories more and more every day, even laying with Josh and Zech while Zech reads each night.

I took these yesterday, exactly 4 months old.

He's still chewing on everything he can - any new thing (or, heck, old things) go straight to his mouth to be doused in drool.

...still doing good holding that head up. He has rolled front to back a few times, but has little interest in doing anything more just yet - we're enjoying the time with an immobile baby!

...amazing amounts of drool come from that cute little mouth!

...and a very sad little elf

this picture looks strange because it turned out too bright when I took it and I had to darken it - but I had to keep it to show the elf!

We went to the Pumpkin Patch in Oak Lake last Saturday - a beautiful day for it, 27 degrees, sunny, little wind - wonderful! We all had a great day, the kids just ran and had a blast, trying everything out. It was very nice to spend the day outside in the fresh air. And Josh got some lovely pictures, I think!

There was a wagon full of hay and pumpkins - perfect for perching Levi in for a few shots.

He loves orange, so the pumpkins were a hit with him!

I love this one...

...and this one - more drool!

The boys loved the big trikes again this year - we came back to these many times!

Ruthie relaxed on a bed of hay, pillows of pumpkins!

Zech and Ruth tried out the zip line...

We took a break for a late lunch (had packed a cooler to take with us!)

then back for more playing, pumpkins, and pictures!

I love this picture of Levi - he was so happy sitting here!

Isaac told him all about pumpkins

we got some pictures of all the kids on the hay maze/pyramid

and some neat pictures of the boys jumping across the paths on the bales

the older 3 on the top of the bale pyramid

there are some more pictures, many more of these from the pumpkin patch, on the other site.

And now back to our scheduled program - the past couple days, tonight and tomorrow, that would be preparing for Zech's birthday party! We're all excited!!

10/05

There's a great video on the other site, on Oct 2 - I bet it'll make you smile! Sure melts my heart to hear that wonderful laugh!

Levi's getting so good at holding his head up! He still has absolutely no interest in rolling over (watch, I say this tonight and tomorrow he'll be rolling everywhere), but he can look around on his belly like nobody's business!
We've got definite proof he's one of ours - as if looking just like the others wasn't enough. He's all ready loving stories and books, wanting to hold one of his board books when the olders have their stories, and he's trying so hard to turn the pages!

a few pics - 09/29

Nothing much going on, yet we're very busy all the same - Ruth and Isaac have dance class on Mondays, Zech has karate on Tuesday and Thursday, Isaac is doing a little karate class on Thursday too and has swimming lessons (we didn't know about the karate for him when we put him in swimming, ah well), and then we're busy every weekend anyways.
Josh and I took Isaac and Levi and went along with the older 2 on their field trip to the pumpkin patch - it was a lot of fun! We're hoping for a nice weekend (maybe this weekend, if the forecast turns out right) to go back just our family - the field trip didn't give the kids as much time to just run and see whatever they wanted to, so we'll do that.

And the pictures... Levi... he's such a little sweet heart. Love this little guy.
I sat him in the chair and he fell over - and then just laid there cuddled up...
cuddles with Daddy - chewing those fingers as usual!
and a funny face!
but still a cutie-pie!
he's getting so big! And yet is such a little guy still! I love these little toes and big feet!
And more of these on the other site!

a quick update - 09/22

Josh got Isaac's first day of school pictures done up for me today. I love them! Isaac picked out his first day shirt all by himself - "Beware of Bear Hugs", it says - perfect for Isaac.
He was so darn excited to go back to school!
And Josh got a great sequence of jumping pictures when he asked Isaac "What does the first day back to school feel like?"
And Levi's just getting better and better with those wonderful little hands. He liked this crinkly crab yesterday, working hard to grab it...
yummy crab legs!
And everyone else is doing great too. Ruth and Zech are getting back in the swing of going to school every day - Zech for full days this year, which he is loving!
Ruth and Isaac are doing dance classes again this year (and after a week of discussing and calling and emailing, we've decided to stay with the same studio we've been with), Zech is doing karate, and they all have swimming lessons - which are starting up this week, tomorrow for Isaac and Friday for the older 2 (with our school).

Last Friday we decided to tag along when the kids went on a field trip to the pumpkin patch. We'd been there 2 years ago and the kids had a ton of fun. Last year we wanted to go again, but the weather (rain, hail, wind) ruined the crops and things so their "open season" was shorter than normal. So we wanted to make sure to get in one good visit this year. We packed the cooler and drove with Isaac and Levi, followed the bus the whole way, and went around with the older kids. They loved having their younger brothers along! It was neat for Isaac, too, because all the Kindergarten kids this year were his nursery school friends last year, so he knew them all and liked spending the morning with them all.
Now we're just hoping for a decent weekend day - either one, doesn't matter - and we're going to make another trip up there, just our family. The kids could have spent all day there running and playing, so we want to go back and let them have all the fun they can soak up!

And that's about it for now - or at least all I can think of at nearly midnight. It's busy and wonderful days here!