Introduction to James, Elias, and Cora

We decided to take a weekend family vacation up to Pennsylvania to visit friends and see some sights. We decided to make a quick stop in Hershey, PA! They have a new attraction where you can create your own candy bar. James caught on quickly and is quite the chocolatier. Adding the ingredients of his choice. Watching his bar being made! The finished product! Yummy! James loved the Hershey Chocolate Factory. What good looking guys I have! Mommy and Daddy steal a kiss. We also attended the Woolly Worm Festival in Lewisburg, PA. James loved the animals and had a great time feeding them. There were goats, cows, and pigs. The little cowboy jumped right on this big horse and had a blast! Fall is also birthday season around here. We recently attended a great birthday party at the local gymnastics club and James loved it - although he still maintains that he wants to continue with his swim lessons. Our little monkey! James made it across the balance beam (the highest one) on his first try. On...

We had the opportunity to visit Tobias' family in Kansas a couple of weeks ago and had a blast. James is a true farm boy! Hard to tell from this picture, but James is on the 4-wheeler with Aunt Crystal helping herd a 2,000+ lb bull into the corral. James is fearless (notice how far away I am taking the picture)! James also helped fix fence with Grandpa. James learned about electric fences and how to test to see if a fence is 'live.' When he wasn't out working on the farm, James had plenty of time for some cuddle time! Uncle Josh found a creative (and tasty) way for James to learn to spell his name. Uncle Josh, James, and Hank on the 4-wheeler. James and Uncle Josh taking a break on the fence. Mommy and Daddy even rode the 4-wheeler. One of the most exciting parts of the trip was sharing the gender of our new baby with Tobias' family. We had just found out a couple of days before the trip and asked Teri, who is just a couple of months from graduating from culinary s...

We have enjoyed exploring more of Southern Maryland this past month. We explored a local light house! James and his ol' buddy tried out sailing at the local maritime museum. And James even tried his hand at being a pirate. Arrrr, Matey! But the best part of summer is enjoying time with our friends - fun while shucking some fresh corn. James is learning lots of new songs at his new school. Here is he is singing for your enjoyment while eating some lunch. One of the perks of living near a Naval Base is being able to enjoy a wonderful airshow. This was a special airshow this Labor Day Weekend, celebrating 100 years of Naval Aviation. This was James' first time seeing the Blue Angels fly. He was pretty impressed, but thought they were too noisy! In exciting family news - James is excited to announce that he will soon be a big brother. We are expecting a baby in late January.

We have enjoyed a wonderful summer full of traveling! Here is James showing how a pro gets his naps even when on an airplane! We flew to Missouri and stayed with my mom for a few days before driving her car (thanks Mom) up to Minnesota. We were in Minnesota for a week before heading back to Missouri. We were gone for about 2 weeks! Love vacation time, and since James is such a great traveler it makes it so much more fun. Life just doesn't get much better than the Polk County Fair in Fertile, MN! There are lots of rides, including this roller coaster, and lots of cousins to ride the rides with! And ponies too! Ride 'em cowboy! James' favorite ride this year with the giant slide - woohoo! Grandpa Mel met us in MN and he and James had a great time together. In addition to the fair, we also spent lots of time at the Walters' family farm. James was able to use the old pump that still stands where my dad attended school in the days before everywhere had indoor plumbing. James...