The Hershberger Home

I have a job to do.

2012-01-31T14:58:00.001-06:00

Christian has been hit or miss on naps lately. Not something I really am enjoying..but usually if he lays in his crib for over an hour and he's still talking or singing I figure he really must not be too tired. Yesterday was one of those days, and I needed to go to work, so I went in to get him out so he could play a little before I left.

I expected to see the little face beaming, standing proud in his crib when I opened the door...

instead I saw this...

(besides the messy room) there is SOMEONE out of place here.

He didn't seem in the least bit phased by the fact that I was staring at him, while he was singing and promptly carried on with what he HAD been doing for quite some time...

emptying the entire box of kleenex's into his crib.

I said, "Christian, what on earth are you doing and how did you get up there??"

His response..."I have a job to do." As he demonstrated the "job" of dropping yet another kleenex into the crib.

Seriously.

Obviously, I didn't praise him for his job well done..

but I suppose that in a 2 year old's world..it was indeed a mission accomplished.

The crib rails will be transforming SOON!

Oh my goodness..as in right now. In the 10 minutes it took me to do this on the computer, he was taking his "nap" and wouldn't you know who is standing next to me letting me know "I'm up! I'm up mama!!" without me going in there!

So I guess I have a job to do now.

Laundry Room

2012-01-28T15:54:00.000-06:00

I haven't ever really posted any "before" and "after" photos of our house...

due to the fact that there haven't been any "after" photos to speak of.

So there you have it..this is the first before and after photo shoot from this home...

THE LAUNDRY ROOM

Before

Picture taken from the doorway of the kitchen, looking at the door to the garage.

The freezer that came with the house is no longer part of this household.

During...

So these pictures definitely make it look worse than when we moved in. I don't have pictures to prove it otherwise, but these are a bit exaggerated since I was trying to box up the "pantry" otherwise known as an entertainment center so we could move it out of the room to get started with the project.

The office became just a touch of a disaster zone!

These were the two project managers for the job.

Ben had built that shoe shelving thing behind him last winter which was super handy.

This picture is taken against the window that is in the laundry room. The door on the right (yellow) goes to the kitchen, the door that is open is the office, and the door to the left that Ben replaced sometime last spring (YAY!!! It helped reduce the number of crickets that could crawl under the door...gross!) is to the garage.

This kind gentlemen destroyed the ceiling...it was disgusting. You don't want to know what was up there. Let's just leave it at..I'm glad I was insistant it came down.

Next we, and when I say WE, I mean WE hung sheetrock to the ceiling.

Also, note I would not recommend doing this the way we did it. We got larger sheetrock, so there would be fewer seams to mud. The room itself is not that large, however trying to manuver the three large, ACKWARD, and HEAVY sheetrock with a washer, dryer, and deep freeze still in the room was a touch difficult for the two of us. Oh, and I won't even go into the details of measuring and cutting the sheetrock...we'll just say it was not an easy task. While holding the sheetrock using my neck which was bent all sideways standing on top of the deep freeze...I actually felt more sorry for Ben because he was holding it up with one hand and trying to screw it in at the same time. Ahh, those are the moments that make memories :) Its a shame Christian couldn't have taken a picture to show how special this truly was!

I nearly forgot...next, was a series of more "memories".

The west wall of the laundry room had issues..it was seperating from the floor. It wasn't an ongoing problem, but it had occured at some point in the 30+ years of this house's life. After we noticed this, it made WAY more sense how the many GIANT crickets had easily made there way specifically into the laundry room.

Ben's idea was to make a platform that was the depth of the washer and dryer to go underneath that area and the whole south wall. and then fill it with foam so it was sealed off. He did it..it looked fine. I continued using the washer/dryer..no biggie..well not really. I had a load going in the washer while I was out playing in the backyard with Christian. I came in to switch out the laundry..and the house smelled wonderful...so clean, so fresh...tooo clean...tooo fresh. Oh dear. The laundry detergent that had been sitting on top of the dryer, wait, let me rephrase that...the brand spanking new big bottle of laundry detergent had been sitting on the dryer, and it was no longer in the bottle. Needless to say, the washer was somehow out of balance after its move to the platform and it did a major dance while I was outside that led to the huge, yet clean mess. (However, if this ever happens again, I do know of a rather quick way to clean it up.) Anyways. Long story short, our washing machine needed to go..it was going to cost more to fix it than it was worth. AND..Ben decided to tear up the platform he had made and instead poured self-leveling cement, which he was very glad he did. The folks at the local lumber yard/hardware store and quite helpful...as Ben says. We tore up the flooring on the west side, and it took several days for the cement to cure...but it did look ALOT better.

Next, the handyman himself laid the tile. Oh, the change was really starting to be exciting!

Next, came the paint. So, a small disclaimer...it is not the color I had invisioned in my mind..but I am the one that picked it out..so it will be the color the room will be for awhile anyway. And my little helper couldn't resist doing something to help out!

And while I was waiting on the paint to be mixed up at the store...and went ahead and purchased some cabinets. This wasn't exactly planned..but they were on sale, and I had the dimensions AND I like them!

I can't remember how Ben figured out that the wall behind the washer and dryer had mold underneath it..but it did..so he replaced that and made the washer/dryer connection thing way more up to date.

Ahh, yes then there was the stairs issue. I think when Ben was tearing out something to do the tile, he noticed what was underneath the stairs..a little something like this..but way more disgusting in person. So he built new stairs too. He's handy I tell ya.

The pantry cabinet I bought, did not meet the standards I had for it...so it was returned. Instead, Ben decided to make one. He added the same material to finish off the trim, and the baseboard. And of course used gobbs and gobbs of caulk.Yikes, he is a firm believer in the need to seal everything!

I needed to feel like I helped a little bit..but the truth is, Ben did 99% of the work.

We also bought new doors for the office and kitchen. Ben stained them..they look good. Its exciting to think that all the doors will look like that someday.

And we also got a new sink...yay!

Finally...oh, yes there was one more washing machine incident prior to the finish. But bottom line to that is..there are bolts that are connected to a new washer that MUST be removed prior to use. This will avoid a frantic woman trying to lay on top of the washer to prevent it from shaking violently. I called Ben, in a tizzy and I said, "It sounds like the whole house is going to fall down!!!" Poor Christian, wondering what on earth I'm talking about, just innocnetly looked at me and said, "No, mama. The house is not falling doooown!"

AFTER.

I'm glad its done..it makes me happy.

I have MUCH more room to put food, and its CLEAN.

Thank you Ben..you did good.

Classic

2012-01-22T16:15:00.000-06:00

the artist

2012-01-22T16:13:00.000-06:00

It amazes me how many little changes occur "suddenly" with a child that's past the first year.

Within the last month or so, Christian has been much more interested in coloring. With that, when using a coloring book he has been more intentional with where he is coloring on the page. Not that he stays in the lines, but at least he acknowledges what he is coloring and tries to color that section. He knows his colors, however, he calls white "black" and black "white"...but oh well. He will draw something squiggly and say, I draw my name.."chrishten." Or he'll draw a circle and say, "I draw a shape. I draw a circle." I thought that was a fluke..so I pointed at a triangle and he said, "it's another shape." What shape is it? "a triangle!" (Must be said with the angle part in a higher voice!) Hmm..I don't know how he knows these things sometimes. They're smart, I tell you, they know more than you think!

All of that to say,

He got this easel from Grandpa and Grandma H. for Christmas.

And he is a big fan! He might need Grandpa H to give him some pointers someday..but for now, we'll let him create his own masterpieces!

When I asked what he drew, he said, "a dinosaur foot."

I don't have a clue why..he's got a mind of his own.

"I like that"

2012-01-22T15:59:00.000-06:00

Christian is getting more verbal everyday. He is expressing his emotions more and more..especially his feeling of liking something. He will say very emphatically, "I LIKE THAT (or it)." or his new thing is to say, "I love him. I want to hug him. I will rock him." Him = a stuffed animal, an imaginary person or animal, a phone, a train, or an actual person. It's rather funny. Somedays he is "loving" alot of different things.

Here are a few of the things or activities that he likes these days...

His new sunglasses.

Hilarious. He didn't take them off for a long while the first day he got them.

I'm glad, and I hope he continues his appreciation for them when we go on our trip to Mexico in a month.

Cereal.

Specifically Apple Jacks. On this particular day, he REFUSED to eat anything else. But when we finally resorted to Apple Jacks he'd gobble it up. I think officially he ate 6 bowls of it (2 at each meal time). He will eat other kinds..the trick is to have something exciting on the box..the marketing people really know their stuff when it comes to targeting a 2 year old.

His beans.

His beans, that are now in a box are a go-to "toy". They had taken a lengthy vacation to a top shelf in the office after he had lifted the floor register and decided they needed to go down there. Regardless, he got them back, and he gets pretty creative with them some days. He climbed in there, and said, "I'm sleeping. (Fake snoring)." Hilarious, as he lays there with his bootie up in the air. And then he looks the other way and says, "I can see you through the window. Hiiiii! I can see you through the window. Can you see me through the window?" A lot of repeating of the same word sometimes, I don't really think about it until I'm writing it out :)

Being outside.

Most of the time when we play outside, one of the first things he grabs is a stick.

Often it is referred to as a "rainbow" because he will get one with a bend or he will break it but it won't completely break in two. In the second picture he is pointing to the bird feeder Ben just put up. He likes to watch birds. He will say (referring to a bird), "I will catch him. I want to hold him, I will hug him."

His loves his daddy.

Who doesn't?? He's a fun guy, and the feeling are mutual.

Watching his shows.

He has developed a liking to a few shows lately. On these colder days, that going outside is just not really a great idea..we have watched a few more shows. His favorites are Dinosaur Train (they are cute little dinosaurs), Veggie Tales, Wonder Pets (which he calls, "Wonder"fets"), Thomas the Train, and the trusty ol' "Kids Singing" (which is kids singing bible songs). They all have they're cute catchy songs or tunes that he will start singing at random times. In the picture below he is saying, dinosaur..."trrraaaiiin." (Even though it looks as if he may be wailing.)

Laughing.

It's music to my ears. There is nothing like hearing a laugh from a toddler. He has his fake laugh, which is like sucking in a little air like he hears some adults "chuckle"..and that is rather comical as well. But the true laugh...gets me every time.

I don't just "like" you little man....I LOVE YOU LOTS!

Bedtime rundown

2012-01-20T00:15:00.005-06:00

I thought I should "document" Christian's typical bedtime rundown..just because its fun and our normal right now..and I'm sure that normal will evolve and become something else someday.

Eventually we say, "ooh, looks like its time to take a shower." And it never fails he wants to take SOME sort of toy in there with him. Often he suggests something quite large and non-shower friendly, such as his tractor. We usually settle on a plastic animal or the small kettle from the kitchen, or one of his plastic "coffee cups" from his play kitchen. Something, if you can make "it" say something such as, "oh, Christian, can I take a shower with you." He is very into imaginary talking. It is very funny. He will say in a much higher voice, "ah, yes, you can shower with me...do you like to shower? I like to shower." This object or toy also accompanies him to the potty prior to the shower..he HAS to hang onto it. (It really does help to get him to go to the potty throughout the day as well..again, it doesn't really matter what object it is as long as it is "conversing" with him). So, he and daddy shower together and the only funny part I know about this is that Ben said the other day Christian was saying, "switch" so he could stand in front. Apparently that is a word Ben says in the shower..but it took him off guard when Christian was initiating when this happens.

Showers over. (Ben has always said after the water is shut off. "Now we say, Mama, I'm ready.") So now, Christian instead will instantly say, "Now we say maaama.... mmaaammaaa." I think it is so funny when he says this, he says it so child-like and lovingly. So he's waddling towards the door in his towel, and I pick him up and we ALWAYS look in the mirror. Tonight when I picked him up, he said, "now we look in the mirror."

I said, "oh, are you my little puppy dog."

His reply.."bambino. I'm your puppy bambino." Oh he cracks me up. Usually I snuggle him up, hold him like a big baby and say, "oh my little bambino!" and then we look in the mirror for a moment.

I guess it shouldn't totally amaze me that he remembers these things, but it just shows how much a child can pick up on repetition and link certain comments to activities.

So I take him to his room, lay him down, and he will always say, "now I will go to sleep." He does NOT mean this. He will just roll over with the towel still wrapped around him and start his fake snoring/sleeping. He will say, "turn the lights out."

So I will for a couple seconds..and then we finally proceed to his pajamas, etc. We read several books in his "tent" in his room. He usually tries to read books in the living room, because than he 'thinks' that we really aren't ready for bed since its not in his room.

Eventually, we get done with the books...a few stalling techniques come out of the woodworks after we brush his teeth, "I need to go potty. I need to eat. I need aqua (yes he calls his water aqua at night..my little hispanic child)."

He will pick which of us he wants to rock..he really spices it up..never really know who or why he chooses the way he does. We read ONE more book on the chair, rock for a short bit, and than lay down. I am a sucker...his daddy not so much..but he usually says "rub my back?" when I get up to lay him in his bed..so I do for a couple seconds and sing a song..and than we're done because his music that's playing can accompany him much better than my voice.

Not that this bedtime is anything that super special or different than anybody else's. Its the things that HE says almost EVERY night that I don't want to forget. Some nights are not very fun or easy..but instead of remembering those..I love thinking of the ones that he just cracks us up. He's just so...him. Ahhh, I love this kid.

Crescent rolls

2012-01-10T15:38:00.000-06:00

I got a couple new cookbooks for Christmas...both I asked for, and am VERY excited about.

This recipe was from the Mennonite Girls Can Cook.

And let me tell ya...yes they can.

LOVE these :)

And so did a little certain someone.

Poof. It was gone.

The wedding song

2012-01-02T14:12:00.001-06:00

This is a little late in adding...but better late than never.

It should bring a little smile..or even all out laugh.

This was the song the kids sang for Carissa and Tim at their reception.

It was well practiced, but never would've thought it would be this well executed.

verse : january

2012-01-01T15:55:00.000-06:00

God's amazing.

Ask and you'll get;

Seek and you'll find;

Knock and the door will open.

"Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him off with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing-you're at least decent to your own children. And don't you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?"

Luke 11:9-13 (The Message)

Christmas in Topeka

2011-12-31T23:35:00.005-06:00

We drove up for the day, to celebrate our family Christmas with Ben's family.

It was windy outside, but otherwise nice, so we spent some time outdoors for a bit.

We had a lady take family pictures..

a slightly amusing story in regards to this...

Ben and I set everything that we wanted to take the night before and then planned on leaving right when Christian woke up and just change him once we got there. Fine. We pull in to the driveway around 11, and empty the car. I asked Ben to grab the green bag with Christian's clothes. Fine. "Where did you put it?" "I didn't put it in the car, you did, remember? It was sitting on the couch, and you grabbed it." Hmm..not fine. Grandpa and Grandma H. were greeted briefly, and we dropped Christian off..and we went to Target to buy a whole new outfit for him. Not a huge deal..just silly how when we got home, the green bag awaited us all nice and prepared

playing with Uncle Sam

Oh boy..he got a fire truck, with a dalmation, and a recycling dump truck.

He was pretty excited.

And I know once we start using the easel to draw on...he will have much more to say about that!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

progressive meal

2011-12-29T13:59:00.000-06:00

We did a progressive supper on Tuesday night at the KS sibling house's.

Appetizers at Mitch's.

I think we all were shocked with his performance.

He made potato skins from scratch.

He also had peppers, jalapenos, and chicken lightly breaded and fried.

It was GOOD.

Not sure we needed the main course after this!

Then we came over to our place for the main meal.

I made lasagna and chicken tetrazzini.

Carissa brought a side salad, and mom brought the bread.

We had to use the blocks while here..I think its one of Dad's favorite things to do.

Dessert was served at Brent & Alyssa's.

YUM.

They speak for themselves.

Pretty sure I could've kept popping these in my mouth.

Some of us may have done just that :)...starts with a M, ends with an addox. Who can blame him really??

Ava was showing us her dolls and her new doll house that she got for Christmas.

This was fun.

I vote we do it again sometime!

Blast off!

2011-12-28T16:59:00.000-06:00

We all ended up staying the night on Christmas night too.

So we had breakfast...made by Alyssa and Mom.

I think this picture is so funny... it looks like everyone's watching Carissa drink her coffee.

The rest of the day was spent doing various things.

One of the things the kids worked on was making a gingerbread house. They did a good job!

And some of the big kids worked on building a rocket!

We sent them off in the afternoon so we could all enjoy seeing them going up together!

It was a BEAUTIFUL afternoon.

Here are the rockets.

10..9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1..

BLAST OFF!

And then the standby crew...Brent and kids on the four wheeler..went to retrieve the falling rocket.

Do you see it??? It right above the tree line...

We did it again with a bigger engine...

BLAST OFF!

And the spectators stand in awe :)

I remember VERY vaguely watching them do this when I was little in MN.

So it was pretty awesome to watch now..they sent them up so HIGH!

Celebration continues..

2011-12-27T16:43:00.001-06:00

We returned to the Sweigart house on Christmas evening..for more fun, food, and games.

Guitar Hero...

Puzzle...

Finding the Pickle...

Foosball...

Fun new Jammies...

We also played the train game, ate more food, watched the ridiculous video from the night before of chubby bunny, and finished the evening by watching Elf.

This poor little fella couldn't quite make it through the movie..

so his big brother tucked him in nice and snug.

Hershberger Christmas [Harper]

2011-12-27T10:00:00.000-06:00

Christmas day continued...

From my parents house, we left to celebrate with the extended Hershberger family in Harper.

On our way to Tim & Faith's house in Harper...Christian was a happy boy!

He was giggling at me pull down my sunglasses onto my nose and say, "excuuuuse me??" Sometimes it doesn't take much to entertain him (yet sometimes it takes EVERYTHING you've got! We won't talk about the car ride home several hours later. Let's just say, nap time is a very sacred time...and on this particular day, it was especially missed!)

Christmas Dinner

( all but Dan & Marla's family were there. Pictured here are Beth, John, Martha, and Howard)

Christian and his Great Grandpa Hershberger (which he does call him by his FULL name)

matching in their red vests

Christian with his Grandpa and Great Grandpa...getting a lesson in the things phones can do these days!

It was good to see everyone that was there and celebrate Christmas together.

Christmas (Papa & Grandma's house)

2011-12-27T08:00:00.001-06:00

My disclaimer for the majority of the Christmas photos taken....they are somewhat to really somewhat blurry (I didn't pay attention to the settings...boo)! I think you can still make out who is who though :)

On Christmas Eve we spent our morning playing with the toys Christian had opened. In the afternoon we headed over to "Grandma's house" (even though Papa lives there too..it is also known as this). We had heard that Santa might be making an appearance a day early..so we wanted to make sure we could catch him. Prior to his arrival we played bocce ball and colored the sidewalk with chalk. Not exactly typical Christmas weather, it felt more like fall.

Sure enough he did. If you notice, poor Santa's beard grew a little out of control this year...I'm not sure how he was breathing.

Christian had talked about Santa for DAYS and was so excited to say, "Santa might come. He might bring me a present." Of course when Santa made his appearance, Christian was not sure what to think.

But he sat on his lap, while he opened his red sack and distributed the toys to all the kids.

And oh BOY, he was a fan after he got his present...a skid steer (or digger..he uses the names interchangeably). It is a heavy duty piece of machinery..and Christian loves it!

We then opened up stockings...very FULL stockings :)

And then, we ate our appetizer supper. Dips, dips, more dips, little smokies, crackers (which Ben did a marvelous job of displaying...ha!), cheese, veggies, jalapeno poppers, meatballs..oh you know, just a little of EVERYTHING!

By 7:30 we were headed into the Christmas Eve service. All 13 of us sat in the row together. It was a good service. Then we came back home and the kids went to bed..and the adults opened our white elephant gifts. It was our first year of doing this..new/gently used items..there were some real gems to be had. Luckily the women picked separately from the men.

Then the evening somehow progressed into a conversation about food games. Who knows how...but that was the start of ALOT of laughter...

I will have to get the picture and possibly the video of the chubby bunny boys.

This is the saltine challenge, which basically just ended in a total cracker crumb disaster. Can you see the debris? Oh and the guy on the left...it is Mitchell..who knows why he felt the need to put on a nasty wig and headband for Christmas? I guess because he's Mitchell.

We all stayed the night at Mom and Dad's. And started the day off with a yummy breakfast of egg casserole, coffee cake, Christmas rolls, and fruit...probably more..but I can't thiink. There was a steady flow of food the entire time!

We then all participated in acting out the Christmas story with costumes and all.

And then we opened gifts.

Christian was a very gracious receiver..."Oh thank you. Oh THANK YOU." Even when it wasn't his, he was still ready to thank somebody. We were all spoiled!!

His new tractor set...oh boy. And that picture is taken with my NEW lens (even though it does not prove its glory...due to the wrong setting on the camera). Now that's an OH BOY!!

I'll just be taking more pictures...getting used to it!!

Then the three of us left for dinner/afternoon to have Christmas in Harper with the extended Hershberger family.

our little christmas

2011-12-26T21:38:00.001-06:00

The three of us celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve eve...otherwise known as Dec 23rd.

We had our own Christmas meal, read a two year old's version of the Christmas story from his Bible, and then opened some presents.

It was TOO sweet how Christian got so excited for his presents. He would repeatedly say THANK YOU, oh THANK YOU so MUCH!

It was a very good night!

A bed, a train, and a recliner

2011-12-20T21:54:00.000-06:00

These were all HIS ideas...

"I better lay on my pillow."

(As he climbs in the laundry basket with a baby washcloth that is his ever so soft pillow!)

"I need to hook them up. Look I did hook it. I made my train."

I put a show on for him to watch while I took a shower. This is the comfy spot he chose to sit and watch it in.

Eight the great

2011-12-17T22:34:00.002-06:00

There once was a boy,

who grew to be tall, smart, and witty.

He loves to read, build with Legos, and is quite a ham when it comes to acting in the school play while singing a little ditty.

I love this kid.

He's my nephew.

He turns eight on Dec. 19..and he is indeed pretty great!

Happy Birthday Maddox!

He had a Star Wars themed cake..with some serious flame action.

We had fun watching him open his presents..and then playing with them all together!

A few "projects"

2011-12-16T21:43:00.001-06:00

Christian and I did a few "projects" together. He would get SO excited when I asked if he wanted to do a project. He would wake up some days and say, "I do a project, mama. I do another project." They were very basic..but fun all the same.

This one was supposed to be like "stain glass" ornaments for his window...they didn't exactly turn out the way I thought..but he didn't know the difference at all.

Terrible quality of picture..but he looked too cute not to put in on here.

Onto the cookies...

he watched fairly patiently, and would occasionally help with pushing the cookie cutter down. He thoroughly enjoyed putting sprinkles on top..this was a highly supervised duty, so there are no pictures of that. And lastly..his favorite..the sampling of the "dar cookie" (star cookie).

Here are some of the other cookies "we" made...

reindeer (peanut butter) cookies and gingersnaps.

and this was Christian's cookie contribution for the most part...

staying busy coloring while standing on a chair to still be apart of the process.

And of course taste testing when they were finished!

Another big highlight of our days leading up to Christmas was opening the advent calendar door.

Some days it included a project or a book or just a piece of chocolate...

regardless, Christian would say, "I open number 7." It would never be the right number that he'd say, but he'd often pick a different number at random.

We had fun getting ready for Christmas. I didn't really expect Christian to be so willing to participate in some of the ideas, but you mention the word "project" and he's in!!!

A few of the other things we did were made a painted picture on canvas with his feet, made a popsicle stick nativity ornament, attempted to make an imprint of his hand in plaster, and read many Christmas stories.

"Baby Jesus did wake up!"....his observation of the baby Jesus in the popsicle stick manger scene since Jesus was in the upright position :) Well of course that means he finally woke up instead of laying down in the manger like all the other nativities he saw.

christians first program

2011-12-07T21:49:00.000-06:00

Christian had his first Christmas program this year. He stood up there with the other Sunday School kids, and did more rhythmic bobbing than singing...but he participated nevertheless.

He's front and center (not to worry this was before they started their songs)

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-04T20:45:00.001-06:00

We have much to be grateful for this year. We've had a few transitions, some travels, and best of all our toddler..Christian. Its amazing to think of how much he has changed over the last year alone, he's growing up all too fast. He is quite entertaining and we are enjoying this phase of his life. You never know what he might say. He loves his trucks, tractors, and a variety of other toys, and enjoys spending time with his cousins and all the other family around as well!

Since we moved back to Hesston last fall we have enjoyed getting involved with our Sunday School class. Christian has also started going to Sunday School starting this September. Now, most Sunday's he will say "I go to Sunday School" and he will go into his classroom and sit at the table with the other kids. He also goes with me to Mom 2 Mom at a different church in town on Tuesday mornings. This is a little harder to go regularly because of my work schedules...but its nice for both of us to have others to connect with in that kind of setting.

We had a very good summer, that included a week and a half trip that included; CO, WY, MT, and Alberta, Canada. Some of the highlights along the way were seeing a rodeo in Cody, WY, going to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks and many other scenic views along the way. Our main reason for getting to go was for the Hershberger reunion, which was also a highlight. Ben, Christian and I drove leisurely on the way up and the way back was the opposite...we drove 26 hours straight through. Whew, we were glad to be home after that.

Ben started his new job in August, which we were very happy about! He is enjoying his class and the co-workers he has at the school. I still work at Newton Medical in the maternal child unit, but I just recently restarted at Wesley in the same unit I left a little over a year ago. The main difference is that I am only "prn" or as needed at both places. I feel this way I get the best of both worlds..and I feel blessed I can do something I really enjoy both places. The goal is that I hopefully will get to spend more time at home with Christian!

Carissa's wedding was in October, and we made another trip to be apart of that. And then in November, just Christian and I went up to Iowa to visit my college roommate and her family for several days. I think we are all done traveling for this year. I'm glad that Christian travels so well, it sure does make the time in a car WAY more enjoyable when all occupants are happy.

And now we are in the month of December..the tree, lights, and other Christmas decorations are up and we are in the Christmas spirit. It has been most enjoyable to have Christian apart of this in many ways. Not only does he like to hang his own ornaments on his mini tree in his room, but he also likes to read the Christmas story in children book form. The two that we mainly read are Always Room for Little One (about the stable animals inviting Mary and Joseph and "tired Donkey" in from the cold) and J is for Jesus (a CUTE book about the story behind candy canes).

Hopefully you can look back through our year on here and see some pictures and happenings from our home. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

love...Ben, Jessica, & Christian

A few of my favorite things....of Christian's

2011-12-03T00:23:00.001-06:00

**READING...if you can read..he will listen. And he definitely has his favorites. I think I've read Animal Train about 10 times in one day. At bedtime with the lights out, I simply recited it and that worked .

**BUILDING..these block were the best $3 spend at a garage sale. You LOVE to build tunnels, towers, garages, forts...they are GREAT! (And you dressed extra special with your "steak and shake" hat...classy!!)

***EATING CEREAL...although you are quite the picky eater..often cereal is an ol' standby option. You are in a phase of liking Golden Grahams right now.

***SHOES...you seem to have calmed down with the idea to put on everybody's shoes, but you still enjoy your own. You have been more interested in zipper's and have mastered how to go up and down with them. But you have quickly learned that mama does not enjoy you zipping my jacket all the way to my neck...you say, "I will be careful."

***JUST PLAIN SILLY...you have a very creative mind. It is very entertaining to watch you make toys out of random items, or make other toys have a voice and you have conversations with them. Usually, when you are wanting to talk to an animal..or bring it to one of us and say, "here mama, here talk to the moose."

***WONDER...Sometimes it is almost as if I can see your wheels spinning. You are constantly observing and taking in things around you..and then retaining them to either act out or repeat later. Makes me think of the song, "Oh Be Careful Little (Eyes, Ears, Hands, Mouth) " it will be reflected!

***FAMILY..you love family. You love to go to "Grandma's house" and it's a double bonus if Kade is also there (he's your little play buddy!) Papa built you a "huge big tower" and you knocked it down!!!

**POTTY...its a learning process..but at least its a process that is in the works. You already know how it works..you need a good magazine or book to read..or something like that.

The things he says...(2 years old)

2011-12-02T22:00:00.002-06:00

Some of Christian's comments...

On Sunday, he came in while I was getting ready and said, "I'm all dressed up." Me: "Yes, you are. You are so handsome." C: "Mommy is handsome." I'll consider that a compliment..at least I think in his mind he was saying a nice thing.

When we set up the Christmas tree during his nap, he came out and saw it all lit up for the first time, he said, "OOhhh, Aaaa, Aaa (Oo la la)!!! Christmas came!"

Sometimes we put on PBS, his favorites are Dinosaur Train, Super Wise (about spelling, which is over your head but you like the character), Arthur, and Curious George. When I'm turning through the channels to see if one of the shows is on, he will say, "Noo, not that one."(next channel) "No, not that one either." And this will continue until the show pops up and he will exclaim, "THERE it is!!"

"I need to focus Mommy. I need to focus." Yes you do my dear.. I have told him he needs to focus when he is on the potty. He is EASILY distracted, but once he does focus usually he does quite well. I'm grateful for any progress in the potty training dept, so I won't complain.

Another on the potty phrase..out of the blue you matter of factly said, "Goodness gracious sakes alive!" (I'm sure he heard this somewhere..but it took me off guard the first time he said this..kinda funny)

I was giving you food to eat and I said something about it being so good with a "you betcha" in there somewhere. His response was, "Nooooo. Not you betcha." (Onery, little picky eater :) )

I usually sing to him before putting him to bed...Jesus Loves Me, Away in a Manger, Silent Night..the list can go on and on..and sometimes he will say RIGHT away is "I don't like that one." But somehow Twinkle, Twinkle is the winner and he says, "okay" when I start with that one..or he'll just flat out request it. The other day I was singing Twinkle, Twinkle, and he just matter of factly says, "sing it louder, mama". Just getting pickier and pickier on me. It was hard for me not to laugh..but I sang it for him..meanwhile he starts singing Silent Night to himself..go figure :)

Music is pretty important to Christian..he will often be singing a song to himself while he plays. Lately the song selection includes: Pa-rum-pa-pum-pum (The Little Drummer Boy), Silent Night, Away in a Manager, Jesus Came, Jesus Loves Me, aaaannnd last but not least the Veggie Tales Theme Song. (I realize its slightly ironic that he enjoys singing these songs..but for whatever reason does not enjoy being sung these songs at bedtime)

I was eating breakfast with him the other day...I am not the example of health when it comes to breakfast. So while he ate his cereal, he looks up at me and says, "Mommy not drinking coffee, there's only cookies in there." ( I was "dunking" my oatmeal cookie in my coffee..because if I do eat breakfast, that's often what I eat)

"Where's Daddy? OH Dadd-io where are you? Daddy not here, Daddy is teaching."
This has since gone to including "mom-mio" in the vocab.

He will lie down on the floor and say, "I need a back rub." So I will rub your back a little bit. However the other day was even better, he said, "Mama needs a back rub" and proceeded to rub my back for a good 3 minutes! I love it :)

"I can play a little bit." Famous bedtime comment. Followed by, "I can not sleep" or "I not tired"

He is VERY thankful somedays. Everything receives a thank you. A diaper change.."oh, thank you mama. Thank you for changing my diaper." "Oh, thank you. Thank you for my "uice." (juice)...the list can literally go on and on. It gets rather amusing.

As I was driving on the interstate..."excuse me semi truck" as we are passing him. "Oh, and excuse me delivery truck, semi truck, excuse me."

And lastly an innocent little boy comment in the bathtub..
I had made it a bubble bath for him. He was playing with the toys, and then looked down and asked, "where did my wee-ee go?" and he looked a little more, "where did my wee-wee and my legs go?" After he move the water just a little, he looked again and said, "THERE is my wee-wee."

All these things he says and does..of course its not only the words but how he says them...alot of time in a light hearted serious 2 year old way but with the ending syllable almost in a question form and with facial movements or tugging on arms.

RMV {roommate visit}

2011-11-13T00:48:00.002-06:00

Christian and I made a long over due visit to Iowa this week, to visit my dear friend Ranee and her family. He traveled really good both there and back..that's always a blessing.

The first evening we got there, Kyle (my cousin..who just so happens to be Ranee's brother in law as well), was combining in the field in their back yard. He was nice enough to let Christian and I join him for the last little bit. OH boy, Christian loved it. He talked about Kyle for the rest of the time there!

Ranee and Justin have two cute kids..Luke (3) and Tessa (1 1/2). Pictures are good when you can't visit..but it sure is nice to see the real deal in person. Its fun to see them grow up!

This trip Ranee and I had made a relatively long list of craft things to do together, since we both enjoy doing them..and doing them together is double the enjoyment! Of course we included a shopping outing in the agenda as well..a visit is not complete without that!

After we'd lay the kids down for the night...the crafting came out! The Brokaws have recently built a nice addition to their house..a laundry space/bathroom, two car garage, and basement (where Christian and I slept). We set up our craft shop in the laundry area.

We had a few extra helpers...

I can't remember if I told Justin I wouldn't put this on here or not..but for the record I'm only trying to depict the awesome participant he was in contributing to the crafting. He will have to be nominated for best supportive husband or something. I actually took it to prove to Ben that Justin did this for Ranee..to see if I could boost Ben's excitement in helping me! I don't think I'll hold my breath..which is probably okay for the both of us :)

More photos of the days together...

Christian was a fan of Ranee's cinnamon rolls..we all were for that matter.

The last evening we were there, the Gingerich's (Ranee's parents), and the Birky's (Kyle & Julie's family) joined us for supper.

And due to the fact that we were so busy chatting, shopping, crafting, and watching our children..this is the only picture we managed to take of the two of us literally seconds before we had to say goodbye.

We should really learn to do better at this!

I'm glad we were able to visit. We had fun together as usual. I value Ranee's friendship, even if 98% of it is over the phone or through emails/letters. The extra 2% in person is like icing on the cake! We didn't exactly get all of our crafting endeavors completed..but I'd say that's fine, maybe that means we need to do this more often...(or maybe it means we need to have a more realistic list), regardless I had fun and I"m glad I got to hang out with the Brokaw's for a few days!

The Kade Man turns FIVE

2011-11-05T23:52:00.001-05:00

Kade turns FIVE on November 10.

We celebrated the weekend before..and it was a GOOD time.

We started with a scavenger hunt outside..

...and we ended up taking a walk in their neighborhood, it was really pretty.

Then Mr. Kade opened presents...he got an awesome hat!

This is Kade's cousin, Blake...he was also their for the birthday bash.

I couldn't help but put this picture in of him...I had fun with both him and his younger brother Henry.

And here are a couple "super hero's" eating their pizza...

I think Christian might have been a blind super hero..he had a hard time opening his eyes!

And here is the birthday boy with his Larry Boy birthday cake that his mama made.

I had to put both pictures...they are both SO HIM!

Kade Man, you are such a sweet boy..I truly enjoy watching your sweet and oh so energetic spirit grow up. We love you lots!!!

our candy corn

2011-10-31T23:32:00.005-05:00

We don't really get into Halloween. This year, whenever Christian would see a pumpkin carved at all...he would say, "ooh..scary. I no like Halloween." I'm not too crushed that he's not a big fan. I did teach him to say "trick or treat" which he did pretty cute...and then I'd tell him to say, "here is my trick (and spin around or something) and this is my treat (and blow a kiss)"

We dressed him up like a piece of candy corn and made about 4 stops. That was just right..and the ending stop we stayed for supper and met some other lovely trick-or-treaters. We'll have to go to that place again next year :)

..at our house..

at Uncle Mitch's house.....and lastly at Grandma and Papa's house with the cousins!

Botanica in the fall

2011-10-28T22:52:00.000-05:00

Ben had a break from school and we decided to do something fun.

We went to the Botanica Gardens. I had never been in the fall, and to be honest I was a little skeptical that it was going to be pretty. Needless to say..I was wrong. It was beautiful!

Welcome to the kid land at Botanica...it is pretty amazing.

Rainbow tunnels, a play house, an AWESOME tree house, wooden logs (tunnels), musical instruments, and an "enchanted Glen" which consisted of The Hungry Caterpillar figures.

And then more BEAUTIFUL scenery on our way out. This willow tree was amazing with the water and fall leaves surrounding it.

I was glad we went. It was just as pretty if not more than the other times I've been in the spring. And now with the children's area available, we may have to visit more often!

pumpkin patch

2011-10-22T22:31:00.002-05:00

We went to Papa's Pumpkin Patch.

Christian talks about going to the pumpkin patch alot...well, he calls the pumpkins themselves "pumpkin patch" as if that's what they are. The concept is maybe not quite all there. He was equally interested in the dirt that surrounded all the pumpkins. Either way I think he enjoyed himself and that's the main thing.

Tim & Carissa Wedding

2011-10-21T15:24:00.000-05:00

10.15.11

Tim & Carissa

Gredler

wedding {week before}

2011-10-21T14:58:00.001-05:00

Mom, Christian and I drove to Virginia to spend a week and a half with Carissa before her wedding.

We did various things...helped out when and where we could, shopped, went to the farmer's market, played volleyball, and gathered rocks/leaves/acorns along a stream.

The weather was so beautiful during this time.

Boys {a favorite}

2011-10-02T10:41:00.001-05:00

Country Fair

2011-10-01T14:21:00.000-05:00

We went to the "Country Fair" that was just a couple miles away from us.

It was a fundraiser event that was taking place for a family that is adopting a little boy.

We didn't really know the people necessarily, but it looked like a fun event, and it was advertised for any and all to come...so we did!

We had such a fun time. Christian REALLY loved the barrel train ride behind the 4-wheeler.

He had his hands on the wheel the entire time, just a drivin' away...he went on this a couple different times for lengthy rides!

Then he got his face painted...a turtle. I didn't know how he'd do. He sat so still, and didn't really touch it when she was done.

I think tying for favorite thing to do was playing in the corn bin.

Whew! They sat in there a LONG time playing.

There was an animal area which we walked through.

And there was a hay bale maze that Christian tried out several times...of course the "tunnels" were the best part!

Lastly, our little cowboy.

60th Birthday & 2nd Cousins

2011-09-24T13:43:00.000-05:00

My uncle David shares the same birthday as Ben..October 1st.

David, Teresa, along with Kyle (my cousin) and his family were in Hesston,

so we all went over to Mom and Dad's house for supper.

It is David's 60th birthday, so we off course had to celebrate appropriately (I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of the 60th decor that I put up!! You'll just have to trust me..it was there!).

Here's a quick snapshot of the cousins/second cousins (Ava was finishing up her bath!)

Isaac and Molly are too cute :) It was good to see them all...and an extra bonus to have a birthday to celebrate!

Birthday Boy...#27

2011-09-24T10:29:00.000-05:00

Ben turns 27 on Oct 1.

We celebrated with the family that could be here a little early on Sept 24.

It ended up being a really nice day, so we ate our bbq chicken sandwiches outside.

The birthday boy pretending to blow out his candle!

An impressive sized tower built by Sam, Maddox, Diana, and Christian!

Grandma H. and Christian watching Ben open his presents.

Happy Birthday Ben.

I love you.

I would say, I'll have a post of the pictures that he will take at the Chiefs/Vikings game..the birthday present I gave him...but he's not really into the whole idea of taking pictures as much as me :)

play outside...yes please

2011-09-23T10:16:00.000-05:00

I love it when we can be outside to get fresh air, roam freely, and mostly PLAY!

Christian is getting more and more into his swing set.

He doesn't mind his make-shift sandbox that we rigged up for him. It's all the same right...sand, digging, and making a mess!

An evening at the park..he loves it!

Monkey see..monkey do.

Until he gets into a jam.

Ahh..I love playing outside with my boy!

the things he says

2011-09-12T12:52:00.004-05:00

This little fella is just a talker. Pretty much anything you say he will repeat...and not necessarily right away, but at a random moment where you have no idea where it came from.

Here are a few of his more frequent sayings and doings...

oh no. car coming. be careful. (Says this at the nearest stop sign by our house, and also at random times)

mama up. MAMA play. Chr-shin help mama up. (pulling on my arm)

oh no. a fly. oh no. I smash it.

Fire truck. Chr-shin climb on fire truck. Ok.

I go Gma's house. Chr-shin go Gma's house. Ok. (if I say, no not right now...) Maybe later. Ok.

Sc-ool bus. Where sc-ool bus go? Ride it, ride the sc-ool bus.

Build tunnel. Mama, Daddy, build tunnel.

(Out of blocks, legos, or whatever piece of furniture can be transformed...he loves tunnels.)

Wheel....round and round, round and round (and he hums the parts he doesn't know to The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round)

Sings songs on his own while playing: Deep and Wide, Jesus Loves Me, ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Happy Birthday to me.

Blow happy candles. Chr-shin blow happy candles, one time.

Jesse Bear. Mama read Jesse Bear.
(A book we got from the library. Recently, a favorite bedtime book. I didn't read any bedtime books on this particular night since he was super tired..and he said "Jesse Bear" through his pacifier, but I still laid him down. He fell asleep, and an hour later woke up and wouldn't go back to sleep, I went in and of course he was still saying "Mama read Jesse Bear. Mama rock, read Jesse Bear."....we read Jesse Bear :)

"Where ____ go?" Often this blank is filled in with Carissa or Mitchell. Not sure why he only wants to check up on them, but he must think they leave often.

Kade shoes on.
(He recently got a pair of sandals that are the same style and color as Kade's.) His first response to the new shoes, were "Kade's shoes". After explaning that they were his, he said, "a Kade's shoes... a-Chr-shin shoes on."

No like it. (OR) Like it. -BOTH mean he DOES NOT like whatever it is that he is talking about!

I draw colors. (crayons) I draw sidewalk. I draw chalk. Ok. (sidewalk chalk)

On a daily basis, he will make the stuff animals talk. However, his side of the conversation is only "HI!" and then he promptly hands the animal to Ben or I and expects us to keep the conversation going while he brings in other animals to participate. This could go on for a LONG time! In a pinch, I've used his fruit snack characters, my fingers, a napkin...whatever works..he thinks they are "real" if you make them talk in a different voice.

racaroni and cheese (macaroni & cheese), ca-cheese (cottage cheese), case-de-a (quesadilla), applesauce. (All are pretty standard favorite meal time foods that he will request for..and generally speaking he does not like to try anything outside this small list...unless at least one of these is present. Ben is in disbelief that his son is a picky eater)

no way Jose. (yep, he says it)

Mama machine. Only mama touch it. Might be ouchy. (in regards to my sewing machine)

The other day when we were on a bike ride he was going on and on about scissors and how "scissors, might be ouchy. Only mommy or daddy, scissors. Might be ouchy." Not sure what he saw that reminded him of this, but he talked about it almost the whole bike ride.

Usually he wakes up talking in the morning. I go in there after a little bit. This particular morning, he was talking and then he said, "Daddy, WAKE UP!, Daddy. Daddy, WAKE UP!" Ben was already at work for the day, so I got up and walked into the bathroom first, right outside his room. Then he said, "a-potty. Daddy go potty." I walked in his room, he smiles, and says, "a-Daddy? Where Daddy go?" He usually asks this in the morning anyway, and one time he made a pathetic face, when I said he was at work. He said, "nooo, daddy no work."

He can open the front door on his own. I had gone to change clothes one morning, and he was playing in the living room. I then heard the door bell ring....little Mr Christian was outside ringing it!

Today I had the front door open, with the window door closed. While I stepped outside from the back door, he must've opened the door. I came back in and was looking for him, and then went out the front door. He had gone out, turned on the hose and started watering the plants. He said, "chri-shin water plants" (in the proudest tone).

He's pretty much a happy guy if he can be outside with some sticks and the dirt...while he sings to himself.

Good Buddies {Christian & Owen}

2011-09-10T23:00:00.000-05:00

Christian (2 yr 1 month) and Owen (2 yr 0 month)

They are a month apart in age, they both have brown hair and brown eyes (although Owen's are darker), they are pretty much the same height, they wear some of the same clothes, they sound alot alike when they talk, they have similar behaviors, they are both picky eaters, and they have been asked if they are related on more than one occasion.

So, they are friends.

Isaac and Melissa (Owen's parents) went to HC while I was there. They moved to town last January, when Isaac accepted the youth/young adult pastor role at our church. We're pretty glad they are here..not only is nice to have a little boy that Christian really likes to play with..but it has been fun getting to know Isaac and Melissa as well!

I am very grateful that Melissa watches Christian on somewhat of a frequent basis when I go to work. And this evening we were able to watch Owen while they had a MYF event.

Here are a few of the pictures of the two of them...

(One would lick the frosting, then the other would. One would take a drink, then the other would. There was a LOT of mirror actions going on!)

(The fun game they both played...put the water in your mouth and then spit it out.)

A somewhat "competitive" round of football...

it started out something like this..

and needed to end following the aftermath of something like this...

So then we took a wagon ride.

It started out like this...

and quickly became this...

the entire rest of the walk!

Oh boys...you are two of a kind.

The crew

2011-09-01T14:04:00.000-05:00

the. cousin. crew.

Scenes from the summer

2011-09-01T12:19:00.000-05:00

Here's a few pictures as a recap of our summer in Kansas...

It was a hot one. Plain and simple.

I really don't mind the heat, but even for me it was a bit much. In addition, there was really no rain, which seems crazy considering all the states that had flooding in other portions of the US. Nothing really grew in our garden, except weeds and our jalapenos, and a few bite size tomatos that I was able to make one batch of fresh salsa with.

*As much as Christian wanted to play outside, it just was really too hot somedays. So we brought his outdoor sand/water table inside...

filled it with dry beans...and an assortment of toys and kitchen utensils.

*I got a rubbermaid container with a lid for water balls from the Dollar Store for his "water table".

They are really cool..and they never dry up. Christian is a BIG fan of these!

*Thank goodness for Gaedderts sweet corn...YUMMY!

*The peaches from whatever state they came from were super good..especially when Mom makes them in to fresh peach pie...oooooh YUM. And this little sneak started eating my piece while we were outside watching the only storm of the season come in! I couldn't blame him for diving in..afterall it was SO GOOD!

*Carissa taking the kids on an adventure, she is the best at going on adventures!

*We only had to mow two times total..and that was to maintain the weed growth.

*This goofy guy would not take this hat off his head at Grandma's house...you never know what he might find and get his mind set on.

*While Carissa was home the girls decided to play dress up in past prom and bridesmaids dresses. This was quite the dress up day..because next we got out our 3 wedding dresses and put them on too!

*Our oven decided it wanted to participate in the heat, and not turn off when it was turned to the off position. Not exactly ideal at any time. So, we bought a new oven..and Christian had fun making a "house" out of the box it came in.

*One of the mega cracks in the ground...yikes.

*Swimming and popsicles were a standard part of alot of our days. Christian became quite the little swimmer with the use of water wings. It is crazy to think that he didn't even like to get in the water the first time in this year. We are very thankful that Mom and Dad have a pool just down the road!

As much as we may want to complain about the heat and lack of rain...I often thought of the others in the world who really are deeply suffering from the heat, lack of rain, and lack of food. We maybe had a rough summer, and I'm not too said to see it go...but we are very thankful that we have homes to keep us cool, fresh water to drink, and more than enough food to eat.

As of September 1st, I am officially ready for fall to come!

Meet Mr Hershberger

2011-08-31T22:37:00.000-05:00

Mr Hershberger is my favorite teacher.

He's been teaching for two weeks now.

We went to see his classroom today.

I'm quite proud of him.

I hope all 17 of your students appreciate you as much as we do Mr Hershberger.

Have a GREAT first year of teaching, Ben.

Ground Breaking

2011-08-22T23:12:00.000-05:00

KE GROUND BREAKING

It was a big day for Kansas Electric.

I am very proud of my dad and all he has accomplished.

It was such a nice ceremony.

Brent and Mitch both spoke, and did a really good job. ( I think the picture above of them is hilarious.)

We were all there, minus the ones in school (Ben, Maddox, and Ava).

It was a SUPER windy day.

And then afterwards, Uncle Mitch thought it would be fun for the boys to play in the HUGE bulldozer.

They didn't get dirty at all...

Hershberger/Bergey Birthday Party

2011-08-20T23:33:00.000-05:00

Christian got to celebrate yet another time..oh boy!

We had supper and ate school bus cupcakes.

He then opened some presents...things for his kitchen and a sandwich making kit.

He was a BIG fan!

What a good birthday month!

An adventure..with Aunt Carissa

2011-08-15T14:27:00.000-05:00

A type of adventure like you've never had before!!

I love the pictures where Christian can't keep up...so Ava goes back on her own and just hauls him off to catch up. (I believe her words were.."oh no, Christian, you can't get burned on the coals"..because of course that was part of the adventure!)

Carissa you're a pretty special aunt...with a HUGE imagination!

water park

2011-08-13T20:00:00.001-05:00

We ALL (except Mitch) went to the water park on Saturday afternoon.

The last time this happened we were all living at home, at least 15 years ago.

It was great

he looks so little here...he was just an awe.

The game we played...
walk around the pole without looking up...whoever gets dumped on was "out"...we were that family.

I was so surprised by Christian...he loved the water..even if it was pounding on his head and in his face!

He made the turtle into his own slide...he would slide down onto his head..over and over and over again!

Carissa's Bridal Shower

2011-08-13T14:47:00.000-05:00

Alyssa and I had a bridal shower for Carissa while she is in Kansas. It was nice to include some of Carissa's friends in the "showering" of our love for her! (I realize I didn't have any pictures of the others there, oops.)

We had yummy food of course, dressed up Carissa in a beautifully custom made wedding dress, opened presents, and provided Carissa with a random assortment of answers/advice regarding married life.

SISTERS

with

Mom too!

Maybe Carissa will have to come up with something a bit more substantial for the wedding...

this one is a close second choice though!

Tim is one lucky man....

I mean it, he is!

we be plannin'

2011-08-12T12:48:00.001-05:00

The beautiful bride-to-be...my sister...the future Mrs. Gredler :)

My dear sister Carissa is getting married in oh....a couple months.. Oct 15 to be exact. And lucky for us she came "home" this summer for a good chunk of August. So, we got to help get some things checked off her to-do list on her wedding plans.

Wedding attire (bridesmaid dresses, flower girl dress, mama of the bride dress)....involved shopping, searching for burnt orange, trying on many dresses, still searching for burnt orange, online shopping, and more shopping. Oh, and going out to eat was in there a few times too! We are working with an adaptable bride..so we found some winners :)

The girls..Mom, Carissa, Alyssa, and I went to get pedicures one day. This didn't maybe involve much planning for the wedding..but it sure was fun. I think Carissa needs to come home more often, this kind of treatment is something I could get used to!

We also got to help with her invitations. They were her designed (by Alyssa), printed, and addressed..

it was fun :)

Not too much longer...and she will be a married woman!

Birthday with the Sweigarts

2011-08-09T12:34:00.010-05:00

Birthday party #2

Another birthday party..oh boy! The Sweigart family all came over for supper and birthday festivities :)

Christian in all his little boy glory....DUMP TRUCKS!

The party goers....an exciting bunch, huh!

Dump truck cake....

destroying the "wheels"...

It was a beautiful evening, so we took the party outside. The "bigger boys" played bocce ball and the kids played in the dirt. Doesn't take much to entertain when it involves being outside!

Monkey boy was having fun hanging on the hammock chair with grandma..and then dropping!

The evening was complete with an almost full moon...

Uncle Mitch and the firetrucks

2011-08-08T15:13:00.001-05:00

Christian loves his Uncle Mitch...

and he loves trucks, including the fire kind!

Oh boy he HAD to get in EVERY. SINGLE. TRUCK.

and he

LOVED every second at the fire station (even if it felt as hot as a fire in there!)

Thanks Uncle Mitch!

Mom and Dad 35 Years

2011-08-07T12:30:00.000-05:00

We didn't really have a great big celebration for mom and dad's anniversary...

but nevertheless, it is a significant milestone as they have been married 35 years!!

I'm sure glad to have them both as role models..love you both :)

Happy Anniversary!

Birthday party with the Fredins

2011-08-03T12:49:00.003-05:00

Christian is going to get three birthday "parties".

This was the first one...the one on his actual birthday!

I had asked him a couple weeks ago what kind of cake he wanted...a bus, a truck, or Nemo.

"Neeeemmmooo" And then he talked about "Nemo cake" for another 15 minutes. So I decided that I'd better make one :) It may not look exactly like him...but close enough for Christian's standards.

We had our good friends the Fredins over for supper. We miss them (they were are neighbors in Wichita)!

Blowing out the "happy candles"...probably a close tie with opening presents on Christian's favorite thing about his birthday!

Liam and Nora helped Christian celebrate! They gave him a train and a digger!! Oh boy.

THE HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOY!!!

GOLDEN birthday

2011-08-02T12:22:00.000-05:00

CHRISTIAN MITCHELL HERSHBERGER

Two years ago...

One year ago...

TODAY... our two year old!

My love for this little guy is undescribable. He may not be a baby anymore...but he will always be my baby boy. I am so thankful that God has blessed us with another year of health and protection for Christian. I never take parenting for granted and everyday is a blessing. It sure doesn't get much better than being a mama to such a special little boy!

Happy Birthday Christian...you are such a fun loving, energetic, little boy..and you give your parents more joy than you will ever know!

The things you are doing at 2....

I can't count the number of words you can say...your vocabulary consists of most everything you hear.

You go to bed with your "bank-it and pass" around 9 and wake up around 9. You like to read a few books before you go to bed, rock for just a minute and then ask to "lay down".

You have a deep passion for trains, tractors, buses, dump trucks, colors (crayons) ESPECIALLY the color "green" even if its not really green, reading books, and making "tunnels" with your legos or building blocks. You REALLY like to "hook" things up, doesn't matter what it is.There are more things you enjoy QUITE a bit, but those are a few of your favorites.

You really like to put on your shoes, again especially your GREEN ones. You will say "green shoes. Luke. okay." (Your friend Luke Brokaw sent you them!)

You are usually quite agreeable..and say "OK" to follow up most everything. (Not too worry, you do know how to say "no" when you don't want something.)

Your favorite foods are...cheese quesadillas, cottage cheese, applesauce, macaroni and cheese, pizza, chicken, and "cheer-chul" (cereal).

You really enjoy talking on the phone, and anytime you see a laptop..you think your Aunt Carissa is in there (we skype with her sometimes..and you love that!).

You are NOT potty trained yet. You sometimes will sit on your potty so you can read your bathroom books..so its a start, we'll see.

You wear mostly size 12-18 month tops, 12 month shorts, and 18-24 overalls. You wear size 6 1/2 shoes..but they are getting a little snug, so you'll be getting new shoes soon. You're not too heavy, I think you are around 25 lbs. (Your 2 yr appt isn't until the end of the month, so we'll see) You are going to be pretty tall I think..thin and tall so far :)

You give hugs and kisses so good. I love it when I say "mama has to go to work" and you know to come give me a kiss! You can be such a little lovebug sometimes :)

You REALLY like candles! "Happy candles" as you call them...so good thing its your birthday. We started out the day blowing out candles..I'm sure there will be a few more to blow out before the end of the month is over and the parties are through!

Ava {6 years old}

2011-07-23T23:25:00.001-05:00

Ms. Ava Vivian Sweigart turned 6 on July 21.

We had fun celebrating her birthday. It has been so very hot, that there isn't much you can do outside, unless it involves water. So, we had some fun with water balloons. Uncle Mitch came a little late..so they saved a couple for him :)

It was pretty good. As Brent chased Mitch around the house with a balloon, Ava went the opposite way with one of her own. Mitch thought he'd take the one she had from her and hit Brent with it...instead the birthday girl PEGGED him!! Way to go AVA!

Now inside..to the butterfly birthday party! We ate food, opened presents, and ate some CAKE!

Her mama, Alyssa made yet another very cute cake :)

Ava you are such a sweet girl..turning into a fine young lady!

You are such a little good little cousin ("mama") when you help Christian and take care of the kitties.

Hope you have a wonderful year being six...we love you!!!

From the mouth of Christian...

2011-07-12T00:55:00.000-05:00

Here are a few of the sayings, terms, or words that Christian started saying along the trip...he definately is at a whole new level of repeating what he hears...

"Bank-it, pass" = blanket, pacifier. A combo that he would request almost immediately after about the 2nd day of traveling once we got in the car. He would also ask for it when we were out and active, if he got sleepy..which is not usually normal at all for him. He doesn't normally use either one around at home (other than in his crib while he is sleeping), but I guess it gave him a sense of comfort and familarity.

"Boi-ng hot" = while at yellowstone looking at the geysers we would remind him they were boiling hot water..a big time repeater statement.

"might be hot" = when we were climbing up and down the stairs there were some kind of shut off valves that he wanted to call coo-coo clocks because of the circles and numbers. I said, no they weren't clocks, but just said they 'might be hot' cause I really didn't know what they were....so now, anything that he thinks "might be hot"..he uses that line. This later became "might be cold" when it was FREEZING in the tundra near the glaciers!

"retractable awning" = Ben said this at the Italian restaurant in Casper...and Christian was in super sponge mode..and had a really solid attempt at saying this ridiculous combination.

"Anna, Sam, Grandma "H", Da....el, Pete, Kira, Audra, Tucker" = all names he has mastered along the way. Anna sums up all 3 of the 2nd cousin girls that he fell in love with immediately. One of their names is Anna, the others are Olivia and Felicity..and then baby Tommy. Sam, is uncle Sam, and he really knows how to pick him out of a crowd and say his name all on his own. Grandma H., well that who she is, but he has made the distinction of which grandma this is and REALLY pronounces the "H" clearly at the end. Da....el, is Daniel Penner, he just seems to like Daniel..probably because Daniel seems to like Christian and interacts with him at a level that Christian can appreciate. Pete, Kira, Audra, and Tucker were from when we stayed at Pete and Kira's house in Denver. He really liked them, and Audra Shue along with Nathaneal (he couldn't quite get that one down yet) were there and the two dogs that he learned to interact with..one of them being Tucker, who he would say "no, no Tucker" (as he was instructed to do by Pete).

"kime" = CLIMB! Boy, he just thinks anywhere we go, if there is ANYTHING remotely close to a step, or object that looks like it should be climbable..he should be doing it. And if we ignore his request to "kime", he gets louder and adds an "uh-huh" in there to emphasize that he really meant it. Occasionally, if it does involve actual stairs he will say "step", "mama, step". Surprisingly enough, while hiking he hasn't requested to do this when he is in the backpack carrier..which is very nice..because with him on my back is fine, but any squirreling around and my center of gravity gets a little skewed.

"runn-ing!" = when we get out of the car and all systems are a go, I usually ask if he would like to get down and run. He will say this very emphatically and his little legs are just a going, and his little bootie is a bouncin'.

"bu'tt'in" = you must note the "t's" are VERY clear. He loves to push the buttons on most anything, but along our trip it has been a highlight to push the elevator buttons!

"ring-ring"= He will pick up the phone in the hotel room and say this...then say "HI!" even though nobody is there. The hotel phones in the room have been unplugged do to this little guy in fear that he will be calling another room or the front desk..or Hong Kong. (He did find Ben's phone lying on the desk when we've been in Canada, and when we discovered it, it said connecting...so I'm sure I'll be calling the phone company to take care of some charge when we return)

"poo?"= pool, aka, can we go now!?! "swimming", "nemo", "pooh", "boat", "suit", "wat-a"= all words accosiated to swimming as well. Nemo and Pooh are characters on his different diaper swimmers. Nemo is also the only movie he has ever watched, and he has it pretty much down pat. It involves a boat..so he associates that all together with swimming. Suit, swimming, and water are self explanatory.

"Case-dia"= what he was requesting quite loudly at the nice Italian restaurant, he wanted a quesadilla. Our little mexican child apparently likes his mexican cousine! We had just had this 2 night before, so I guess he figured we were sitting down to eat in a restaurant and that's what he wanted.

"dump tuck", "sim-i truck" = he usually has difference between these trucks down. If he calls a semi truck a dump truck, we will correct and then he will nod and say "sim-i tuck"

"bus ride"= heard that ALL morning when we went on the bus tour through High River..he likes buses!

"keem"= icecream, although when we got a special treat, he didn't even want to eat his! He was more interested in climbing the stairs outside...go figure.

"Jer-ki-ko"= Joshua fought the battle of Jericho song..a new favorite song when we are in the car driving. He will ask for this..followed by Bank-it, Pass. He has his routine down to a T!

"might bite"= mosquitos...he doesn't mind getting sprayed with mosquito spray one bit...and explains while putting it on "might bite". Which when they do..he is like is Daddy and gets massive welts.

"shocking and surprising" = yes, both those words together in the same saying...because that's what he heard his mama say about something. He later used both those words on his own together, it was definitely shocking and surprising to hear that come out of his mouth randomly!

Almost always he will great our waitress or hotel receptionist with a "hi", and repeat this until they give the satisfactory "hi" back or any form of acknowledgement. It's slightly embarassing when he does this and they don't say anything back..because he REALLY tries, and it almost seems like he's being a stinker..but all is really wants is to be friendly.

He has his courtesy laugh down..but its just a touch delayed..again, it can be slightly embarrassing because it kind of comes off like he is making fun.

"Chicken out....ookkaay." = literally, "Christian out, okay"..but in his words the ok part is just him answering himself with the idea of getting out of his carseat, and then somehow it makes it happen if the OK part is said. Yes, he calls himself "chicken" instead of Christian.

"all done" = what he was during the long 25 hour drive home...but he was a trooper and really did outstanding for that long!!

Jiggity Jig {day eleven and a half of trip}

2011-07-11T21:01:00.002-05:00

July 10: We left Lake Louise about 9:45 am, to head home....straight through. Within 5 hours we were out of Canada, but before leaving here was a last view. (It kind of reminded me of KS..except we don't have canola..and it was way greener here.)

We had a few faces like this along the way...but overall he did SO good, considering it was a lengthy drive.

Here's my sleeping beauties..Ben and I took turns..when it got to the point of slapping myself in the face, I knew it was time to switch.

This was the RIDICULOUS rest area that we stopped at. If it weren't for the fact that I really had to go to the bathroom..there would've been NO WAY I would've wanted to get out! Read the middle sign...that pretty much explains it all!

We stopped in Billings, MT around 8 pm for a late supper. We didn't really contemplate stopping for the night..but the thought of having another 15 hours the next day if we would've was motivation enough for us to keep going while we were in the mode!

July 11: By the time daylight had come again, we had to rig up a "fort" for Christian to keep the bright sun out. He got short naps in throughout the night, but it was hard for him to stay asleep. We all were ready to get home to our own beds!

At one of the gas stops, we thought Christian should try out his turn at the wheel. Scary enough he knew exactly what he needed to do to start the vehicle on his own. He was booted from the driver's seat after witnessing that!

Ahhhhh....we made it home at 11:45 am. It was 25 hours of driving (26 hours including the stops). We may have been welcomed back with the 100+ degree weather, but it sure felt good to be home! It was such a fun, fulfilling trip...I am so grateful that we were able to go. Thank you to Grandpa and Grandma Hershberger for allowing us to have a good reason to make such a special trip...and for your generosity in making it more obtainable. I have many special memories and images that will be held in my "happy memory bank" forever!

Banff & Moraine Lake {day ten of trip}

2011-07-09T23:00:00.006-05:00

July 9: We ate breakfast with Phil, Diana, and Sam and then headed out for our "last day" of our family vacation. We went to Banff first, which is around 20 minutes away from Canmore. Its a very touristy town..but with good reason...its beautiful, and has MANY shops to check out! So we did just that...enjoyed the beauty and shopped too.

I was the official child carrier with the aid of my craigslist purchase prior to the trip (it ended up being a mighty good purchase in our case!). Ben tried it out once along our trip..and maybe 20 minutes into Christian's ride he was officially done. I think the fit of the carrier isn't meant for manly men like Ben :) Christian's legs were too spread out.

Anyways, Christian actually learned to fall asleep in it, which totally surprised me. I normally carried him on my back..but I was trying to protect him from the cold wind during the first part of this day.

We did ALOT of walking this day. After we had hit up many of the shops, we started walking towards what we thought was the Banff Springs Hotel a.k.a. the castle hotel. We didn't really know where we were going, but it didn't take us long at all to walk into these beautiful gardens. There were at least three different brides getting their pictures taken and an actual wedding ceremony taking place while we were in these gardens. They had very neat looking wood pieces too...

After a quite a bit more walking..some may call it "hiking" as there were trails and such to it. We went by some pretty falls, along the Bow Falls Trail. This trail also led us in front of the Banff Springs Hotel.

This was the view from what we considered to be the end of the trail, right after the falls.

There was not a direct path up to the hotel, so we ended up walking the horse trail that was established for the rich folk that stayed at the Banff Springs Hotel to utilize on their horseback rides. It perhaps is not recommended to take this path..but it was kind of like the glacier moment, we're this close, we are going to get there one way or another. Perhaps, I also wouldn't recommend wearing flip flops this entire time. Oh well, you live and learn. We finally got to the "castle" and made our way inside to check things out. I've never been to England or to a castle for that matter...but that's exactly where it felt like we were. Even the "butler" boys were dressed in kilts. It was a very formal hotel..not exactly our type..but it was fun to walk around a bit. Probably the best thing that Christian found was outside a couple blocks away there were a group of extremely tame and friendly squirrels (or maybe they were ground hogs?). It was hilarious to watch him interact with them!

We then went to our hotel for the night..which was about a mile away from Lake Louise. It was beautiful! The first view is from our balcony..the second is of the outside of our room. We were the second one from the left on the top.

There was still daylight, so we went to check out Moraine Lake which is about 20 min away from the place we stayed. It was AMAZING. I personally thought it was even more beautiful and surreal than Lake Louise. Other than the fact that it was getting pretty stinkin cold by this time..it was just an amazing view! We did walk part of the path that was there, but decided we probably shouldn't go much further because we still had to go back..and we had Christian as bundled as he could be!

We went out to eat (the worst place we went the whole trip...bummer), and then headed back to our "cabin" to enjoy the fireplace to warm up to. It was a great place to end our family vacation for sure!

the Tundra {day nine of trip}

2011-07-08T11:00:00.012-05:00

July 8: The parting day of the Hershberger reunion we were treated to breakfast made by John and Chris. It was quite good..of course. Before parting our separate ways we got in a picture of the great-grands with the Great-Grandparents. Christian was in his "cheeese" mode...really nice look for a natural smile, but at least he wasn't crying I guess.

We then spent the day with Phil and Diana. Sam had decided to join the Goertz's and the Penner's in going to the Calgary Stampede (An annual event in Calgary, about an hour away from where we were. To my understanding it involves shows, vendors, and the part that I would really have liked to see is the rodeo!). Don't get me wrong I would love to have gone to this, but I think it would've been a bit much for Christian to appreciate...maybe someday. I guess Prince William and Kate were there the day before for the pre-opening events. They had also been at Lake Louise area the day we were there...but had left by the time we arrived. So anyways, back to our day....we spent it with Phil and Diana! It was a rather gloomy, cool day...so we took it as it came.

We ate in Banff, at a place called Eddie's burger. It was really good. Ben got a jumbo sized burger with all the fixings and then some and I got chili cheese fries...which were not just your typical greesy sounding entree. They were really good..complete with cheese curds!

Next, we decided to head up to the Columbian Icefields..we weren't really sure how far they were away. But since it was cool, and rainy we weren't going to take in any hikes like we orginally planned around the Lake Louise area anyway, and Christian fell asleep...so we took the drive.

This is how crazy cold it got (34 degrees)...and it was SNOWING. Mind you, we did not prepare clothing wise for such weather. I had a paper thin long sleeved shirt and a vest. Ben had a long sleeve shirt. Christian was doing pretty well with lots of layers, and a sweatshirt, and a jacket, AND his blanket! I guess I should add, some of us WERE prepared..Diana was good to go in full on "sherpa" gear!

After about 3 to 3 1/2 hours of driving...we arrived. It was a beautiful drive, even if it was gloomy. There is just something about the massive mountains surrounding you that makes it feel so unreal. It was a totally different feel than any other mountain range I've seen or driven in..it felt so powerful! This was in the lobby of the center outside of the glacier. It was VERY cold when we got out, so we looked around a bit before deciding what our next move was. Christian enjoys this huge animal things..Mr Moose got a high five too.

Here's the glacier..this is just the "foot" of it that is spread out in between the mountains. Hard to explain. It didn't take long to realize just how dangerous it is if you try and "romp" around on the glacier. There were several displays of information and they all included how dangerous it is to walk on them. Several people have died by slipping in "cracks" that are next to impossible of getting out of, and then dying of hypothermia because the glacier immediately sucks the warmth out of your body. Pleasant huh. We didn't have any desire to test this out. And we didn't pay the $200 a person to ride the ice bus out on the glacier either...so we decided we could manage the short hike up to the foot of the glacier. We drove over closer to it, bundled Christian up, and headed out. He didn't mind a bit..he actually wanted to pull the blanket off of his face. IT WAS FREEZING! Oh my goodness. At one point in the beginning, Phil and Ben both said, are you sure you want to do this...my response, "yes, we drove all this way and we're this close to it..we are going to do this!"

"OH MY WORD....LET'S GO BACK NOW!!!!"

Once we got even near the top where the glacier began, it became SO very windy and the snow was biting down! I have to laugh just thinking about how ridiculously cold this was...artic tundra! None of us even went near to the glacier, we couldn't even open our eyes to see it...we went as fast as our frozen bodies could go back down. I was so shocked Christian didn't complain one time..he was entertained with the phrase "no way, Jose" and then by me turning around and asking if Diana was coming...he kept repeating her name very clearly "Diana?"

Ahhh...it was an experience. Can't say I need to go back...but it was definitely a memorable day! I still laugh, especially when I look at our faces in these pictures because it is exactly how it was...no dramatization necessary!

We finished our day with another great restaurant picked by Ben, "The Grizzly Paw" in Canmore ( I enjoyed their freshly "brewed" root beer!). We laid Christian down, I took a super long bath, and then we joined Phil and Diana in their room with the fireplace going! It just makes me smile to think that we were this cold in July and actually used the fireplace to feel cozy. Ahhh..it was a good day!

Lake Louise & Canmore {day eight of trip}

2011-07-07T23:00:00.000-05:00

July 7: The Hershberger clan left High River and headed to Canmore for the next night together. Some of us took the scenic drive..it was pretty and it had wildlife (mountain goats primarily). We stopped in Canmore to eat lunch with Phil, Diana and Sam and then proceeded on to Lake Louise, which was a little less than an hour away.

We just enjoyed the scenery, and some of the other Hershberger family also were there. Some went on a hike, but we just roamed around..Christian was fine with the rocks and any form of stairs. We walked into the Fairmont Hotel, it was quite the hotel.

Jessica P, Saundra, Sam, Daniel, Ben, Christian and me

We headed back to our hotel at Canmore for supper in Grandpa and Grandma's room. The rooms were very nice, complete with a kitchen, nice bathroom with huge tub, seperate bedroom and nice living room with a fireplace, and a balcony or patio! It was basically a very nice one bedroom apartment. So we ate supper and enjoyed being outside.

Christian enjoyed following his three girl second cousins (Anna, Olivia, and Felicity) around. He fell off the brick wall..but surprisingly enough didn't have any lasting effects other than it hurting. We distracted him with bubbles we had brought in the car. It was a hit for all ages :)

Holding Tommy (Joe and Julie's youngest of four childen..he's 7 months old and weighs one pound less than Christian now...healthy little guy!)

Later that evening some of us went to Joe and Julie's room (or apartment) to talk..we had a good time. We had laid Christian down to sleep in our room. When I went to check on him, I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the door was cracked open..I ran inside, flipped on all the lights, and ran over to the pack n' play. He was sound asleep..so I then thought someone was in the room. It didn't take long for me to realize it was my own fault, I had grabbed my camera after I had laid him down, and quietly shut the door..I obviously didn't pull hard enough to make it latch! Whew...I'm glad God has angels working around the world..they didn't know they'd have to follow us to Canada!

Ben and his Penner cousins...Daniel and Jessica

High River & Mazeppa {day seven of trip}

2011-07-06T23:00:00.001-05:00

July 6: We had a full day today. Grandpa Hershberger had recently finished a book he had written "That's That" about his life. It was rather interesting to read, I appreciate how honest Grandpa H is..and his sense of humor. I read most of the book on our way up here outloud, so Ben could also enjoy it. It created hours of entertainment and discussion. We had to laugh at the many words that only Grandpa would use!! It made me feel both uneducated (for not knowing what the word meant in the first place) and educated (for learning the meaning within the text)! In his book, he wrote about his growing up years in High River and Mazeppa. So, today we went on a bus tour to the surrounding area to see where Grandpa Hershberger's growing up years were held.

It may not look like it in this picture, but Christian was a HUGE fan of the bus. The whole walk over from the hotel to the church where the bus was, he said "ride the bus?" over and over again...just ask Tim and Faith, they were able to hear his conversation!

We first went by the house that Grandpa grew up in. It was quite interesting to see the house, artisian well, and outbuildings...all original!

Next, we saw the location where the school house was..and the artisian well that is still very much running with perfectly cold water. Christian really liked that water. The only downfall of the day was the amount of mosquitos..yikes, they are really more like birds. I think the ones in MN are pretty much direct descendants of these..both very LARGE in quantity and in size!

Grandpa sharing a memory from his school days.

The last place we got out along our tour was at the church where Grandpa Hershberger's dad was pastor. This is now someone's house, but the cemetery is still located in their back yard. Christian found enjoyment in brushing off the grass on the tombstone..we said "keening..gass, keening..gass" (cleaning, grass). That was nice for the lady that was buried there I guess.

After the bus tour, we went over to a park in town and had lunch. Here Daniel, Ben, and Sam are socializing after the subway sandwich lunch...and getting eaten for lunch by the mosquitos!

The afternoon was relaxing, we all got naps in..and then socialized with each other. We ate at a very nice Italian restaurant for supper..I especially enjoyed the appetizers which surprised me..calamari, shrimp, bushetta, and yummy bread dipped in olive oil/balsamic vinegar. It was MORE than enough food!

After supper, we came back, went swimming again..I even tried out the waterslide several times! Christian again turned quite blue in his lips from it being chilly, so we all sat in the hot tub..he was a fan.

"Hot. Tub." He is very clear with his words sometimes, this one was a repeater.

Glacier National Park {day six of trip}

2011-07-05T23:00:00.004-05:00

Tues. July 5: We left Kalispell after breakfast and some interactions with the bears in the lobby. Oh, and I can't forget that we were all so nicely awakened by the 6 am "wake up call" by some young gentlemen pounding on our door. IF I had been anywhere near awake enough to realize that he was just a punk kid being just that..a punk..I probably would've been a little more conversive and explained that I really wasn't appreciative of his practical joke..and neither was Christian. Oh well, I put Christian back to sleep..but neither Ben or I was able to do that. Ahh..anyways.

So we headed off to Glacier National Park, only 45 minutes away or so. It was another beautiful day. We got to the campsite that Ben's parents stayed at near Lake McDonald, and he all went on a hike. It was beautiful. I have a hard time soaking up all that nature, and I try to by taking pictures..but sometimes it just has to be admired in the present.

We enjoyed the hike, it was too bad we could've stayed a little longer, it would've been fun to do a few more. But, we needed to get on the road to Canada!

Unfortunately, the Going to the Sun highway was still closed from the winter..yes I know, it is crazy since it is July. But apparently, they got ridiculous amounts of snow and bulldozers are still working at clearing the pass. So, we went as far as we could on the road, about 15 miles, and then turned around and went around Glacier.

A bit of a bummer..but I guess what can you do. There was also quite a bit of construction on the highway that went around..so it took us a good while to get up to Canada. Don't get me wrong, regardless of the main middle road being closed, the scenery was beautiful with the mountains and water!

When we got to the border, the border patrol lady was asking us questions and we had to roll down the back window. When she was asking, "do you have any firearms or weapons?", Christian decides to pipe in and say "uh-huh!"..how handy. She was a pretty hard core lady, but even she had to embrace conversation with his little innocent friendliness and ask, "oh yeah, what did you bring along?" He just kept saying "uh-huh" and finished it off by blowing her a kiss...so all was well.

We arrived in High River, Alberta around 6:45 and joined the rest of the Hershberger clan that had already arrived (minus Laura and Brent who were unable to come). We enjoyed the evening, and tried out the pool with the rather LARGE waterslide. It was more than a touch cool in the water, but that didn't stop the blue-lipped boy from wanting to go swimming more! We called it a night, even though at 11:00 there were still signs of daylight outside! Kinda crazy.

Sites of Montana {day five of trip}

2011-07-04T23:00:00.000-05:00

We left Bozeman, MT mid morning and traveled up to Kalispell today. It was again a very beautiful drive. We were among mountains and water the majority of the way.

There were more very nice log homes that are so pretty to look at...the ones on top of the mountains not only make me wonder how did they build that way up there...but what do they do that they can afford a place like that?

We stopped at a nice rest area for lunch and ate a picnic, it was complete with a couple trains going by across the highway for Christian to say "traaain".

He was again a very good traveler. He's got it down, when he's ready to chill out, he says "bank-et, pass...." in a british tone, then he trails off asking for the pacifier, because well, its not an easy word to say. When he wakes up usually he either says, "Grandma's house?", "happy candle", or "Jer-ki-co?" We are able to supply the "Jericho" part by putting on his CD with Joshua fought the battle of Jericho.

About an hour and a half outside of Kalispell we "ran" into Phil, Diana, and Sam. Diana had called while they had service to tell us where they would be staying in the morning if we would be able to meet up with them. After asking where they were at now, they were less than a mile in front of us. We stopped in a nearby town by the shore of the beautiful BIG lake we had been driving by and enjoyed a break together.

We arrived in Kalispell around 5, checked into the Hampton (courtesy of Mitch) and let Christian romp around another "new" room! He is getting to be quite funny with this process. He loves the elevators and pushing the buttons, and no matter what floor we're on he says "three" when he looks at the display of what floor we're on. This time, he was actually trying to climb the side of the luggage carrier because there were rungs perfect for his little body..and he'd say "careful, be careful"...I guess he's aware of what he's doing! This bear that greeted us in the lobby at the hotel...Christian really liked to give him "high five's".

We went to eat, the restaurant was closed for the 4th, so we found a mexican place, similar to Chipotle but better in my opinion. Then we were going to find a Dairy Queen to just do something fun for the 4th. After we found one, discovered it too was closed...so went back to where we ate, and there was a Coldstone Creamery which was quite tasty! When we were on our way, I told Christian he could have some icecream, so until we finally got back to the icecream place he had been saying, "nummy keem, nummmy keem"..and he hardly ate his icecream because we ate outside and he wanted to climb up and down the stairs more than eat it!
We then went back to the hotel, tried on the pool..which was nice! He fell asleep. Ben and I watched a few fireworks from our window and then called it a night.

Yellowstone {day four of trip}

2011-07-03T23:00:00.002-05:00

We had a good night sleep at the Big Bear Motel in Cody. We were up and checked out by 10, and went across the highway to eat at "Our Place". It was a very SMALL eating establishment (49 was the maximum capacity) that we had to wait to be seated for 15-20 minutes or so. It was a very nice day, so waiting outside was no problem. The middle aged motorcycle rider couples that were waiting also, were entertained by Christian. They were seated before us, and as their name was called Christian was getting a little inpatient and hungry and said, "eeeat"..the one man said "maybe we should order for him". I think he would've they were nice folks from SD, but our name was called right after he said that. It was pretty good food, 25 cent coffee..so all in all it was worth the wait.

We were then on our way to Yellowstone, 50 or so miles away. The river that ran next to the road was very full and fast moving...it was a very pretty drive.

Yellowstone...

A few of my favorite pictures of my boys...

We got to Old Faithful around 2:50, it was "scheduled" to erupt around 3:19..it was pretty much right on time. It was neat to see..Christian wasn't exactly impressed, it was pretty warm and the "bright sun" was shining on him. He didn't fuss too much though, he was in the child backpack and while we were moving he was very content.

I didn't realize the extent of the paths around Old Faithful..we walked around the paths for another 1 1/2 hours. It was neat to see all the geysers..we would tell Christian "boiling hot water" because one the first one he acted like he wanted to reach out and touch it (even though he remained in the pack the whole time). So from then on, each of the geysers we saw he would say "boiling hot"..and of course threw in the occasional "REE -ee hot" (really hot). The only wildlife we saw was near the end, we saw a buffalo.

My butt and legs were numb (I think from having Christian on the backpack) by the end. We stopped in the Yellowstone Lodge on our way to the car..it was AMAZING. The wood work from all the timbers that made up the entire thing was pretty fasinating. We stopped a couple more times on our way out of the park to let me look at the beauty and then second because traffic was stopped to look at some carribou at the side of the road. We had seen a moose lying in the woods on the way to Old Faithful, but we couldn't really stop due to all the other people stopping.

We then headed to Bozeman, MT. It was such a pretty drive..I know I probably will keep saying that this whole trip, but really it is just so pretty. This part of the drive was VERY green. And there was a river that ran near the road, also very FULL and moving pretty quickly. We had nice weather the whole way, a little cloudy and looked like it wanted to storm when we got into Montana, but it never did.

We got to Bozeman around 8:30, Christian made friends with the receptionist and we went to find something to eat. We settled on AppleBee's since nothing else we wanted was open. It was actually probably the best AppleBee's experience I have ever had. After Christian was asleep, I did laundry and met some people that were traveling home to CA from being in ND near Minot. They were entertaining while I waited on the clothes. We had another good night sleep..thanks to Mitch for the Comfort Inn.

Cody & the Rodeo! {day three of trip}

2011-07-02T23:07:00.002-05:00

July 2: Happy Birthday Carissa!!! We had a large continental breakfast at the Garden Inn, and then left for Cody, WY. It was a pretty drive and we stopped for a picnic lunch.

We arrived at the Big Bear Motel in Cody around 3 pm. Ben and Christian got in the rather cool outdoor (heated) pool while I enjoyed watching in the warm sun. It was a beautiful day, mid to high 80's.

We were there during the "Stampede" days, so the downtown was very full of people, shops, and festival type things. We ate at a place that served different kind of meat burgers. Ben got a yak burger, and I got an elk burger. They were good :) They also served meats like..alligator, kangaroo, buffalo and others I can't remember.

And then....we went to the rodeo!!! I was looking forward to this :) Christian wasn't too excited about it during the first 30 minutes because he was tired and the sun was starting to set directly in our eyes. So Ben and him went outside the arena and played on some tractors, and then we all sat together for the rest of the entire rodeo! He would say, "ahh, shoot"..I think he heard his mama saying that when the riders fell off. It was a good rodeo, I'm glad we were able to go and ALL enjoy ourselves!

Colorado to Casper {day two of trip}

2011-07-01T23:00:00.008-05:00

July 1: In the morning, we ate breakfast at Pete and Kira's. Christian was entertained by the men cutting up the tree that had fallen in their yard while we packed up and headed out. Kira had recommended we stop by the Red Rock Ampitheater..and so we did.

The red rocks of Colorado...

It was CRAZY how many people were there working out, running the stairs. We walked down and then back up them, and that was plenty!

The person on the stairs with the child on her back is me. It was a decent workout with 25 extra pounds on my back.

Bye bye red rocks and Colorado...on the way to Casper, WY.

Entering the land of Wyoming...driving by a buffalo herd.

That evening we checked into our Garden Inn hotel, thanks to the assistance of Mitch and his Hilton connections. Christian had a blast running on the room, climbing on the luggage carrier, and pretty much exploring whatever he could. This was the start of a routine he established during the trip. He and I would go to the room, while Ben would load up the car on the luggage carrier. While we were waiting, Christian would run in the room, climb on the bed, play "catch me if you can" with me all the while he is giggling! When Ben would come back with the luggage carrier, he would climb on it whenever it was unloaded enough he could hike his leg up there..and then duck up and down saying "Hmmm?" because that's what I said to him...again just giggling! Meanwhile, I would unplug the phone because he really like to pick it up and say "hello....ring, ring....HELLLOOOO". It was quite the entertaining routine he did.

We went to an italian restaurant for supper, which was not exactly what we expected it to be..but it was good food all the same. It was still nice outside when we got back to the hotel, and there was a baseball field with a game going on across the street. We walked over there, and I asked Ben if he thought since it had a Garden Inn sticker on the both as a sponsor if he thought we got a discount. He wasn't going to ask..so I did. The lady looked at the other lady, and said, well I don't really know, but we'll say sure you can have these comp tickets and get in free. :) Well, that was nice of them. It was a minor league game. Christian was more entertained by going up and down the bleachers and making friends with complete strangers! I thought he was maybe a bit of a distraction to the people that actually paid to go to the game, so we went down to the grass part with the other kids. Without hesitation he joined another groups circle, and sat right in the middle of their blanket. They found him more than entertaining! Whose child is this anyway??

We went back to the hotel, tried out the freezing cold indoor swimming pool...and called it a night.

Our Family Vacation {day one of summer trip 2011}

2011-06-30T23:00:00.004-05:00

I've been looking forward to this summer's vacation since I found out (in December) the Hershberger reunion was going to be held in Alberta where Grandpa H was raised during his early years.

Our family made into an extended vacation and here is our journey, starting on June 30...

This was when we left KS, we were going to stop for a picnic lunch, but decided that maybe 109 degrees was just a touch on the toasty side. So, we "had" to sacrifice and eat at Freddy's (my favorite!) in Hays.

Christian started out being a good little traveler. We knew we were going to have some time to kill before getting to our first destination, so we stopped at a rest area in CO to eat a snack. It was no longer 109 degrees outside!

We arrived to Pete and Kira Von Ploeg's house in Denver around 5 or so. Ben went to HC with Kira, and the last time we saw them we had drove to CO for their wedding in 2008. They invited the Shue's (Nathaneal and Audra) over for supper and we had a very enjoyable evening with all of them. Christian did not have a problem socializing one bit! He was slightly intimidated by Tucker (one of their dogs), but it didn't take long for him to warm up to both Tucker and Layla. The picture below was of the boys assessing the damage of a tree that had randomly fallen in their backyard that day..it hadn't even been that stormy or windy! The weather was cloudy and cool with some thunderstorms that evening..wonderful!

Kira and Christian with the dogs. Christian got good at saying "no, Tucker". He was also a big fan of saying Audra's name, Pete, Kira..he couldn't quite master Nathanael..so we just called him "shoe".

By morning, Christian was all about the dogs...

Thanks to Pete and Kira for letting us stay with you in your nice house! Hopefully you can come see us sometime :)

Christian meets Ruby

2011-06-22T01:41:00.025-05:00

We went up to Topeka for the day..to see Ben's family, including Ruby, his cousin visiting from Germany! She had only "met" Christian from the outside two summers ago, a couple weeks before he was born.

Ruby and Christian

Ben,Sam, and Ruby

We just sat outside since it was such a nice day.

Christian got a new dump truck of his very own from Gpa and Gma H. He loved it...and it entertained him for quite some time.

Then, we went over to see the finished product of the house that Phil and Sam were working on. It is under contract..so July 5th is the final closing date. It turned out really nice!! We came back and Christian read some books with Ruby and Gma H. to prevent himself from falling asleep!

We finished the day by going out to eat pizza..and drove home :) It was a full day..but a very good day!

Daddy's Day

2011-06-19T23:19:00.001-05:00

Christian loves his daddy...

and his daddy loves him.

For Father's Day we went over to Mom and Dad's for dinner after church. Alyssa and I brought salads and Mom made the rest of the meal (LOTS of food..no shocker there). The boys played some bocce ball..and then we ate dessert.

Dad with his boys..not sure why I didn't get a picture..I am still a daughter :)

The "Dads"

The "boys"

The "men"

"We will, we will ROCK you"...the known dessert song at the Sweigart household

I am thankful for my Dad.

He's a man I respect and love very much.

I am also thankful for Ben.

He makes a wonderful Daddy to Christian, and good team member in parenthood!

thanks to Tia C

2011-06-15T13:50:00.000-05:00

My birthday present from Carissa....I love it!

I've always wanted a hammock chair...its very relaxing.

The shirt Tia C gave Christian. He is a fan. Whenever we get it out..he starts saying "docto".

Who knows...maybe he will be??

Thank you Tia C..we sure wish you could be a little closer more often so you could see these things being used! I suppose these pictures will have to do :)