That's So 'Pooky . . .

The kids had fun carving a pumpkin when Ethan came to visit last weekend. Anna designed it herself, and was so proud. After baths, we had a little photo shoot before daddy had to go back to Clio and school. (That is something that Benjamin says all the time - "Daddy had to go back to Clio. He have to go to school.")

You can't really see it too well, but the pumpkin was lit in these pictures and all the lights were off. Ben-Ben kept saying, "That's so 'pooky!"

Snuggles with Daddy at bedtime. Love these pictures! (And the first shot is just a random cutie one of little Ben-Ben.)

The first picture shows when Anna was the student of the day at the end of September. She was so proud of the poster she made, and thought it turned out super fancy. (It was supposed to show things that she likes, and are important to her...family, cooking, swimming, ballet, sledding, and reading, I believe.) Love her! The last three show Anna after she had her hair cut by Auntie Meghan. Meg curled it for her when she was done, and Anna loved it. Such a little cutie pie.

There are so many things I want to journal about, but I'm just so drained. I want to mention how incredibly tired I am...like I seriously feel like I have some sleep/insomnia problems. I want to mention how much I hurt... I don't know if it was this bad with my other two, but MAN, knowing this is the last time I have to be preggers provides a little comfort. I want to mention how sad I am that Ethan won't be able to do any of his clinicals in Marquette...I was mentally prepared to just make it to the beginning of December, and it's been hard coming to terms with this new reality. I want to mention all the smartie, adorable things Benjamin is saying...like all the time. I want to mention how adorable Anna was in the primary program this past Sunday...she had soooooo many people tell her or myself what an amazing singer she is. (Anna is quite the performer...she really needs to be involved in some kind of theatre group.) I want to mention how I don't like the baby moving around so much...it's getting to the uncomfortable/painful stage of movement. (But it is nice to know he's healthy and active.) But, I just feel too tired to write in any detail about this stuff. Seriously, I feel so unmotivated and anti-social lately...even when it comes to blogging...which isn't really a "social" thing. I'm counting on this wearing off as soon as I have the baby in just over a month - or sooner - because I felt immediately energized after having Anna and Benjamin. Here's to hoping! (Sorry this was a bit of a "downer", as far as blog entries go, but there was just no way to sugar coat how I've been feeling lately.) On a happier note...Ethan will be here Wednesday evening until Sunday night. Woo hoo!!! Love him.

Fall Photos and An Update . . .

We had some professional pictures taken of the kids since it had been awhile. I loved how they turned out, and especially loved the fall scenery. We usually have pictures taken in the summer, so this was a fun change. Meghan's friend took the pics, and we thought she did a great job, especially considering the lighting she had to work with. http://www.amberjohnstonphotography.com/

My beautiful girl, and my handsome man. These two were my favorite individual shots of Anna and Benjamin. I love their sweet cheeks!


We loved how the photographer captured some classic and realistic shots of the kiddies. I have always been a fan of natural, outdoor pictures as opposed to the studio, posed look. But that's just me.


I didn't include some of the sillier pictures - they are pretty hilarious - but check my facebook page if you're interested. I laughed so hard when I first looked through the CD of pictures. I do think the one above with Anna and Ben-Ben posing in the same way is too funny. He's always trying to be like his big sister.



So, as everyone might suspect, it was very hard getting a picture of all three of the Rayhorn grandkids, sitting and smiling at the camera. But, again, we definitely got some realistic shots of them. Plus, there will be one more grandchild added very soon, so I'm sure we'll get more pictures in the near future. Okay, now for an update . . .

Anna Bean -

• She is still my sweetest pea. However, she has had a case of the "Gimmies" lately. (Bernstein Bears reference.) Anna has never been "exposed" to commercials before, since we would only watch movies or PBS. At my parents house, it's different, and boy is she influenced. She only watches a bit during Benjamin's nap time, but the PBS station doesn't have kid's shows on at that time....and my parents DVD set up has issues. I really just need to cut out TV altogether, but I'm too tired. "Mommy, can I get that?" Ugh, that phrase gets old really fast. But, it has opened up some basic conversations about financial responsibility and priorities, and cherishing the things we have...not sure if it's sunk in yet.
• Anna has loved her ballet classes. I took her the other week and stayed the whole class since I didn't have Benjamin with me. Anna takes it all so seriously, and follows directions so well. She is always receiving praise, and positive feedback from her teacher, which was very nice to overhear as her mommy. So, Ethan and I have already begun to talk about the whole "extra-curricular activities" thing. We definitely want to keep our lives simple, and have plenty of time for just family or down time, but we also want the kids to each have some things they are passionate about. It seems like if each child is active in just one activity, plus church activities, plus staying on top of homework, that life would already be too busy. I know we have a few years before all three of ours will have real homework, or be involved in sports or clubs, but the balance just seems impossible. Any suggestions? It's been on my mind lately. Anyway, back to Anna. She loves ballet, and I love her.

Benjamin Bear -

• We have been having tons of fun lately getting involved in MOMs Club activities, having play dates with some friends, going to story time, and even running errands just the two of us. Even when I'm feeling unmotivated, I have to remind myself how precious this time is with little Ben-Ben, since we will soon be working a newborns schedule into our mornings together.
• Benjamin has been getting compliments lately from total strangers we meet out and about, and they are always about one of three things (that make this mommy smile) - 1) How tall he is. 2) How well he speaks for a two year old. 3) And how adorable he is, often specifically mentioning his dimple, chubby cheeks, or blonde curls. Okay, so a little 'brag-y', and of course physical appearance isn't really important in the eternal scheme of things, but it's still nice to hear. Yeah, two year olds are pretty adorable in general, and of course I'm biased toward my own. I recently overheard two women talking about Ben-Ben, not knowing that I was his mommy...'cause I don't look anything like him...and one was saying, "When I have kids, I hope I get one with cheeks like that and those blonde curls." So sweet to overhear. Oh, and his curls have pretty much been cut off now, I know - sad. And the tallness factor - Benjamin is in the 90 percentile for height, so he is often confused for a three year old. But, he still looks like a baby to me. And as far as how well he speaks, he is pretty shy, so to really get the picture, you'd have to overhear Ben-Ben talking to me, or someone else he is really comfortable with (as opposed to Anna who would have lengthy conversations with anyone, anywhere :). Anyway, not really important... but it makes me smile. :)

Me -

• So, I've been thinking a lot about the "Gender Stereotyping" thing lately. If you'll recall, I fought it for a long time, and just said that Benjamin came with a different personality than Anna...one being a boy and one being a girl was just coincidence. Then, I gave in, and thought that Ben-Ben was just all boy. But I would like to change my mind once again. I think there are some generalizations for boys and girls that often apply, but don't always apply. I think it especially seemed to apply to my own because Anna was so easy in a lot of ways. We never baby-proofed for her...she never got in to things she shouldn't, especially if we told her not to. We never really experienced the "terrible two" stage with her...she was very easy to explain things to, and was pretty easy going about life. She was just super helpful, sweet and very polite...to adults and other kids alike. And then we have Benjamin, who I think I've described in detail before. The thing is, until recently, I've mainly made friends with moms who have little boys, but have lately been able to spend some time with little girls. I just have to say that 1) Benjamin seems like a pretty typical two year old, as opposed to 'especially difficult', which it sometimes seems like when I'm only comparing him to Anna. And, 2) There are some little girls out there that can be just as loud, active, rough, mischievous, picky, and destructive as Ben. So, I've been thinking lately that I need to retract that statement about gender stereotypes. It's got to just be a personality thing. And of course, Benjamin has his own list of strengths, and positive personality traits that we like to focus on...not just how he has been a little more of a handful than Anna. :) And I should feel lucky that I got to experience a more "realistic" two year old stage with Ben-Ben, right? Moving on . . .
• I LOVE the fall. After wavering back and forth, I decided this year that fall is my most favorite season. I really love all the seasons, but especially the fall. I hope that I always live in a place that gets to experience all four. Tropical places are awesome to visit (especially during the winter), or to serve your mission - like LA, but I think it would be so sad to live with out the beauty of Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. The fall is the best because the smell in the air, the beautiful leaves, the crisp, cool weather - without the mess of snow -, the holidays, traditions, cool weather clothes, etc. Love it! As a side note, Ethan just spent a few weeks in Colorado, and would love to look for a job there when he is done with school. It's always been my favorite western state, and it experiences all of the seasons. We'll see what happens.
• I had a 4D ultrasound yesterday, and everything looked just perfect. It was so adorable to see little Caleb so clearly. He is just over four pounds now, and I got some great pictures of him. I think he has similar features to Benjamin, but we'll see how he turns out. I am getting so anxious to meet him. My brother and his wife, Andrew and Sabrina, had their little boy just over a week ago, and he is the most precious thing ever. Holding him and remembering how tiny and precious they are made me that much more excited to have little Caleb come out and meet us all. I'm 32 weeks, so we're getting close!

So...Ethan was gone for almost the whole month of September, and now he will be visiting every other weekend. It's nice to know that our longest stretch apart is done, but I still miss him all the time when he's gone. He is my favorite person, my best friend, the person I want to tell everything to and hear all of his opinions and thoughts back, and he makes life so much easier in so many ways. Anna and Benjamin miss him tons too, talk on the phone to him all the time, and are always so excited to see him and have Daddy time. Speaking of, he will be here Thursday night. Yay!!! And I should probably cut myself off now. Until next time . . .

Just Some Randomness . . .

Since Ethan has our laptop with him downstate, I find myself blogging less frequently. Consequently, I have some pictures from all the way back in August that I just got off our computer this weekend, but we'll start with a fun, fall activity. I just love this time of year!

We went to a Community Harvest Party at a farm in Skandia that I heard about from MOMs Club. It was so fun, and as an added bonus, all free. So nice of the owners of Dancing Crane Farm to host it. My dad was kind enough to accompany the kiddlets and I, since I just didn't feel up to taking them by myself. Yeah, I'm a wuss. Anna and Benjamin each got to pick out a pumpkin, we tasted freshly made apple cider after seeing the process, they went on a hay ride (and got to see a calf that had been born 15 minutes before), snacked on some popcorn, played around with new friends, and tried to stay warm. Perfect fall activity.

I didn't even bother trying to get on the hay ride with my big belly...it was so crowded, but the kids loved it. As you can see in the second picture, Anna is big on "striking a pose" lately...too funny. And one of Benjamin's favorite activities of the afternoon was playing around on the hay...and snacking with Grandpa Dewey.

Anna and Benjamin showing off their chosen pumpkins while trying to stay warm. We're waiting for the next weekend Ethan comes up to do the carving. Daddy can't miss out on that...plus he's got all the skills.

Left Over Fun From the Summer -

Ethan, Chuck, and Ashley took the kids to the Marquette County Fair. They had tons of fun seeing the animals, going on a couple rides, and snacking. I opted not to go because of the disgustingly hot weather. (However, once September hit, the weather just turned PERFECT...cool and in the 50's and 60's. I survived the summer!!!)

Since it was so hot this summer, of course we did a lot of swimming at the beach. Benjamin never really liked swimming in our apartment pool, but he loooooves the beach. Living a few minutes from Lake Superior is so perfect on hot summer days.

Finally, a friend of mine from high school got married in August. It was very fun for Ethan and I to catch up with friends we hadn't seen in a long time. What a fun, kid free night! :)

Well, I was going to write about a few other things that have been on my mind lately, but I think I'll hold off until next time. Happy Autumn everyone!

So Much To Share . . .

Okay, so again with the lengthy update...but it's been awhile, almost a month! Ethan has come and gone a few times already (he was able to make it back up the first two long weekends), but is currently in the middle of a long stretch away. Right now, he's at Consentra Urgent Care Clinic in downtown Denver. He is learning a lot, and really enjoys the experience of putting all the studying into practice. He is going to make a great Physical Therapist. Very happy for him, but we miss him. A LOT. Anna has had a few moments of "I miss daddy" sadness, but mostly understands the situation. She also has a lot of new things going on in her little life, which I'm sure helps make it not so hard...but you'll read more about that later. Benjamin doesn't get sad, but brings up daddy All. The. Time. A few examples - During announcements for Family Night, Ben-Ben really wanted to make an announcement. When the attention was on him, he got a little smile and quietly said, "I'm thankful for daddy." During dinner tonight, I asked if he wanted to share some toast with me, and he replied, "No thanks. I want to share with Daddy." Needless to say, we are all very much looking forward to Ethan's visit the first weekend of October!
The remainder of this entry is going to be a quick (or not) update on the rest of us. Enjoy!

BENJAMIN P. -

Playing at the library after story time. The library is one of our most FAVORITE places to go. Benjamin looooves the train set, and the play kitchen, and the puzzles, and the block area, and reading books in my lap, and...well, you get the idea. I just love the atmosphere and the beautiful building.

Love the first picture of Ben-Ben wrestling Mickey to the ground. hehe. The next two I threw on here for a specific reason: We haven't been to story time since sometime last spring. Then, I was lucky if Benjamin sat through half of it. At Peter White's story time this past Monday, Benjamin sat through the whole thing. Yay Ben-Ben! It was only about 20-25 minutes, with lots of fun stories, movement activities, and dancing involved. But, I thought it was especially impressive because right across the room from the 'story time stage' are all of the toys/puzzles/books/etc. that Ben loooooves to play with. About three different times Benjamin said, "I wanna go play now, mama." Each time I convinced him to stay a little longer. (Kids are allowed to play during story time...it's not strict or anything. I just really wanted Benjamin to try sitting through it.) There was a nice turn out, but I waited until most everyone else was gone to take the pictures...I didn't want to creep anyone out. So, our first Monday of story time was a big success. I don't think this is a gaurantee for story times to come, but good job on that day. Oh, and I had told Benjamin how proud I was of him, and praised his positive behavior (he also did great sharing/taking turns with all the other kids there). Later when we got home, as I was telling my mom about it, Ben-Ben said, "I'm so proud of you, mama." Haha.

Since Anna has started morning kindergarten, for the first time ever, Benjamin and I get some consistent alone time every day. It has been so great for both of us. He's turning into such a little sweetie pie, and it shows even more when he finally gets to be the center of attention. We've been going to parks, the library, a few hikes, had a great play date with his friend from church, and more. I recently joined a group called MOMS Club, and now we'll have even more options for activities to keep us busy. I L-O-V-E this time alone with him, and I'm already feeling sad that it will end in a few short months. I guess that's how it has to be when you're the middle child. (I can relate, as a middle child myself. :) Oh, the third picture is of Benjamin trying to convince me that he is ready to go to school too. Um, not yet, little man.

One more thing about Benjamin - he is a talking machine. Although he is a little harder to understand than Anna ever was, I think he may have caught up to the high verbal standard she set. hehe. He mainly speaks in sentences now, and has the 'I, Me, You, Yours, Her, His, etc.' mostly down. (That's something that took Anna a little longer...she referred to herself as 'Anna' for a long time:) Ben-Ben will repeat anything he hears, whether you ask him to or not. I also think he must have great memorizing skills, like when he taught himself to recognize and say all of his ABC's before he was two. Some phrases he must have overheard, memorized, and then later decided to use (correctly) on his own include, "That's so wonderful." "It's gone forever." "Actually, let's play with this one." "Hey everybody, Buddy escaped." And many other words and phrases I can't think of right now. He surprises us with new vocabulary and phrases he has picked up almost every day...from who knows where. It's very fun having actual conversations with him. He responds to questions, and if you have trouble deciphering what he's saying, he'll help you out until you get it. :) Another thing about his memorizing...within just a month of being in his new nursery at church here in Marquette, he has learned the words to almost every song (again, he's a little hard to understand, though). At his old nursery they didn't even have a singing time, and he only went in knowing a few of the songs. The nursery leader has used him to encourage other kids to sing too, as in, "I can only her Benjamin singing." Way to go, Ben-Ben. Singing is one of his favorite things to do (probably following the example of his big sister), but he can get a little shy about it when people are watching. So sweet. I love to see his personality develop the more he can communicate. He is so smart, funny, silly, sweet, and interesting!

ANNA ELLENE -

Anna's little life has just been filled with fun, new experiences lately. The picture above shows a horse and carriage ride Anna accompanied my grandparets LaJoice, Aunt Jean, and my mom on. She LOVED it. It was a present from my mom to my grandparents for their 63rd wedding anniversary. Way to go Grandma and Grandpa! :) Thanks for letting Anna share in your celebrating.

Anna started ballet classes this past Monday. She is just in heaven! She started counting down 'how many sleeps' until her first class from about two weeks away, and had trouble sleeping the night before. So cute. I, of course, had to document her first practice. The first two pics show her 'warming up' before her class began (although I'm sure they do that in class, Anna insisted that she needed to do it before too). All the girls were just too adorable in their little outfits. Precious! Thanks Gramma Susan...perfect birthday present for the little ballerina!!! :)

Anna's biggest 'first' happened last Tuesday, with her very first day of Kindergarten. She has been so ready and excited for this day for soooooo long. Anna was especially excited that she gets to take the bus, and had quite the send off on her first day. (I have offered to give her rides...over and over...but she always politely declines. :) I got a little teary eyed a few times, but mostly tried to stay so excited for her. What a big step. Five years just flies by, then you're sending them off. Oh my.

I met Anna at school the first day and went into class with her. She made herself right at home, and started working on her first "assignment." (She needed to draw a picture of herself and write her name underneath.) Oh, so grown up. Anna just loves it, and is pleasantly surprised when she asks, "How many more sleeps until my next day at school?" And I reply, "One." It's only three hours, but I'm so excited to see her when she gets home. We had one bus mishap, when Anna was dropped at the wrong stop, but it was quickly resolved and Anna was unfazed. She's made new friends, loves her teacher, and is just thriving. One challenging thing about starting school - Anna is not a morning person. (That would be Benjamin's thing.) She gets up around 7:30, but would prefer to lounge for an hour or so, like she's done her whole life. Instead, she has to be ready within 45 minutes. Anna is a bit cranky or picky, and hard to get moving in the morning. I hope it wears off, but we'll see. I think I just need to make a chart of her morning routine for her, and give her a little more independence...and let her pick our her outfit the night before, because it's always such a production. (Anna always wants to wear a dress...crazy. And she only has a limited number of "play dresses" to choose from. :)

Anna has had many changes lately...starting school, moving, new living arrangement, daddy gone, etc. She has been a little more emotional than normal lately, and I think how hard all of this must be on her, no matter how "exciting" most of it is. I also feel bad that I don't always stay as patient as I should, considering all the change she's going through. I'm just used to my sweet, helpful, polite, easy going girl (which she still is most of the time). But, we're working on it. I love her to pieces and I'm filled with joy seeing her experience all of these new and exciting things in her life. Love my beautiful brown eyed girl!

CALEB (and Angela :) -

I don't have any pictures, although I'm probably due for a 'pregnancy photo.' My belly is certainly out there...there's just no confusing it now. :) Caleb is moving around all the time now, which is fun in a way, and reassuring. Mostly, I think it's a weird sensation. It reminds me that there is a living thing growing inside me, and that just doesn't seem normal somehow. I know, not the typical, "Pregnancy is such a beautiful thing," sentiment of most mothers. I'm just over two months away, and I hope it flies by. I'm starting to wonder what he will look like. We already have the two extremes, I'm curious if we'll have more of a mix with him. I wonder what kind of personality he will have, and hope for another easy baby and good sleeper. I always feel guilty when I hope for this, and think that we are due for a crier/non-sleeper. (Please, no!)

Lately, I've been feeling...pregnant, drained, tired, sore, and queasy. (It's like morning sickness is back these last few weeks, yuck!) And although my mom has a pretty busy schedule, she is around pretty often, and the kids are just drawn to her. My mom has always been so wonderful with young kids...always thinking of fun crafts and activities, preparing yummy snacks, reading to them, baking with them, getting silly and creative, etc. I am so appreciative, while at the same time reminding her that she needs to learn how to say "no," because this isn't just a normal, short visit. We're here for the long haul. :) I also have to make a conscious effort to stay involved because it's so tempting to think, "Mom is so fun and creative, and I'm so tired and pregnant. Have fun kids...wake me up in a few hours." hehe. But I try to refrain from that, and often tell the kiddies, "No you can't ask Gramma to do that with you, she's busy. Let's play _____ together." They're always a little disappointed because Gramma is so FUN, and I'm so NOT right now. But, I'm trying. Taking care of two little kids while being preggers is hard...but I'm not the first to do it, so I'm sure I'll survive. I hope. My last doctor's appointment went well, and the ultrasound looked great. I'm 28 weeks now, and my next appointment is in a week. All of baby Caleb's things have been washed, and I just need to organize them by size/item, then I'm all set. I think that's about it for the babers and I. Oh, I'm very excited about this MOMs Club thing. Not only do they have kid centered activities, but they have mom centered activities too... book clubs, recipe exchanges, girls night out, etc. I think it's just what I need to help me miss Ethan a little less (probably not going to happen...he's my best friend!), and keep my mind off the uncomfortableness of pregnancy. Here's to hoping!