Jen's Pumpkin

For fairness, I did find a picture I took of Jen's pumpkin, it's just not a real good picture. I must have had too much coffee that day so I couldn't hold the camera still long enough to get a crisp picture. If you are wondering, you really need to photograph your Jack O'Lanterns without flash to get the right effect. I suppose you could try to mute the flash with tissue or something, but if you go through that trouble, you may as well set up a tripod or use a timer to keep the camera really still. Anyway, here 'tis, and it doesn't do it justice.

Jack O'Lantern - Happy Halloween

For some reason each year, I have been compelled to snap a picture of my Jack O'Lantern. I am always very impressed with my handiwork - nothing fancy, just your typical fat pumpkin carved with a traditional mean face. This'n was pretty cool because he was prett fat. I regret I was not able to get a good picture of Jen's pumpkin before it weakened from rot and was damaged from a falling pumpkin that rolled off the bale of straw above her Jack O'Lantern and rolled into the front yard. When we got up that morning to see the pumpkin in the yard, we were afraid kids had been messing with the pumpkins, but it turned out to be nothing less than nature herself. Anyway, I hope you like my Jack O'Lantern as much as I did. I'm also happy to tell you that we gave out more candy this year than any other year in my memory...doesn't say much, I know. I'm working dilligently on the remains to save my dear wife from the travesty of having to eat too much of it.

Very Sweet

These were taken a couple weeks ago, just minutes before calling her grandma.
Just minutes after getting on the phone, she broke into spontaneous hysterics...welcome to the world of two-year olds, eh?

All American Cutie

As I was getting ready to put this one up, Jen's words were, "They are going to think we feed this child nothing but sugar." Eh... Think what you want. She's a cutie!

And this second photo also shows she can still say "cheese" with ice cream.

Up on the counter again

Boy, do we spoil her or what? This was taken a week or so ago. She was being especially clingy and, surprise - wanting mommy and not daddy. And specifically, she had to have her spot on the counter watching mommy make eggs for breakfast. But isn't she cute?

Hunchback Darling

Thought you would enjoy this - appropriate for the time of year. Jen was talking to her sister Diane the other night while Veronica harassed her daddy with new clothes Diane sent. She brought each article of clothing to daddy to tie around her shoulders like a multilayered cape. Ain't she cute?

I forget what she was in the middle of saying...could have been "cheeze!" or "scarey!" (A lot of things have suddenly become scarey, like camera flashes, scuba divers, screwdrivers, etc.) All you longtime parents out there will be happy to know she has also just started the "I don't like it" stage...regardless of whether she's tasted it yet or not. As long as she stays cute... ug.

We are getting excited about spending Halloween with her. Jen's embarked upon ambitious plans ... she actually found material to make a costume. If you are in the family and know of her costuming experience (something about a Tigger suit), you know this will be fun. It will be even more fun because she's not subjecting her little baby to the costume, she's subjecting her big baby to it. Daddy will be some kind of Frankenstein Sully from Monsters, Inc. ;) We have all the faith in the world that the father-daughter team will be beyond adorable.

Piggies

Mommy took Veronica in the outdoor waterfall steps...she kept crying for "my piggies, my piggies!" Until mommy relented and took her for a stroll down the steps. We are not sure, but we think it was a pretty neat representation of the Trail of Tears - we were a little too distracted to make sure Veronica didn't run off in the water or slip down the steps. Of course, the birthday boy was a bit too busy carting the stroller down the dry steps alongside the water steps and trying to set up for a shot at a decent picture. This one didn't turn out so bad...

It was a beautiful day in the really pretty, charming little city of Chattanooga. (We debated its city status, but with Nathan growing up in Vermont and his experience with Burlington as the state's largest city, it wasn't much of an argument to make Chattanooga a city.) Looks like a great place to visit at greater leisure with family.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Let's see - Nathan almost forgot his own birthday this weekend. He turned 35...not much different than rolling over in bed, maybe just a bit more tired than on days past. We attempted dinner out at Nuevo Laredo - great food but boy was Veronica a pistol. We boxed up the dinner after a couple bites. :)

The real treat was on Sunday when we day tripped to Chattanooga for the acquarium. What a fun time. Here's Veronica in one of the aquariums - this one with some massive King Crabs. Is it wrong to get hungry for seafood at the aquarium?

Cheese!

Would you believe she's actually saying, "cheese!" ?
One of the more recent mornings when she woke up not very happy and quite clingy. She had to take her special seat and watch mommy make breakfast. She's a pistol.

Anyway, come see us soon. If you want to drop a comment to any of these posts, sorry for the "word fill in." Some dufus left an advert for a stupid site on one of the more recent posts.

She's a witch in training, ridin' that broom! Just in time for Halloween!

Warts 'n All

Just to prove to you that daddy isn't overly bashful about his scruffy appearance on the weekends. It's easy when I know where the eyes are really drawn to. There I am with my Montana tee-shirt...I'm actually posting this from my room in Montgomery, Alabama, and getting ready to hop a flight tomorrow to visit Montana for a couple days.

Stickers!

If you can't tell, or haven't noticed, we have been long overdue in updating this site. Seemed at first there was someone's thunder we didn't want to steal...can't remember, cuz soon enough, it no longer felt appropriate to celebrate the wonders of our life in the face of Katrina and Rita and others. It all adds up to sloth and entropy, my twin demons.

Anway, if you didn't know, stickers are in with 2-year olds. We succumbed to no longer using stickers just for potty training rewards...they are useful to fend off the little beast when we need to make dinner, wash dishes, or work in general. That, and they are also preferable to her other addiction of the moment...band-aids (whose idea was it to get her princess band-aids, and pooh band-aids, and blues clues band-aids?). Eesh.

Yep, at least she likes tomatoes. I am just glad she isn't yet associating the tomatoe with the dude from Veggie Tales! She posed well for this shot... very vampire-like.

Happy Birthday Veronica! We love you! 

Yes - we are alive and well and really enjoyed Yellowstone. Here is Veronica putting her piggies in the Yellowstone River. It was cold! I don't think we'll be posting all 100+ pictures, but we sure did see some fantastic sights.