quick update

Just a quick update while waiting to get pictures off my mom's camera (and because Mel specifically requested it).

Esther's 2nd birthday was yesterday. We celebrated by spending a few days at White Oak Campground which is where i spent several days while in labor with her. It's right around the corner from the Birth Center (which is like 2 hrs from our house). My parents drove Esther up in the Camper (or "Bus" as Esther calls it) Miah and Ces met us there. We ate pumpkin muffins with cream cheese icing, sang happy birthday, gave her lots of presents (including a Dorothy doll that my mother stitched by hand and her very first train set!!), snuggles, and attention. We bought lots of things at the Amish markets (food mostly). And then we came home thoroughly exhausted and not particularly happy about an end to our little family vacation.

We had our 30 wk check up with the Birth Center. All is well with baby #2.

Ben and I have removed the TV to storage and have decided to go on a TV/movie-free diet for a couple months.

The addition is coming along nicely. We hope to be moving in around Thanksgiving time. If anyone has any leads on cheap/free building materials or a not-so-ugly rug let me know.

And a little Esther story to finish off the post:
She's bouncing around on the bed a couple weeks ago watching me get dressed. As i'm changing my shirt she stops bouncing, looks at me and says "I like your nickles ma."

Pictures From Casey's Wedding

My sister, Casey and her husband, Andrew.
Ain't she so cute?

My adorable brother and my adorable daughter .
My some-day soon sister-in-law, Cecilia, my brother, Jeremiah, Sister Casey, New Brother-in-Law, Andrew.

Oh Boy, Oh Boy!!

Pilgrims' progress

Our trip to Prescott, Az was good. Esther is such a good traveler. She is so good on the plane and something about take off makes her conk out for about an hour. So that's nice for all of us.  She was pretty good during our stay.  Normal tantrums, that is to say not more and definitely not less, and sleep patterns (or lack thereof). We got to see all those we desperately miss (Hi Mel & Ted, Uncle Mikey, Uncle Steve, Sarah, Corbin, Mason, Aunt Heidi, Tele, and Aurora!!!! We miss you!!!!) .  We got to stuff ourselves silly with mexican food (and yet it was still somehow not enough, what i wouldn't give for some Hugo's right now).  I got to go to our old hang out bar and feel awkward about being pregnant in a bar even though I was only drinking gingerale (I loudly anounced it several times just to make sure that I didn't seem like such a dead beat). And we got to reminice about how much we loved it there... I think in many ways Prescott was Ben and my 3 year honeymoon...

It's very weird how much Prescott still feels like home to me. Lots has changed since we've been away but also hardly anything. I miss it so much. It's feels like the same homesickness I get when I go to brush my hair after cutting it all off and end up brushing my neck... I hope that some day this place will feed me the same way that Prescott did. It'll be three years since we moved here this December. We spent a total of three years on Prescott... when will this place start feeling like home home and not some home left a life time ago.  Why is it so hard to come back?

In true slacker fashion, we failed to take any pictures of our trip at all whatsoever. I know, we suck.  I have attached a few pictures with this post though for those of you who can't do without. Hopefully, these pictures adequately depict our progress on the house, the belly/baby, and our growing munchkin (who says to me the other day in the sweetest possible voice, "Mom, eat my butt." I think she's been hanging out with my mother too much).