Merry Christmas!

Merry, Merry!

The past several days have reminded us how lucky and blessed we are to have such wonderful and caring families and friends. We enjoyed the spirit of this holiday season and hope you did, as well.

(Part III)

I think this catches us up - be sure to check Part I and Part II.

A beloved holiday tradition for Zach and I is the Annual Van Tassel Christmas Tree Party in Brown County. It seems even more special to us now that we have Bennett. This event includes our beautiful Christmas tree, a visit from santa (who sometimes has a bloody mary or two before arriving), 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and lunch at the Nashville House with dear friends to the Ford family.

Zach, Bennett and Dr. Van Tassel - the host. I am not sure of the exact date, but I think the Van Tassel cabin is pre-1900...a special place.

Santa reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and little Will Yeo looking on - completely unafraid of Santa!

Bennett and Santa. Going pretty well.

Checking out this curious man...

For comparison, here are a couple pictures from the 2008 Christmas Tree Party when Bennett was just about 5 weeks old. It is hard to believe this was just one year ago.

So tiny. Comparatively, Bennett looks like a giant in this year's pictures.

I adore this picture.

(Part II)

Whitney and Eric came to town the first weekend in December for two showers and a little wedding planning. A lovely couples shower was hosted one evening and that was followed by a cute and fun "kitchen" shower for the girls the next day.

Whitney and Eric opening a beautiful piece of framed artwork by Douglas David. The artist joined the Ford's in St. Simon's one year and this painting is a result...bringing special meaning to it for Whitney and Eric.

Now to the Kitchen Shower...these bags hold items that are supposed to help Whitney on her wedding day and/or honeymoon. The item(s) start with the letter written on the bag. We had to guess what was in each one...no peeking, but you could pick it up or shake it. How creative!

The bride-to-be with her mom and two close friends from college. They joined Whitney in Indianapolis for the weekend (from Cincinnati and NYC!).

Catching Up (Part I)

Dating back a few weeks, here is a picture from Thanksgiving. We enjoyed the entire Quinnette family at my parents' house for the day. My grandfather, seated with my father and uncle on the couch and their spouses and families. It is special to have my grandpa and Tootie in town (from FL) to visit and see his four great-grandsons. The day gave us much to be thankful for in a year that has been difficult on many families.

Elf Yourself

I know this is old, but I had to do it again this year. Still somewhat entertaining...

Singing
http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/oBrcTD51Nnm7qRHv1xDP

Disco

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/t1e7zGS1w6ZArDZjyIOJ

Catching Up Is Hard To Do

With Bennett finding his way into EVERYTHING, I am finding time to accomplish other tasks increasingly difficult. So, we are a bit behind on posting and I have a couple pictures that illustrate why...

This was after Bennett opened my deoderant (the cap does not come off easily) and began eating it. Thankfully, it stuck to the roof of his mouth and I was able to scrap it out and call poison control - as suggested on the label. They reassured me he would be just fine and offered to send me a packet of information and a magnet with emergency info...hint, hint.

The weekend before Thansgiving we went to the IU/PU game in Bloomington. Bennett's first tailgating experience was a success - just too bad IU lost.

In case there was any question where our loyalties lie, Zach attached an old IU license plate to our stroller. Here Papaw and Bennett are playing.

And on to more exciting toys, Bennett found a beer to spill and attempt to play in. On Sunday of that same weekend, we attended Cooper's first birthday party. Poor little guy was a little under the weather, but still enjoyed his birthday and new toys.

Look at those blue eyes!

His older brothers ready to sing and help him with his birthday cake.

Work Time Waster

Have some time? The videos are uploaded after a long delay. Feel free to peruse these recent videos of Bennett at his birthday and just hanging around the house. Please keep in mind I detest narrating. And remember to pause the music player to the right of this post in order to hear audio from the videos clearly.

The first weekend of November was unseasonably warm and allowed for the kids to play outside at Bennett's birthday.


Bennett has been walking for a bit now, albeit not very well. Now that he is on the move we have to keep our eyes on him. He can get into trouble pretty quickly.

Many of you have heard me preach about the Avett Brothers over the last few years. Well not only do they play great music, but they also serve a medicinal purpose as well. It seems that they are one of the few things that can make Bennett stop what he is doing and be still, which is very soothing and rewarding for the adults in charge. As demonstrated in this video below during the Avett Brothers on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time of reflection and to give thanks. Even through all the bumps and twists we are thankful to have a healthy and beautiful family. Take a moment to reflect and give thanks to someone or something that is part of your life.

Communication Breakdown

Somewhere along the lines of our marriage over the last few years my wife and I have had a major communication breakdown. Check that, we have actually had many, but there was one in particular that occurred this week that made me laugh. In honor of that you will be hearing Led Zeppelin's "Communication Breakdown" this week.
And away we go...

As I mentioned, over the course of our marriage there have been many communication breakdowns, mishaps and just plain misunderstandings. Sometimes she is to blame, sometimes it is me and sometimes it is equal. The communication breakdown that transpired this last week is so comical that I thought it deserved a post in and of itself.

Now with a young child we have incurred a few new expenses: some expected and others unexpected. I think it was either this past Sunday or Monday that Abby and I had a come to Jesus meeting over expenses.I think my exact words were, and I quote, "We need to reduce all expenses." We agreed that saving money was key now and going forward in our life.

Fast forward to this morning... Keep in mind that this is four or five days after our "We need to reduce all expenses" conversation. I am playing with Bennett before work and happen to look over beside his rocker. And on the floor I see an open shoe box with a pair of boots sitting next to them. Now I know with winter coming and Bennett being able to walk it is almost cruel to not let him have some pair of boots that he can throw on to keep his feet warm and dry, but this pair of boots that were purchased for him are the least functional, gayest (pardon my slight at those with alternative lifestyles- I know it is not politcally correct) pair of boots on the planet. They are actually designer boots that may only be worn inside. They are soleless/treadless Uggs. The same kind of boots that were popular for young women to wear five or so years ago. Only this pair comes equipped with no sole or tread. Making it a danger on anything slick and giving them the ability to soak up moisture, rain or slush. They are about as functional as one of IU's foreign and heavily accented math teachers.
As I showered afterward I pondered just where Abby and I's communication breakdown may have ensued. And finally it hit me. Abby plays with Bennett and is trying to teach him to speak. Many times she picks something up and will try to point out other things that rhyme with said object.
When we had our discussion and I blatantly said
"We need to reduce all expenses."
What Abby heard was "We need to produce mall expenses."
And there you have it.
Pictures soon to follow.

Flu Season...go away

I think the cold and flu season is going to test Zach and I's patience over these winter months. That combined with less time spent outdoors and more fearfullness of taking Bennett to public indoor places....well, lets just say, we are going to have to "get creative." Thankfully the weather this weekend was mild and dry - so we could, at the very least, go for walks. Bennett awoke Friday morning with a horrible mucasy nose and Saturday morning we discovered he has pink eye...in both eyes. No problem, right? Just one drop of antibiotic in each eye FOUR times a day. I think Bennett is convinced that we are abusing him as one holds him while holding down his arms and the other forces open his eye lid and attempts to get the drop in his eye.

We know this is just "all part of it" and temporary, but the poor little guy just seems so miserable when he has a cold. On a positive note, we are very thankful to have had a great well-baby visit last Monday afternoon. One-year stats: 19 pounds 6 oz. and 30 inches tall. Overall he is a very healthy guy and Dr. Cumming was pleased with how well Bennett's ears looked after his most recent ear infection (although with this cold, we are not holding our breath. He said the best way to prevent future ear infections, is to keep him from getting a cold = almost impossible). Bennett survived 4 shots and a finger prick and when Dr. Cumming set him down - to see him walk - Bennett practically ran to me. Not much of a fan of the doctors/nurses at this age.

Lastly, we did Bennett's one-year pictures and family pictures a few weeks ago. You can view them by clicking on the cake (to the right). Password is cupcake. We were sad not to include Fenny, but she does not like Bennett and getting us all in the same frame would have been a difficult task. Although, somewhere along the way, Bennett has picked up the most adorable habit - he will walk over to Fenny and just rest his head on her...even if she is standing. He really does love her and deep down I like to think Fenny feels the same. She does this low, quiet growl when he lays on her that I like to pretend is her "purring".

"It's my party...

...and I will cry if I want to..." This song went through my head a few times the afternoon of Bennett's birthday party! I think he had a great time, but at this age, he is more comfortable in a low key environment - not quite used to the excitement that 10 little ones and several adults bring to a party. While trying to keep up with the bigger kids, he had a couple wipe outs resulting in tears streaming down his face, but he was one happy boy with an iced cupcake in front of him.

New Toys!! He loves his push toy and musical instruments. We have to watch him while walking with a drumstick in his mouth...somehow, I don't think that would end well.

Camden, Carson and Will (front to back) trying out some of Bennett's new toys. He could ride his trike (Zach or I pushing him) or push his alligator clacker for hours on end. The new toddler toys are a welcome addition to our home - Bennett loves exploring all of them!

Here are 8 of the 10 tots that joined Bennett in celebrating one! The oldest and youngest are sitting in the chair on the right - Camden (5 in February) and Cooper (1 on November 21). Other little friends include Jake, Catie, Carson and Dani (all standing) and Will and Paxton sitting in the other chair.

Mmmm...no hands needed. I will just suck the icing off the cake.

This is going to take me a long time without any hands.


Below is a link to some photographs Bennett's Auntie Whitney took and sent to us from the day. We were lucky she was able to be in town for the celebration. The hand-painted chair in the photos was a project completed by Mark Ford's side of the family - each aunt/uncle/cousin painted one piece (all done without knowing what the other is painting) and then sent it to the Fords for assembly. Whitney painted the seat - adorable farm animals. Seeing it was a highlight of the weekend for Zach and I.

http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=100991257817267569/l=2470554012/g=92811427/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

Happy Birthday, Bennett!

This past Friday, November 6, was Bennett's first birthday! As I am sure all new parents say this, but it is true, "We can't believe it has already been one year!" It is hard to believe one year has past since we welcome him into our lives. Over this past year, Bennett has warmed our hearts a thousand times over, made us laugh and even cry. He has already taught us much about life and wanting to be a good, positive role model for him.

A picture from November 6, 2008...just a couple hours after meeting Bennett for the first time...

...and on November 6, 2009. We could not get him to look at the camera...very busy.

This past Saturday, we celebrated Bennett's birthday with family and friends OUTDOORS at our home. The weather was unseasonably warm - a treat for the little ones to play outside. More pictures recapping the weekend are forthcoming.

Pig or Monkey?

We misjudged Bennett's halloween costume this year...we think a pig would have better suited our little guy as we spent the weekend, we were so looking forward to, with a sick little boy...typical, right? We are just happy to report that he is on the road to recovery and we hope to have a healthy boy in time for his first birthday...only 3 days away!

Our weekend did inlcude a brief trip to the ER after 3 days of a yo-yo fever and the start of vomiting on Sunday. Doctors at the hospital discovered left and right ear infections and the possibility of H1N1 or maybe just a viral infection. Antibiotic and around the clock motrin seem to be doing the trick - today has been much better than the previous 4.

We did make it out for a visit to both Zach and my parents' houses' on Halloween. Above Grams is showing Bennett his new sword.

Sitting with Poppie - the hat is always the first to go in his sock monkey costume. I have one chance to get a hat on him, if I fuss with it, he immediately realizes he has something on his head and wants to take it off.

We continued on to my parents' house - strategically arriving after the Prather boys (which was a total bummer to miss them) so we didn't risk spreading any illness to them. We were excited to spend some time with my mom's cousin, Frank, and his wife, Rita, and their dog...Jack the Dog (pictured above). They are visiting from HHI.

Look at that belly! He had just finished eating...most days he closely resembles a trash compactor at the dinner table...eating everything in sight. Still, at the ER, he only weighed in at 19 pounds. I think he has Zach's high metabolism.

Clarian North

Oink oink

A Monkey at the Zoo

This past Sunday we attended ZooBoo with my parents and my sister and her family. Bennett, dressed as a sock monkey, joined his cousins - the dalmation dog, triceretops and the pirate for a fun day! It was also a crowded day - with all the fun festivities and great weather, I think many other families had the same idea.

Our sock monkey and memaw and papaw closely watching the elephant as he is about to smash (and eat!) a pumpkin...

Here goes the smashing...

It was fun to meet up with my little cousins - Will (firefighter) and Madyson (High School Musical cheerleader). Every other child is looking at the camera...not bad.

Bennett's favorite part of the day was the aquatic exhibits. Here he is looking at the sharks and playing in the water. Twice when we tried to walk away from this, he began crying - we were finally able to distract him with the huge picture window of brightly colored fish.

Great Depression Be Damned

"The Fall in Indiana is so beautiful," remarks my wife. Well from my perspective when I view this picture I see right through the "beauty" for what it really is...... A great deal of work ahead.

"Great Depression be damned." This thought went through my head repeatedly. As I walked out to the front lawn today, rake in hand, carrying trashbags, layered for warmth and ipod set to a new playlist I could not help, but hate the Great Depression. You see I had hours of work and thousands upon thousands of leaves to pick up and I also had a perfectly healthy and capable young son inside. It was the Great Depression that brought an awareness to the public and also brought an end to child labor. My son is almost one year old and can practically walk. So I ask, why can he not be subject to hours of monotonous labor and strife? Raking and picking up leaves is a rite of passage for all young lads. We have all done it and he needs to get himself outside and give Dad a hand. Growing up I partook in yardwork and various tasks. Now I am not trying to say I had a hard or difficult childhood, but I helped and worked my fair share. I mowed lawns, raked, took out trash, bussed tables, washed dishes and even worked on an assembly line for a summer. Bennett, instead, gets to live the life of luxury. His days start with someone getting him out of his bed, feeding him and then helping him get dressed. He then gets to play before taking a nap. Up from his nap he eats a little more, plays and then it is time for another nap. Up from another nap he plays, eats, plays some more and then it is off to bed. As I see it he has plenty of time to help out with the household chores. We are not raising him to be a prince or in this case princess.

So as I gear up, grab the ipod, add another layer of clothes and get ready to start day two of the endless attack against the falling leaves I curse the Great Depression and the lessons it taught America about Child Labor Laws. Because of this Bennett is inside napping, but as I see it he should be out here with a rake and big smile because he is getting the opportunity to help Dad.


This is what we have to look forward to today.

A Trim and Trader's Point

Continuing with the fall theme that offers so much for everyone, we joined two other couples and their little guys on a trip to Traders Point Creamery on Sunday for Oktoberfest. They had a polka band, great food, pumpkins, hayrides and of course, farm animals. It was a beautiful fall day and we had a great time.

But before that, on Saturday, we went for Bennett's first haircut...a quick trim. I don't think it took more than 5 minutes. Bennett sat very still - I don't think he had any idea what exactly was happening.

We will have to get a shot of the finished product - he was wearing a hat in all our Sunday photos.

"Can I get this one?"

Moooo. Bennett called them "dog-dog," which is how he refers to Fenny. The chickens were roaming freely throughout the grounds. Little Jake Hahn loved chasing them!

On the hayride.

Sneak Peak

It's too bad Bennett does not enjoy playing dress up because I love it! I figure I only have a short time before he will want "say" in what he wears...so, why not make the most of it. Zach refers to Bennett as my mannequin. Honestly, it is probably pretty accurate.

Looking forward to debuting the front-side soon.

Mirror Image

Socks, underwear, shirt. Father like son?

Sorry no walking footage yet, it takes sooo long to download. Monday was a rewarding afternoon...when I picked-up Bennett - he walked to me upon seeing me walk in the door!

A sneak peak at the halloween costume is coming soon. Much to Bennett's dismay (he hates getting dressed), we tried it on last night!

Bookshelf Massacre

Busy, busy, busy...that is Bennett these days. We are loving every minute of this stage...it literally seems like he is doing new things each day. Tonight, for example, he decided that the easiest way to move from one piece of furniture to the next (even if it was across the room) was to just walk there. He, of course, doesn't make it all the way before falling down, but it is amazing to see that progress happen literally overnight. He has been taking a few steps here and there for the past week or two, but nothing like what he was doing tonight.

Monday night, while at our CYO basketball practice, he started crawling on his hands and knees across the gym. Prior to that evening, he would pretty much only military crawl on his elbows and knees - making sure to get the tummy, legs and elbows of all his clothes very dirty. More stories and hopefully some walking video we filmed tonight is forthcoming, we are just behind on blogging and wanted to share a couple stories and pictures.

Below are two pictures from a couple weeks ago when Bennett was playing in his room. He LOVES taking everything off shelves, out of baskets and buckets - from books to toys to DVDs - nothing should remain in its place. He now does this nearly everyday...

Mission accomplished.

Happy Anniversary Abby

Okay so I am a little behind in my posting duties, but I wanted to wish Abby a happy anniversary. This past Friday was our fifth wedding anniversary. It sounds scripted and canned, but these last five years really have gone by so fast. We have had so many great experiences and grown as individuals and as partners. We have grown our little family from 2 (Abby and I) to 4 (Abby, Fenny, Bennett and I). I look forward to all life brings us in the years to come. Please see the slideshow on the right sidebar of this webpage for a retrospective glance at our last five years together.

Time really does fly!

5 years ago today Zach and I said "I Do!" I think we have experienced and learned much in these first five years...from a broken home sewage system (twice!) to traveling the streets of Paris and now as rookie parents. We are so thankful to have the lives we do - great family and friends. I love you, Z! Looking forward to 65 more...

Pumpkins, Apples and Fishing

This past weekend was packed full of "all things nature"...we are enjoying introducing Bennett to the change of seasons. We started our weekend by attending the Flower Show, an event put on by the Garden Club of Indianapolis. Linda Ford, Grams to Bennett, was in charge of the Show and we enjoyed our visit!

Taken with my phone, this is Bennett when I let him hold the pumpkin at the Flower Show. Very proud!

Saturday was a trip to Anderson's Orchard where we enjoyed a picnic and picked apples and raspberries -- all with our neighbors and their little girl, Catie. Above, Bennett is chewing on a freshly picked apple.

...And now on to the raspberries.

...more picking and eating by Bennett and Catie.

After finishing at the Orchard, we continued on to Bloomington to walk the campus and have dinner. The kiddos thought it was fun to grab hands while in the car...so cute!

Taking a rest just inside Sample Gates at IU. The campus looked gorgeous and the weather was perfect!

And now for the portion of the post that applies to the "fishing" part of the blog title...

I don't even know what to say...Zach calls Bennett "bait" and this was his ultimate "fishing" success. For the one or two of you who read the blog and attended IU - this is outside the house called "Roache Motel" on the corner of 7th and Indiana Ave. We were on our way to Yogi's when we stumbled across the party. The girls wanted to see Bennett and Zach wanted to see the girls...

We had such a wonderful weekend...spending Sunday relaxing. Bennett had raspberries at breakfast and we all had apple slices at lunch. My parents came down for a visit and dinner, which was a great way to end the day.