Fenny is happy.

Fenny and I used to be able to claim "gender majority" in our house. Zach and I adopted her shortly after we married 6 years ago. Once Bennett joined the group - we no longer had majority and as a dog, Fenny's vote didn't weigh as heavily. Late Monday night, we welcomed Elizabeth Rosemary Ford (we call her Elly Rose). Fenny feels all is right with the world and hasn't even missed a beat with Elly Rose around.

Elly Rose was born at 11:50 p.m. on October 18th. She is healthy and we are soaking up that feeling of our hearts once again stretching to love someone so deeply. The joy we have already received from Bennett and Elly Rose is magic. She weighed 7 lb 5 oz. and was 21 inches long. Magic is also Elly Rose deciding to FINALLY arrive just 7 hours before my grandfather (her great papaw) was to board a plane back down to Florida after visiting for a week. He (and my uncle and cousin) waited up late to meet her and we are thankful.

Proud mommy and daddy just before leaving the hospital. I used to nanny for two little girls that loved having Zach around as much (or more) as they did me. It was beginning then that I thought it would fun to see him with his own daughter...still can't believe I am saying "daughter!"

We have added just a little pink to her gender neutral nusery. Poppy and Grams brought her this sweet little bunny, among some other goodies.



And this is my favorite picture. Bennett has been such a trooper this week. So much happening in this little man's life and it makes me love him more than ever. He loves to kiss her, touch her, hold her, rock her and give her toys. Oh, and he calls her "Brooky" - the name of his baby-sitters granddaughter who is sometimes at her house. We keep reminding him of her real name, but I think it is going to take a little time.

Sell Out Crowd.

Fall Saturdays spent in Bloomington with friends...tailgating, cheering on the Hoosiers, creating wonderful memories...was a favorite post-college tradition for Zach and I. Babies make that a bit more complicated. So a couple years ago we made it to a couple games and last year and this year, we have made it to just one game, but have continued to make the most of it. We look forward to adding this tradition back into our regular rotation of fall-Saturday activities.

A man on a tailgating mission. He was doing his best to be involved with the grill, the food table and any stray ball or bean bag he could get his hands on...all at the same time.

Thank you to Papaw and Memaw for taking us to the game (look beyond them to see the SELL OUT CROWD!). They and the Prather family were also instrumental in helping us keep Bennett entertained throughout the entire game...start to finish we never left our seat. I would have thought that impossible based on the first 60 seconds we were in our seats.

Bennett and Cooper. I am pretty positive they were plotting there way out. We kept them blocked between legs and phones did the trick for quite some time.


Bennett trying to smother daddy with his blanky because daddy's "other team" is Michigan and they would not stop scoring touchdowns on IU. In the end, it came down to who had the ball last and unfortunately Michigan had it with just enough time to score and win the game.


Again...love the sell out crowd in this picture and the newly finished north endzone...

Can't wait to make it down for another game next year!

One Apple Up On Top.

Summer is definitely a seasonal favorite, but leaving summer behind for the fall months ahead does not leave us feeling empty. Having football in full swing, the leaves beginning to change colors, thinking about all things apple and pumpkin, pots of chili and walks where the cool air will keep our littles cozy under blankets gives us plenty to look forward to...

I love Saturday mornings when we have the weekend ahead of us...time together. This past Saturday we decided to pack a small cooler and drive south to an apple orchard where we could picnic and pick your own apples. It was a wonderful way to spend time together.

As with nearly every hands-on activity we have ever introduced to Bennett, this little guy fully embraced apple picking and eating. He picked. And ate. And picked. And ate. And picked. And ate (and when we let him pick a tiny pumpkin, he tried eating it, too). I am quite certain that although he displayed no symptoms, his little tummy had to be turning after all the apples he ate on Saturday.

We continued on to Bloomington to visit our beloved IU campus. Zach and I are never disappointed with a visit to IU. Its like the campus knows just how to welcome you back and while we notice subtle changes as we walk about, it still speaks so much the same. We walked through the garden area just by Sample Gates and once again, Bennett confidently embraced the adventure calling for squirrels and picking up walking sticks.

We went to Nick's with our little guy!! How fun is that? We had such a great time looking at Bennett and laughing...thinking he is at Nick's and he isn't even two years old. The littles are only allowed downstairs and only until a reasonable hour in the evening. We had one of those great dinners where Bennett was content sitting, eating and talking with the sweet waitstaff who kept coming back to our table to visit with Bennett. Great way to end a fall day.

Lions and Tigers and Bears...

...and Cheetahs and Elephants. OH MY!

Zach and I (and Bennett - he loves to "clean" outside with a broom) continued our unpacking, sorting, trimming and cleaning throughout our long weekend, but found time to enjoy our new home and the fantastic weather over Labor Day weekend. Saturday we packed our dinner and headed to the Zoo. It was beautiful outside and the crowd was diminishing just as we started through the aquatics section. The Cheetah exhibit was impressive. They kept passing back and forth and Bennett would chase them on the safe side of the glass, repeatedly asking to "touch it, touch it."

"Elephant...Stomp. Stomp." It was so much fun talking with Bennett about the different animals. He likes to say their names or make the appropriate sounds (when prompted) and I am certain we told each animal "Bye, bye. Good to see you..." His new favorite prase.

Elk? Deer? Moose? Not completely sure what species this is, but Bennett was pretty sure it was a "doggie".

Our shaggy, blonde california-looking baby. Can't belive how big he already is and we have not even reached his second birthday.

Last day at the pool and we ended it with a splash...actually many of them. Warmed up to a perfect toasty temperature on Monday afternoon for a final swim in the pool. Bennett's end of summer accomplishment was walking across the shallow section of the pool (on his tip, tip, tippy toes) without any help. He was so proud. It was so cute. The timing is good, I think, because then he wanted to try and conquer all sections of the pool without any help - refusing any assistance. Already makes me excited for the fun he will have next summer.

A Box and Breakfast Part Deux

Please excuse the lack of blog posts of late. We have been attempting to finish renovations, move and unpack over the course of the last week. Playing off the last post we have entitled this one "A Box and Breakfast Part Deux." We are now in the house trying to wrap up a few things and living out of boxes. As you can see in the picture where boxes are surrounding our breakfast bar and stools.