This is for my country boy...

Hi !Here's Caleb eating..yup, you guess it. Corn on the cob. Keep reading to find out more! :) If you can't read with music on, you might want to turn it down now...this song's a little "busy" but I love it...Ryan has totally turned me on to "older" country...the "good stuff" he grew up listening to...I like it now b/c it reminds me of him...and my sweet little farmer boy, Caleb. :)

Sorry it's been a little while since I've written. I really wanted to celebrate our anniversary on here for a little while...it's such a special thing. And I've been pretty busy with Ryan gone to MN farming. The boys and I have had so much fun....really. I think my experience at SuperCamp...getting away to grow, learn, refresh, etc...really prepared me to be at home without Ryan for over a week. I mean yes, physically we did well (praise God!)...but mentally, sanity wise etc...I couldn't have done better (Praise God again!!) My heart was in such a peaceful place the whole time...my mind teetered on "i'm going to lose it but not really, I just really need to get through this moment right now! Lord, please give me strength" just a couple of times when both boys were talking loudly/screaming for something and I was I think simply on auditory overload for a minute..especially when I was a little tired. (And the Lord was good!! giving me strength each time...especially when Caleb ran in the room while spilling marbles (that fit right into Ben's mouth!) as he was asking me if he could play with them. I just pursed my lips, smiled, and was able to say "uh, oh!! :) just make sure you clean them all up" :) You should have seen Caleb's eyes as he quickly said "sorry mom!" in a sort of scared yet hopeful that I wouldn't discipline him voice....and then how he relaxed when I was able to react in a kind way...(thank you Lord for that moment!!) But as far as Ryan being gone...there were no "I can't believe he LEFT me here with two boys all by myself!!" thoughts..."or I CAN'T WAIT till he gets home so he can have HIS share of this".... I just truly enjoyed being home and getting to be a mommy...editing on the side during naps etc...even cleaning (ahhh!! I know!)...you know I know every family situation is different but ours just works so well when we are in our man/woman, hubby/wife roles I guess you could call them. Not that it didn't work out when I was away...but my heart wasn't right...it was feeling okay but wasn't singing like it has been...I don't know take it for what it's worth :) Well, I'll stop rambling now. Ryan's home and he and Caleb are on their way to the farm progress show....ummm can you say EXCITED????? Caleb that is...and Ryan too, who am I kidding?? To be able to share this with Caleb who will actually think he's died and gone to heaven is a real treat for Ryan :) Too cute! I on the other hand (who would have actually liked to have gone believe it or not!! Just to see Caleb and RYan enjoy it I think ;) am staying here and will be going to take pics of my friend's newborn baby girl on Thurs. Just the for record FIVE of my girlfriends had babies THIS WEEK! Congrats to Kristen (boy), Terri (girl), Charisa (boy), Mary (boy), and Shelly (girl)....and all you who are still expecting...it won't be long!! So...here are some pics of the day Ryan left (always need to get pic in case something happens...isn't that wierd??) and then of our adventures while he was away. I hope you are having a great day!!! Love ~R

Ryan and little B...smiling because they are having icecream dessert no doubt. Wouldn't you be?

C and B in B's new "lil squirt pool" from A. Lucie for his birthday. Caleb was scared of sprinklers until I pulled this thing out and hooked it up! :0) This was right after we had our McDonald's lunch on the sidewalk picnic style.) ;) We had to have McDonald's at least once! We went to the sandpark that morning and this was my ploy to get them clean before entering the house. It worked!!!!

Scared?? Not anymore!!

Benjamin just loved the little sprinkler action on the side...kept trying to catch the water. ;)

Caleb at my friend, Amy's, house playing with the hose and squirting her daughter Alivia who will be turning FOUR this Sunday!! Of course he wanted to hold it whole time. Wouldn't go in the sprinkler tho.

We went grocery shopping one morning and Caleb spotted the huge display of sweet corn and screamed (of course. we are working on using his "inside voice") MOM, THERE'S CORN OVER THERE!!!! MOM! LET'S BUY SOME CORN!!!! MOM!!! I'M HUNGRY FOR CORN!! MOM!! CORN IS GREEN AND YELLOW LIKE JOHN DEERE!! MOM! GRANDPA GENE GROWS CORN!!" and yes, he got that all out before I could quiet him down b/c he talks 200 miles a minute when he's super excited about something...especially corn, john deere, or anything green and/or yellow that looks like or "makes" john deere, OR reminds him of Grandpa Gene and corn and/or farming and/or john deere collectively. And of course we ate this corn at about 9:45 in the morning b/c I just couldn't bare to make him wait until dinner time or even lunch time for that matter. He ate a whole ear and a half all by himself! (And helped cook it too ;) And kept saying "oh mom, thank you so much for buying and cooking this john deere yellow corn for me...I love you so much mom.....) me thinking: "you can have corn any time you want you sweet little thing!"

Here's Benjamin "playing" the xylophone (is that how you spell it???)...tonight in the car he was drumming his hands on his book and then clapping (to sign "yay") as I was drumming my hands on the steering wheel. I think he may be music smart and more of a kinesthetic learner...we'll see though, it may be too early to tell. I really think Caleb's primary learning channel is Auditory...can you tell?? He talks/repeats to hear (so he can process) A LOT...he's def. my talker :)

I came home from camp and B started using the fork that day. RYan also taught him how to using the stairs going backwards...and he's starting to talk and immitate animal sounds. He said "hello" on his play cell phone the other day and can make the elephant sound (and motion with his arm)...hmm...he has also learned some signs (stinky!, please, and love you)...he really is moving along!

And last but not least, Caleb at 3 yrs. old out at Grandma and Grandpa's. The picture for the song...my little country boy at heart and soul. I came back from my photo shoots last week and it was just beautiful after raining on and off all day long. I saw the corn in the horizen there and Caleb had this shirt on (of course) and thought...hmm...this little boy needs some portraits with corn in the background. So here's one. Enjoy!