Goodbye Paci!

Within a few months of each other we put Benson in a big boy bed, potty trained him and got rid of his paci. It was a big couple of months for Benson but he handled it like a champ! We threw him a "Paci Party" where we sang a "Goody bye paci" song, taped up his old pacis in a box and "mailed" them to grandma. We told him he could trade his paci's for a new present and he was all for it! We gave him a small Buzz Lightyear toy and he never looked back. I don't think he has asked for his paci once since then! Ha ha, this boy is really motivated by "new" things. Anywho, we are so grateful that it went so smoothly. We love this easy going little man of ours!

Halloween

Halloween was so, so fun. We enjoyed making caramel apples as a family, carving pumpkins, the ward party, trick or treating for the first time, and our traditional "spooky" Halloween dinner the night of Halloween. We went as the Toy Story gang, mainly because Benson is obssessed with Buzz Lightyear. I didn't have time to round up a Jesse costume because I was too concerned about how everybody else looked (I'm a total mom) but I think everyone still turned out cute! Finn was supposed to be bullseye but it was really just an old horse costume we had laying around. Pleas ignore Finn's blank/mad faces in the pictures. He was a sicky boy during halloween and was NOT in the picture taking mood. To top October all off, we had a great time at our friend's the Quinn's murder mystery dinner. It was a night full of good friends, food and intrigue! Makes me want to do that again sometime.

Whole 'Lotta Us

I haven't updated the blog in forever, so here are a few quick updates! Starting with our Fall get away with the DeVries...in October! Mike and I decided it would be lots of fun to enjoy the fall with his family so we loaded up the kids and spent the weekend up there. It has been so fun to live so close to them, especially while we have young kids and don't have to worry about missing school or anything like that. It has been a little tender mercy! Benson LOVES his Nonnie and Papa's house and just runs wild the whole time. With a basement full of toys, a pantry full of treats, 5 adults who would give him anything he wanted without blinking an eye and a river and a pond in the backyard, what's not to love? The following pictures are, in no particular order, of canoeing in the pond, visitng Kapnick;s orchard and drinking the BEST apple cider I've ever had, hands down, taking a hayride, playing Uncle Drew's trumpet, snuggle time with mom and lots of others. Words cannot express how grateful and happy I am that I married into this family. I hear so many people complaining about their in-laws and it shocks me because I have not a thing to complain about. I love them and I love visiting them! I am one lucky gal!

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