He's Trying!

Ben has been standing without help and taking steps here and there since his birthday. Now he will walk across the room a few times a day. He still prefers crawling especially when he is in a hurry. If distances are short he will often walk. It's been fun for the boys to watch Ben learn this new skill. They love it when Ben walks to them.

Christmas Around the World

Tonight was our Christmas program, Christmas Around The World, at church. The kids traveled around the world to learn how different cultures celebrate Christmas. They sang songs in Namibian, Korean, Spanish, and Swedish. It was a great idea for a program! Charlie was a Masai Warrior Sheep Herder and Sam was his little sheep. Many people made comments about Sam's many faces during the show. Charlie had a couple speaking parts and did great...speaking very loudly and clearly!

My Other Paperboy

My little paperboy

My little paperboy, originally uploaded by tctripp.

Time for a Rest

ben sleeps , originally uploaded by tctripp.

13 months

Ben is 13 months old today. He's busy trying to grow too quickly. He climbs on everything, takes steps everyday, and loves to think he is a big kid. Today he tried to use a scissors to cut tape, just like his big brothers were doing. He crawls around with toys in his hands, usually playmobil guys. He is busy exploring all day long.

Ben, you make us smile everyday. It's o.k. to slow down a bit.

Ben's new favorite post is on top of our speaker looking out the window.

Ben says "mom" , "pa", "ba", waves bye-bye, and signs more.

We still believe!

 We picked Charlie up after kindergarten and went downtown to the Macy's Christmas display. The boys enjoyed the story of elves but the highlight was visiting Santa. "It's not Santa Clause...it's Santa." Sam explained to the helper who led us in to see Santa. I love how Sam held Ben's hand the entire time he was on Santa's lap. I didn't notice this until I was viewing the pictures. So sweet. Charlie was in love and gave Santa a hug. He wanted to know how Santa got here and how does he see all the children all over the world. I am so happy we have another Christmas of belief....it truly is magical.

Oh Christmas Tree

As the boys get older, putting the Christmas tree up gets more fun. The boys remember their favorite ornaments and love putting them on the tree. The next few days are spent rearranging and playing with ornaments.

The first thing Charlie does when he wakes up is plug in the lights and open another door in his advent calendar. We were a little worried that Ben and the tree wouldn't get along, but he's been very gentle and just enjoys looking at the ornaments and lights. Sam loves taking down a few ornaments each day to examine more closely.

I have enjoyed the glow of the lights in the early morning and evening. Now tonight with the snow falling outside the window and the lights inside, I can't help but love this time of year.

Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving

We had a great time at my parent's cabin over Thanksgiving. My brother was there with his 3 boys. Charlie and Sam had fun playing hide and seek and football with the big cousins. I had fun playing cards at night and talking cameras with Dane and Scott. Dane is an excellent photographer.

We celebrated my brother and Eric's birthdays. Thankfully it was nice enough to spend time outside every day.

I am most thankful this Thanksgiving for my family, our health, and the moments that make each day special.

Dreaming of Things that Go...

This weeks theme at I Heart Faces is "Sweet Dreams". Charlie dreams day and night of trucks and being a "worker". He has been doing this for over 3 years....the boy loves trucks. I love this photo of him falling asleep while reading his favorite book and playing with his cars and trucks. This was taken when he was 2 1/2. What a sweet dreaming little boy!

See more sweet dream photos this week at I Heart Faces.

Ben Swings in the November Sun

Ben Swings in the November Sun, originally uploaded by tctripp.

I like this crop better but I'm sure this doesn't qualify as "Sun Flare".

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My Autumn Beauty

Ben's birthday, originally uploaded by tctripp.

Here is a photo of Ben on his birthday last week. We were playing under an oak tree. The boys all had a fun time and it was fun for me to try and capture a few special birthday pictures. Stop by I heart faces to see more fall photos this week.

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Charlie lost his first tooth on Friday. It came out on the bus on the way home from kindergarten. He put it in his pocket, luckily, and was excited to show me when he got off the bus. After that point he didn't want to talk about it for the rest of the day! I was able to sneak a few quick pictures before it was put under his pillow for the first tooth fairy visit. Sam lost a tooth last year when he fell so we also put his tooth under his pillow. The tooth fairy brought each boy a gold dollar. Sam carried his around for awhile and Charlie put his in his special drawer.

B & W