Home bittersweet home

I was telling Laura the other day that it's nice to be home but bittersweet. I feel as though we take Indiana and it's population for granted while we're there and then miss them when we leave. It's tough being so far away from family and life long friends.

Here's some pictures from our travels.



No need to get up Austin, I can go right over you.

This is my favorite cereal. :-)

Big mouth in the walker.

MaryGrace eating like such a big girl, one little morsel at a time.

Daddy's Girl

This is Austin and Joe's new favorite game. Joe hides under her and she stretchers her little goose neck to find him. Too cute, thought I would share my smiles for the day. :-)

Thanksgiving Toy Drive

The stack of toys from out first ever Toy Drive.

Austin and Grandma hanging out at the party.

We had our annual Thanksgiving dinner this weekend with a new twist of the toy drive for the Safe House Christmas. Our friends and family came through magnificently and donated 40 toys. Everything from board games to sleeping bags and shoes. It is truly a remarkable pile and I know how much it will mean to the moms and the kids at the safe house.

Oh yeah and we still didn't decorate for Christmas this year, we just figured that Austin wouldn't really notice and we could use the money for our trip instead. So we CAN'T wait to get to Indiana where everything will look like Christmas and smell like the holidays. :-) We leave Saturday morning, I am sure by now Austin thinks we live part time in the car. I haven't even put up our suitcases because we have been using them so much here lately. D'Oh!

Ham Bone the Bouncer

Joe and Austin hanging out on the floor.

Little ham bone in her bouncer.

She was busy playing with her bouncer until she saw the indicator light from my camera, instantly she has to stop and smile for the camera. :-)


We made it back from South Dakota just fine, even though the storm had just hit. Apparently Colorado is turning in to Antarctica because it is about -12 out right now. Now that's cold.

Austin had her first meal of meat paste last night...OMG this stuff is horrible. No salt, BB-Q sauce..nothing. But she ate it , now that's an eater...makes me proud.

We have our Thanksgiving this weekend and this year we are sponsoring the Christmas tree at the Safe House. I was talking with the kid's manager down there about how the kids without money get toys on Christmas while at the Safe House and she said well they don't. Well now I can't have that. So I have tasked all of our friends to bring toys in exchange for a Thanksgiving meal. Hopefully they come through and make it as nice of a Christmas as possible for the kids at the Safe House.

Pictures from Mexico!

The whole family in the lobby of the hotel.

Austin and I at Thanksgiving dinner. (Forgive the shirt it was much cuter and fit better before I had "moobs" ** Mom boobs)

Murph and Carole and Thanksgiving dinner.

Tadd and Mom at Thanksgiving dinner.

Joe and Austin at Thanksgiving dinner (you can tell how hot it was by the redness in Joe's face)

Joe being goofy and Austin loving it.

Dane and the first ever picture where he doesn't look retarded...good job Dane-o!

Murph and Carole at dinner in the "fancy" restaurant.

Austin at dinner just before she got sick, her and I got to change clothes a couple of times that night. D'oh!

The grandparents outside by the pool.

Austin listening intently to whatever I seem to be saying, I am sure that I am sharing life secrets with her.