Change is the theme

Jen is nearing the end of her first trimester, and we will be heading back to the Dr. for a checkup next week. She has started wearing maternity clothes, and is really getting back into the whole, being pregnant swing of things. I am working really hard on understanding what she is going through, but sometimes I am just a dumb guy and have to be reminded...


Jared and Brady still have to be reminded that they will be having a new brother or sister soon, but I suspect "next year" sounds like forever to them. The Cub Scout event year started this past weekend with the Scout picnic. The boys are now Bear Cubs, and will begin gearing up for their fall campout coming up. I recently attended the first of what will likely be many training events so that I can continue to be a leader in their Pack. It is a lot of fun for all of us, and the boys seem to get a big kick out of the fact that their Dad is their cub scout leader, and he wears a uniform too!


Cocoa is almost 1 year old, and is starting to leave most of her puppy ways behind her. She still makes mistakes now and then but they are fewer and farther between. She has really started listening much better and by the time the baby arrives, she will be fully trained!

Waning Summer Days

The end of Summer is approaching and Fall is around the corner (Saying this helps me cope with the 100 + degree temperatures) and it is in this "between times" that we welcome back.... SCHOOL! It seems like yesterday when we sent them off on their first day of Kindergarten, but yesterday marked the start of their second week of third grade.

Jared and Brady both are truly excited about school, and are working very hard. There are downsides of course, early bed times (I'm OK with this one :-), more homework and third grade is "a bit tougher" than second were told. But the positives of friends and learning far outweigh these minor inconveniences. They are excited every morning to get there and get to class! I hope this feverish love of academics stays with them both for a long, long time.

Here are a few pictures of Jared and Brady in the car rider line from this morning, enjoy!

(You can watch the slide show in small form here, or click the slide show a couple of times and see the pictures in a larger format)

Bundle Of Joy

So the first post should be a good one right? I cannot think of a better way to start off than to say...

We are so happy to share the very first pictures of our new baby. These were taken on August 7th, at which time the doctor estimated Jen to be 7 weeks pregnant. The delivery date is estimated at March 22nd.

The baby is barely over 1 cm long, amazing! Hearing the heartbeat was a real tear jerker. The baby's heart was beating at 158 bpm, which we are told is right where it should be. You can see the EKG at the bottom of the last picture.

We are thrilled, and blessed and everything is going well. Jen is tired, but her spirits are high and we are so happy.