Just cute to me :)

Joe plays the piano very well, and he loves to play Christmas music, especially happy, upbeat music. And the kids love to join him :)

Sally's Thoughts on Joe--Super Daddy :)

Tonight, as I was eating my dinner while Joe & the kids, having eaten theirs, played in the living room, I quietly enjoyed listening to the hysterical giggles of the kids enjoying time with Daddy. And I thought about how wonderful Joe is--what a great father he is! Caleb and Ella just adore their daddy, and they both rush to the door every evening when he gets home--as does the dog :)-- Caleb screaming "Daddy!" and Ella screaming something that is sounding more and more like "Daddy" every day!

It is the sweetest thing to hear the kids almost punchy with laughter (it is getting close to bedtime, so that could be part of it;) as they play with Daddy--he wrestles with them, spins them in the chair, tickles them, and they all chase each other around the living room. The kids also try to show off their new tricks of the day for Daddy--and I can tell that they are just thrilled with the attention he gives them.

Despite all this, we definitely each have our difficult moments & days. A few nights ago our night was rather long, when Ella woke up crying; the dog wanted to be let out; and then Caleb walked out of his room wailing sometime between the dog and 5 am. Thankfully, Joe heard Caleb crying in the living room, because I certainly didn't. We both ran to his aid. He'd had a bad dream & just wanted Mommy, so we took him to our bed & he slept a bit while I held him; then last night, when Caleb came in sad again, Joe snuggled him back to sleep and returned him to his bed, despite how tired I know Joe was. I really appreciated that. We make a good team :)

I am so grateful to be married to such a loving father, especially one who tries to be a better person/husband/daddy every day!

Just being silly

Playing pirates!

Visiting Daddy!

Joe is on-call at the hospital today, which means he is there from 7 a.m. today until 10 a.m. or so tomorrow. We miss him a lot when he is on-call, so today, while driving home from an errand, we stopped at the hospital to keep him company for a little while. He bought lunch for us to share in the hospital's cafeteria, and the kids had a wonderful time seeing Daddy. After we ate, since he still had not been paged to head back to the ICU, he walked outside with us and we let the kids play for a few minutes on the grass, wall, etc. It was rejuvenating for all of us to get some daddy-time!

Getting ready to go, just being silly at home

Waiting for Daddy to buy lunch

Waiting. "Daddy!"

"Dadddddyyy!"

Having lunch! I don't know why we don't do this more often :)

The Pumpkin Patch

October 22, we met up with Joe's brother & his family at a local Pumpkin Patch! The kids loved it--a little train ride, a haywagon ride, bouncy houses, and a pony ride, plus lots of pumpkins to see!

Ella was the brave one to ride the pony :)

Caleb riding & loving the train with his cousin

We got this pic really quickly on our way out,

after everyone was pretty tired :)

Let them love sand

I have a hard time letting go and just letting my kids get dirty. When we were at my parents' home in Salt Lake City the past couple weeks, they ran and jumped and played all over--it was wonderful! But every time we got close to the sandbox, that was all Ella wanted to do! I felt like I had to gear up for it--the sand always gets everywhere, always--in hair, in the clothes, even in the diaper! That's just how it is. As I watched her sheer joy, scooping up shovelfuls and dumping them in a bucket, or on the ground, etc., I realized I need to just let go. Here's hoping I'm making progress in that direction :)

Well we did it...

...We got a doggie. It was my idea (seems like it always is:) and I picked her up on Monday night, just a few hours after we arrived back in Texas from our trip to Utah. I must be crazy :) But she is so cute, and such a smart little puppy! She is 6 mos old, and seems to be potty-training very quickly; she is obedient, playful, and the kids love her--which is the main reason I was so interested in trying to have a pet again. I'll tell you about Zeke the cat and Emma the previous doggie another time ;)

It is so fun to watch Ella get so excited to see Cadee ("Katie") every morning, and hear her say "hah bubby" (which means "hi puppy") and squeal with delight. And Cadee is earning her keep--I haven't had to sweep up crumbs off the kitchen floor since she arrived! :)

Cadee seems to like us, as well--she loves to run around in the backyard, especially if we are out there with her; she is making friends with the doggie over the fence behind us; and she got out today when Joe took the kids for a walk and didn't see her slide out the door with them, but she never ran away. She just ran back and forth across the front lawn/drive, occasionally scratching at the front door, until the neighbor knocked to tell me she was out there! I'm hoping that means she wants to keep us. :)

I love animals, especially puppies, but we grew up with only outside dogs, and so I'm still trying to get used to the idea of an animal in the house. (And it is definitely too hot to keep an outside dog in Texas!) Hopefully this third try will be the trick--I'll let you know how it goes!

For now, here are some cute pics--Scratch that, they still aren't uploaded. I'll add them when I get them :) Stay tuned!

Surprises

This past week has been pretty awesome. I (Joe) convinced Sally a few months ago to take the kiddos for two weeks up to Utah to be with her parents and sisters and, most importantly, their cousins. :) She complied although we both agreed being apart that long would be pretty lame. Unbeknownst to her, though, I had got myself a plane ticket and 4 days off work this past weekend. So I was on call overnight on Thursday, got off work at about noon on Friday, got on a plane at around 2pm and showed up in Sally's parent's living room at 4:30. Pretty sweet. Sally was totally WOWed by me showing up. She looked utterly confused when I walked in the house because, as she said, "My world didn't make sense for about 1 1/2 seconds." Ah, victory on my part! Best surprise yet. We all had a great time together.

Caleb and Ella's first snowman of the year...(Ella's first EVER ;)

Later this week, it snowed up in Utah, and the kids couldn't get enough of it. Little Ella was experiencing snow for the first time, and Sally said she put up a fight every time someone tried to take her inside to warm up a bit. I missed it because I was back at work, but Sally kept me updated with frequent pix sent to my phone. Technology sure makes being apart a lot more bearable these days. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Caleb LOVING the helicopter at the Children's Museum in Salt Lake City.

The picture above is of Sally's parent's driveway. They have two plasma cars (the cars you sit on and swivel the steering column at the front which then propels you forward), and the kids love using them to scoot around on. Both of them would frequently cruise around the kitchen inside, especially if the kitchen was in use. :) Grandma had to ask us to go outside a time or two. The driveway is inclined slightly as seen above, and Caleb and Ella wouldn't stop going down on the plasma cars. This is family photo-op/racing moment. Thanks to Grandpa for taking the picture. Caleb is just enjoying himself. Ella is focused on winning. :) That just about explains their personalities in a nutshell. The simple things in life sure are great.