It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

You can only dress them up like little elves and reindeer so long, we are taking full advantage of this time and gathering lots of evidence for later to remember our little cuties.

SNOW!!!!

We got our first snow fall a few weeks ago.  It wasn't much at all, just enough to dust the grass.  We bundled Sam up fast and sent him out to play before the snow melted (and it was gone within a few hours).

Art-full House

I couldn't wait for Sam to start making artwork.  I'd love to keep ever little piece he makes, but I would have to rent a storage unit at this rate.  So I am starting to snap photos of him with his masterpieces in bulk; then I keep a few, reuse a few as wrapping paper, and then, yes, recycle a few.  He enjoys using all the different materials at preschool and is learning so much.  We work with him a lot at home and he has just learned to write his name, recognizes all the letters of the alphabet and his numbers up to16 so far.  We are very proud of all he's learned in the last year.  Can't believe he's almost 3!  The other day I told him I was going to put a brick on his head so he'd quit growing, we want him to stay just as he is...at least a little while longer.

Zekaroo

That's the one of the nicknames he's acquired so far.  He's a smiley guy and quite the little ham.  Time is flying and he is growing way too fast already.

1LT Breitbach

He won't boast about it, so I will.  Hans got promoted, so he's no longer at the bottom of the officer ladder. We are very proud of Hans' accomplishments! Sam got the honor of "pinning" on Hans' new rank.  He even made sure he gave a final push to make sure the patch did not fall off.  And, no, we did not ask Sam to stand at attention, it's just obvious he watches everything his daddy does. 

Grandpa Bob, Grandma Cathy, and Grandma Mary!

Hans' parents and grandma were able to come see us and meet Zeke at the beginning of November.  They were here for only a few days, but we were able to do a lot in a little amount of time.  We took them to see part of the ocean, went to Cabela's (Sam's choice, to show them the animals), spent time in Seattle, visited and ate at the Space Needle, and spent lots of time catching up.  Living so far from home, we cherish the time we get when loved ones visit.

 No, we did not purchase these hats at Cabela's, the boys put them on just for Grandma Cathy (she LOVES hats).

Just Me and My Brother

These two get a kick out of each other.  Zeke and Sam enjoy watching one another equally.  Zeke's smile melts Sam's heart and Sam's goofy faces light up Zeke's face. Zeke may have been born in WA, but both boys are very proud Iowans and always will be!

Tricks and Treats

Halloween is longed for at our house.  Sam and I made lots of decorations and we decked out the house on the 1st of October.  Hans LOVES Halloween and LOVES to give people a scare.  Sam had been wearing his fireman costume around the house for over a month and couldn't wait to go out and show off his costume to the neighbors and get some treats. Sam really wanted me to go trick-or-treating with them, so the pony (Zeke) and I made it to a few houses with them before going back to the house to hand out candy to other trick-or-treaters.  

Best Buds

Sam always asks where Zeke is first thing in the morning and then he asks to see him.  He likes when Zeke is watching him and frequently asks to hold him and kiss him.  They are going to be best buds.

Zeke

Zeke is now 6 weeks and it is amazing how much he has changed already.  He is really starting to focus on people and is staying awake a little more each day.  But the most exciting part is watching that smile and grin creep across his little face more and more. 

Pickin' A Pumpkin

Sam started preschool in September and part of their curriculum is to have a field trip each month.  We all were able to go with Sam on his field trip to the pumpkin patch....even Nana.  He was way more excited to sit and drive and tractors than to go hunting for the perfect pumpkin. 

The End of The 27th Year

A lucky number for us is 27, so when Hans turned 27 last year it had been an anticipated birthday.  I asked him if "27" was all he thought it would be and he said this last year gave him a lot.  First, we moved across the country, he started a new career, and we added another one to our family....and along the way we have experienced so many new things as a family.  So he may no longer be 27, but it's still a lucky number any way.

Nana's Here!!!

We booked my mom's flight to come visit right after we shared the news of Zeke's anticipate arrival.  So we were looking forward to her visit for a long time and Sam talked about it frequently.  He was so excited the day she flew in and even wore his army helmet to the airport to meet her.  Nana was the first grandparent to meet Zeke in person, which made it an extra special visit since we live so far away.  She helped us with lots of sewing and mending, endlessly was helping us keep up the house, and got lots of snuggle and play time with the boys.  The two weeks went way too fast. Sam couldn't wait to take Nana to the children's museum and to lunch at one of our local favorites, Wagner's Bakery.  He's already talking about what he wants to do when Nana comes too visit again.

Our First Visitor Since Being a Family of 4

Abby was our first visitor after Zeke was born.  We so appreciated having our wonderful friend come and see us.  It was nice for me to have some gab time with another female :)  Sam really enjoyed having someone around to give him some extra attention.  We didn't get out much with the new baby, but it was great to have some time to catch up.

Harvest Time

The apples from our tree are finally picked and preserved.  This all started a few weeks back now, when Hans and Sam decided to shake all the apples from the tree.  They then attempted bobbing for apples, however Sam did not think the cold water was very refreshing, but got a kick out of Hans success at bobbing.  The apples sat in buckets and stared me down each time I look out our kitchen window.  Two 5 gallon pails of apples to attempt to make something of.  Hans and I were able to peel, chop, cook, and prepare 4 quarts of applesuace...however this just put a tiny dent in the apples we had.  My mom came and helped us out.  The credit is all hers as she peeled, chopped, and steamed apples all day.  I got the easy part of pureeing them and then helping her can them.  It took some time, but we now have applesauce canned for the winter.  Finished product was 8 two quart jars and 15 cups of frozen apples. 

I pulled out all the bounty from our garden as well.  Our biggest success this year was our carrots.  There was an endless supply of this crop for four months.  Enough to eat carrots whenever we wanted, make two carrot cakes, and freeze about 10 cups of chopped ones!  We'll see what are attempt at a garden brings next year.  We were quite proud of our success this year.

Brotherly Love

Hoping to get even more pictures up soon, time goes by too fast each day with a little one in the house.  Sam adores Zeke.  He loves to get down by Zeke on the floor and talk to him and uses this sweet little voice.  More pictures to come soon.

Ezekiel Alexander Breitbach

We welcomed our newest family member on September 17th.  Ezekiel "Zeke" Alexander Breitbach weighed 7 lbs. 9oz. and was 19 in. long.  We are so thankful that he is here and we thank God that he is healthy and strong.  We wanted a strong biblical name, but even when he was born we weren't decided.  Ezekiel means "God strengthens" which is something we have seen so much in our lives the last year.  And Alexander came from Hans' confirmation name.  Sam is so proud of his new little brother and can't wait to teach him about fire trucks, cars, and anything with wheels. 

Our Bookworm

Our new camera makes it so easy to take lots of pictures in a small amount of time.  I think Sam was having book withdrawals while we were in IA.  He was glad to come home to his shelves of books.  If you can't find Sam he is one of two places, either snuggling with his best stuffed friends, Lenny and Bunny, or sitting in the living room engrossed in books.  He just can't get enough reading time....he's a curious little man.  This Thursday he starts preschool two mornings a week and is excited to go play with the toys there.  More to come on how this transition goes for us all. 

Announcing Mr. and Mrs. Grover

We were so excited to be there to share in Casey and Sara's wedding day, thanks for having us be a part of this celebration.  We wish for you God's many blessings on the both of you in the many years to come.

Sam was asked to play a special role as the ring bearer for the wedding and was proud to be a part of his godmother's big day.  He hammed it up pretty well!

We purchased a new and very nice camera while we were back home.  I went to just look, but Hans, knowing how much I miss having a nice camera, decided with little kids now is the best time to have a camera that captures on the little moments.  So we have lots and lots of photos, these are just a few. 

I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends in my life.  Sara and I have been friends since since junior high and Abby and I since third grade.  The history I have with these to beautiful women can never be replaced.  They are two incredible people in my life who have always been there to support my family and I.  Thank you both for being such a special part of my life.

Sam got this special gift for being a part of Sara and Casey's wedding.  Casey is a volunteer fireman in Solon, IA and Sam thinks knowing a real firefighter is pretty cool.

A great picture of my two favorite boys!

Welcoming Back Some Special Heroes

Our timing for being home in Iowa could not have been better.  We found out just before flying home that the soldiers Hans deployed with in '06-'07 were coming back after another deployment.  After serving time together deployed there is a special bond that is never broken and you could see that when Hans was back with them all for that brief time to welcome them all back.  These soldiers and their families will always be a part of our extended family.  We are so glad you are all home.

Hans' Piece of Heaven

We started a bucket list for our trip to Iowa months before hand and the first thing Hans put on it was to spend time at "the farm".  This horse farm is his piece of heaven and a place where he spent much of his free time the last 10+ years before we moved.  He was able to spend time there on two different days and Sam was absolutely thrilled to sit on the tractor and ride all the different vehicles.  Thanks to all the wonderful people at Horsepower for making our time there so special.  I think this might be one of Sam's favorite places, too.  Luckily, Hans has found a few places in WA where he can go an ride horses at his leisure, as this is his favorite thing to do and so much a part of him.

Home Sweet Iowa

We booked our flights six months ahead and were determined to get back home at the end of August for a wedding we were all blessed to be a part of.  See when I say I am going to do something I will do anything to keep my word, even if I am nine months pregnant and traveling across the country.  As far as the doctors knew it was my sister's wedding....but a best friend is the same thing as a sister.  We made it to Iowa without a hitch and got to do so much in the two weeks we were there.

We have so many wonderful family members and friends who we got to spend time with, although we always wish we had more time with each of you.  Hans' sister was due a few days after we arrived and we so hoped that the her new little one would arrive while we were there so we could meet him/her....but the baby didn't arrive until after we were back home.  Gretchen and I were pregnant at the same time with our firsts as well, so we had to get a quick picture of our matching bumps again.  We are glad to say that we now have a new nephew who arrived on September 11th...can't wait to meet him!

Sam was able to see all of his cousins and we all got to meet Grady (my brother Caleb and sister-in-law, Rachel's second son)....we waited four months to finally meet him.

Grady Richard Wallace - We were so glad to finally meet you!

Pool Weather Finally!

I can't complain because we have had wonderful weather here in Washington since mid-June....however not as hot as we are use to back in the mid-west.  I have loved having cooler summer temps this year.  Mid-August it finally warmed up to what we would consider "pool weather" and with that came the back yard pool.  Sam and his dad are much alike when it comes to pools...cold water makes them run.  Sam at least wanted to get in and play, but the look on his face when he slipped and went all the way in was priceless.  He wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry he was so shocked by the ice cold water.  We all had fun with our water gun fight and spent a full day outside in the sun enjoying the beautiful summer weather.

Our Family Is Growing!

A dear friend of ours (and very talented photographer) took some maternity photos for us recently.  Here's some of them.  We can't wait to meet our new little one and Sam is so excited to meet his new brother or sister.  We have about 5 1/2 weeks to go!

A Little Green Thumb

When we planted our garden in the spring I decided I would be satisfied with even the smallest growth.  See, I wasn't born with a green thumb, just a lot of determination and willingness to try.  I'm starting to think I might have a little bit of a green thumb.  We have been growing lots of carrots, lettuce, and onions.  Our tomatoes are coming in nicely as well.  And to surprise us even more, we discovered one of our trees is an apple tree....so we'll be harvesting those in the coming months. 

A Room For Our New Cowpoke

The baby's room is ready.....well there are a few finishing touches yet to do, like hanging a shelf and a hook (for the cowboy hat, of course).  Other than those small things everything is ready.  The baby blankets and newborn clothes are washed and folded, diapers and wipes are stocked, and Sam has helped me unpack the baby toys.  The baby gadgets are invading our house and we realize we'll meet our new little one very soon.  The mobile hanging from the ceiling above the crib was a 5 plus hour project, but it turned out perfect.  The frames above the changing table was another project of mine that took less time than the mobile, but was still a tedious task.  However, I have learned that with creativity, patience, and a cricut machine you can make just about anything.