Happy Halloween

This was the first year that Ben could actually go trick-or-treating on his own and he had a great time! We ordered him a Yoda costume and he was AHHH-DORABLE in it. We took him to SeaWorld in costume to see their Halloween festivities and people kept commenting about what a cute little Shrek he was. Seriously?

Yoda or Shrek? You decide.

The Ivankovich Family invited us to their neighborhood on Halloween night. It was fun to have some friends to trick-or-treat with. The kids looked great in their costumes, although Ben was a little out of place. (I’m not 100% positive, but I’m pretty sure Dorothy’s third friend was the Tin Man and not Yoda/Shrek).

The Wizard of Oz... in a galaxy far, far away!

Ben turned out to be a trick-or-treating pro. He had no problems walking up to strange houses, and he wasn’t the least bit bothered by the older kids in (sometimes scary) costumes. I guess he figured he’d do whatever he had to do to get the candy. :)

He looks so big walking with his Daddy!

Our very first house - please excuse my rear end.

"Everyone we know is just GIVING away candy?"

Just checking... yep... candy is still in there.

Keep on keepin' on

What a fun night it was! Thank you to Mimi, Aaron & Josh for inviting us to spend it with you!

A new ‘do

Another thing we did while Sweetie was visiting was to take Ben to get a haircut. We decided to mix things up a little bit and go with a new style. We were pretty sure that Brian wouldn’t approve, so we didn’t include him. Better to ask forgiveness, right?

Well, he was a head turner before, but not he is a little stud! I love it! Check out my cool little dude! :)

My Pal Army

We hope that Ben will have a brother or sister one day. Until then, he seems to be content to spend lots of time with this old guy:





Love Creek Orchard

Sweetie and Gabriel came to visit us this weekend and we had a BLAST! Ben’s school advertised a pumpkin patch that was being held at an orchard in Medina, Texas (which is about 1 hour outside of San Antonio). We were so impressed with their set-up. There was so much for the boys to see and do. We stayed busy, busy, busy until it was time to head home! We got some great pictures of them, too!

The first thing we did was the maze. The boys took off running and were zig-zagging through the hay bales. It was a great way to get their wiggles out after the hour long car ride.

Then we headed over to the petting zoo. We saw birds, goats, rabbits, and horses. Gabe even got to ride a pony!

There was a great little playground set up. Ben loved the tire swing and Gabriel took a few turns down the slide. They also had more hay bales set up in the shape of a tractor. Too cute.

Speaking of tractors, we also went on the hay ride. Some big tractors were pulling trailers up and down the rows of peach and apple trees. The boys apparently thought this was a very silly activity!

There were some tables set up for pumpkin painting. We all took turns painting pumpkins.

Just before we were done, this guy came by to say “hello”!

Ben did not think much of him AT ALL!

But he put his happy pants back on once Mr. Scarecrow went away!

It was such a fun day. This will definitely be an outing that we try to do each year!

Happy Fall from the Barrick Family!

Hanging out in Huntsville

For Brian’s birthday, I got him some tickets to an Aggie game. We didn’t get a ticket for Ben, so we called Brian’s Uncle and Aunt in Huntsville to see if they would keep the little guy for the day. Wayne & Diane drove down to spend the day with them, too, so I’m sure he had more attention than he knew what to do with. The only pictures I have are of the ones that Diane took of Ben and Grandad… here they are playing in the wood pile and trying out an old tricycle.

I wish that we had taken some pictures at the game. Our seats were amazing. It was so much fun to be back at Kyle Field, and the Aggie victory made the day even better. Final score – 24 to 23. Whoop!

Ben at 15 Months

Our little bit is 15 months old! That’s a lot of months! Here is a quick update on what he’s been up to:

He saw Dr. Martin just after his 1st birthday and he weighed in at 24 pounds!

He spent a week in July at Grammy and Grandad’s house in Gilmer ALL BY HIMSELF! (Which meant that Bri and I were ALL BY OURSELVES!)

Ben got his 1st haircut at Great Clips on August 8th. He was very patient right up until the end – we were very proud and a little sad because his new haircut makes him look even older!

Ben started a new class at Grace Point MDO on August 28th. In his new room, they go to the playground, do crafts, and sing songs. They also eat lunch together at a little table and take their naps on mats on the floor. SOOO cute!

Ben said his 1st word in september – "uh oh”. He uses it when he drops something, or when he throws something, or when someone else drops or throws something. It’s just a fun word to say!

Ben continues to LOVE playing with Tanner next door. They are truly best buds! Ben also gets SOOO excited when he sees Aaron, and he always runs to him to get hugs. :)

Ben is also turning into a great little helper. He follows me around the house and is especially interested in the dishwasher and washer & dryer.

We love our little 15 month old! He is definitely speeding right out of babyhood and becoming a full fledged toddler right before our eyes!

I’m HILARIOUS!

Ben has a pretty high opinion of his sense of humor, as evidenced by these photos. He cracks himself up. He cracks me up, too, I must admit!



Reading a book with his booty
stuck in a drum... just minding his
own business.

 

Oh, you caught me? I'm so funny
stuck in this drum, huh?!



Pure joy!



Oh, that cheesy smile!

Hee Hee Hee