Hello everyone,

Yes we are still here.  Life has just been flying by and a “surprise” trip to Indiana in September caused there to be no September Update.  Jeremiah is now 3 years and 10 months old.  I now refer to him as “almost 4” when people ask his age.  I try to do the updates around the 6th of each month, so that really means I didn’t update anything past August 6th so I am WAY behind.  So here we go.

August was a busy month planning to go to Indiana.  (My grandmas didn’t know we were coming, so we kept it quiet – at least on my side we did – until we got there.) We finished up the Summer Reading Program at the local library and Jeremiah enjoyed some tumbling time there on a bus.  Of course he got excited about being on it, with about 2 minutes left.  He spent he rest of the time just watching everyone and taking it all in.

We also had a lot of change in August.  A family we know moved away 🙁 Jeff is stationed in Japan and Cassie & Callee went back to Texas.  Our church moved from its building into new offices and we are meeting for service in a hotel.  We got to go play at a friend’s house we had not been to yet – because they moved.  August was pretty crazy.

Jeremiah also got to help set up for a baby shower one Saturday.  He thought he was big stuff helping out.  Boy am I glad I can still convince him that chores are fun to do.  I think he has figured it out with putting way silverware though.  He unloaded the silverware in the dishwasher one time and thought it was SOOO fun.  Well, mommy decided if he could do it once that would be a good way to start helping out.  Now he is not having as much fun as he did that first time.  He did however finish before I did the other day and got a sticker so maybe that will be some motivation.

Jeremiah also got to be at his first Fantasy Football Draft in August.  He thought he was big stuff.  He sat beside Eddie for the first few rounds and “helped” him.  I wouldn’t recommend his help to anyone though.  I don’t think Eddie is doing too well in the league.  He got out his Eli Manning jersey and wore it a the end of the night.  He had been planning to wear it for about 2 week.  We went in to check him one night after he was asleep and he had put in the middle of the floor to “make sure he didn’t forget to wear it”.  Too funny!

So we set out September 1st to Indiana.  Jeremiah loves the airplane and did a pretty good job.  There were no naps, but that wasn’t too surprising.  We had the best flights we had had for a LONG time, it was wonderful.  So much happened in those 2 weeks we were there, it is hard to remember it all.  So I am going to sum it up and my next project is to put together a slide show of all we did.  I actually did a pretty good job of taking pictures this time, now I just have to go through them.

Indiana trip in summary: Fun at G & G Caughell’s, – Surprising the Great-Grandmas (also fun) – Fun at Family Camp – All of Andy’s immediate family was there – Fun on the playground – Fun with Furlongs & Ziles (we got together for our 5 year reunion) – Fun with the 90th year Celebration of the Camp (BRC) – Fun eating and getting prizes and going down the 40 foot slide (non-stop for at least an hour) – Fun at G & G Caughell’s “driving”/riding on everything with wheels – Fun eating Elephant Ears and getting a gallon ziplock bag full of candy at the Roann Festival – Fun running around outside. – Actually taking a nap on the airplane ride home!!! – A 3 year old in tears because he did not want to go home – Followed by a 3 year old with a stubborn look saying “I want to go back”

So one quick story I want to make sure I write down.  The first day we were there it rained.  Jeremiah went out and played in it with his umbrella and without it.  He wanted to go get a cup Grandpa had left in the front yard, but refused to go.  I finally realized he thought the driveway was a road.  Everything out here looks like a road and there are always people coming and going in our driveway.  I could not convince him it was ok to go.  Mom had to walk around on the other side of the pick-up truck before he would RUN across the rocks and go get it.  Fast forward 3-4 days (after Family Camp).  Mom left the door open on the front porch one morning.  Jeremiah is out the door, around to the other side of the house, eating grapes off the arbor, before any of us know where he is.  Luckily I saw a flash as he ran past the windows.  Needless to say he got quite comfortable running around in big wide open spaces.  I am now praying for a back yard!

So we got home in time, for me to start running around like crazy.  That is all I feel like I have done the last few weeks.  I coordinated a wedding on the 3rd.  It was absolutely beautiful and exhausting!  I led the kick-off of Operation Christmas Child last Sunday and organized a Women’s Potluck in there.  Jeremiah has been a trooper and has gone along with everything.  I was able to plan a lot of meetings during his nap, so Andy has “watched” him.  However that does not give me my time to catch up with things on my end.  All that to say that is my excuse for not getting these out on time.

Jeremiah has also been excited to see 2 new babies (couples from our church had babies 4 days apart).  He really wants to hold a baby.  We took Maddie’s family food, but she had only been home for 2 days after having jaundice and staying in the hospital a while, so that was a no hold.  Then he was sick when I took Makenna’s family a meal last week.  So when he is better Makenna’s mommy says he can come hold her.  Thank you JM!   We also have 3 close friends from church/music class/women’s bible study having babies in January and March!!  So it is baby central – NO we are not one of those!!!  Jeremiah wishes (I am sure some of you are wishing too!).

We have also made time to go to the Zoo and the Wild Animal Park a few times as well.  We went for “Reptilemania” at the Zoo and got to see a crocodile eat a fish and Jeremiah got to pet a Galapagos Tortoise. We are going to try to go early enough tomorrow to feed a tortoise this time.  Jeremiah and I went one time by ourselves and it was fun doing things we don’t usually do when we have a large group.  It was the best last minute decision I had made for a while.

We have been to the teacher store a few times to make different craft projects.  This past week as an “occupation” day.  So Jeremiah can be a doctor, reporter, or chef.  Usually it is a combination of all of them that he wears.

We also had our 2nd (maybe 3rd) heatwave this summer so we went to the beach one morning.  The tide was really high and Jeremiah though the waves were going to come get us.  He played on the opposite side of the sheet even.  They did come closer than I thought.  We saw a huge amount of high school students surfing, so that was fun too!

So that has been our last couple months.  Jeremiah actually weighed in less than he has for a long time the other night.  Only 44 lbs – Ha Ha!  He is still about 3 foot 5 1/2 inches.  He is too stinkin’ smart!  Keeps us on our toes, but I don’t think I would have it any other way.  He still talks non-stop, unless he is singing.  He remembers EVERYTHING.  He was talking about last Christmas the other day!  But Praise God he is still taking a nap and needing it.  He has gotten really good and cutting with scissors.

But probably the best thing…I am calling it…he is potty trained.  He got “big boy boxer” in Indiana and a few weeks ago told Andy he wanted to wear them to bed.  So we let him and so far we have only had 1 night he as wet the bed and I am blaming that on a cold keeping him asleep.  It was wonderful today going to Costco and not buying diapers or Pull-ups!

A final story to sum up Jeremiah at 3 years and 10 months – we were at Chick-fil-a last night.  They have books in their kid’s meals.  If You Give a Pig a Pancake was the one he got – a book he likes.  But if you turn your prize in you can have an ice cream cone instead.  I say: “Are you sure you don’t want that book? You don’t have that one.”  Jeremiah – “No Mommy, I can just wait and get it from the library next time it is there.”  So that is my booger boy – always logical!!!

Hope you are all doing well.  Check out the blog – www.andymerrill.com/babyblog and I will hopefully in the next couple days put up the slide show from Indiana (well Andy will actually put it on there – but you know what I mean).

🙂
Nichole