I will be taking a break from blogging for the next week or two to celebrate the life of Dave's dad Craig. He passed away on Monday, Sept. 15 after fighting stomach and liver cancer.

Here is a precious video of Craig in Arden this past Christmas before he was diagnosed with cancer.

Question of the Week

Is waiting really the hardest part?

A Walk to Remember

On Friday night Arden, her grandparents and I went to the city park to walk through a memorial of all of the fallen hero's that have been killed in the War on Afghanistan and Iraq. There were crosses with their name, position and hometown on each one. The crosses lined the park and as people walked through the park.

It was somber experience but one that I am glad we participated. We need to be reminded that our freedom isn't free and to really take the time out of our schedules to remember this.

Ready. Set. GO!

Yesterday Arden learned these three little words "Ready, set, GO!" and she loves them. She will back herself up against a wall and say "ready, set, GO!" and she's off and running. She will run through the living room, into the kitchen, back through the dining room around the table and finish where she started.

Then she learned she could do this outside too. So last night we were outside after dinner she was standing on the porch. She would yell "Ready, set, GO!" Jump off the little ledge, run as fast as she could until I caught her and threw her up in the air.

She really loves to run. I have a feeling that I will be sitting through a lot of track meets in our future.

If I Only Had A Camera Cord

I have so many great pictures to share with you...if I only had a camera cord. There are some great pictures to come of Arden the Potato Farmer, Arden Driving the Truck, Blue, Arden's First Haircut and more.

Hopefully, one day me and my camera cord will be reunited and I can get all of these great pics of my camera.

Conversation

Here is a conversation that Arden had this morning.

Arden: "I Arden"

Me: "You are?"

Arden: "Yeah! I'm a monkey"

Question of the Week

Are the leaves really starting to change colors?

Football Season

I am glad that football season has started. I really became a football fan in college. In high school our football team was not the best. We won 3 games in three years but I was there to watch the games but didn't really get the excitement of football.

Then in college I graduated from Marshall University and our team was the winningest team of the 90's. I really learned the game and enjoy watching my team win. The past couple of years Marshall has been struggling to get it done.

Last weekend The Herd won against Southern Illinois and today we play Wisconsin....it should be an interesting day for my team. Regardless, I'm glad football season has started and there are so great games that we can watch.

I Okay

Every once and a while as Arden was learning walk/run she would fall like any normal toddler. Inside of making a big deal of it I would just ask her if she was okay which she would either respond "yeah" or with a huge scream followed by crying.

Well she has moved on to a new phase. Anytime she now falls and she's okay and I forget to ask her if she's okay.. she'll come find me and say "I okay." It's getting to be pretty funny. I'll be in the kitchen and hear a thud in the living room and hear her little voice coming from the other room saying "I okay."

Comparing Apples to Oranges

Yesterday Arden and I were setting outside and we were looking at an apple tree that was full of apples. I asked Arden if she knew what the balls were on the tree. Her response was "oranges."

I don't remember teaching her that oranges grow on trees and she's never eaten that many oranges in her life either. I explained to her that was an apple tree which she happily replied "I want an apple."

Oh well at least she knows that fruit grows on trees.

Starfall

There is a great website that I wanted to share with you it is www.starfall.com.

This a reading site for pre-school all the way through first grade. Arden loves this website. She asks me everyday to do "eh, eh". Which is the short e sound and there is a song that matches the sound with the short vowels. I've heard her in her bed singing something incomprehensible and then I'll hear "eh, eh".

Arden can recognize all of her letters thanks to this website. I highly recommend if you have small kids to check out this site. But I must warn you your child will become addicted to it.

A Family Affair

Yesterday we were able to spend the day with some of Dave's family. It was really great. His mom, dad uncle, aunt, cousin, her husband and three kids plus Dave's brother and his family were all together.

The kids had a great time playing together outside and I believe that by the end of the day all of the kids were had filled every crevice and crack in their body with dirt.

I have pictures of all the kids posing for pictures but I cannot find my camera cord to download my pictures so as soon as I get my cord I will add the pictures.