Boys will be boys

Shootin'

So Ben wanted to take me shooting before he left. It's kind of a tradition we've started before he leaves. We went with some friends on a river in no where Georgia. I got to shoot all of Ben's guns and learn how to load and reload and aim and shoot and all of that! It was awesome and I definitely feel more confident if God forbid the situation would ever arise where I would need this skill.

More fam pics

Hey so our friend Autumn just started a photography business and she needed some more pics for her portfolio so we volunteered ourselves, also in need of holiday pics before Ben leaves. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving (a little early this year)

We decided to have a big thanksgiving at our house early this year since Ben won't be around for the holidays. We had about 14 people over with their families and it was such great fellowship. I roasted a turkey and made some fun cocktails and desserts and side dishes (I'm getting tired remembering it all)and favors and appetizers. Uuuugghhhhh, Jess and I slaved in the kitchen non-stop for two straight days! One of the guys brought two turkeys that we fried, which was a new thing to us. We pretty much haven't cooked since then (we've been living off of left overs). It was so great though and it really felt like Thanksgiving.

Auntie Jess and the Ellster

Mommy and Ell time

Our two year

So today is our anniversary! Two years ago today we said I do in his parents front yard in Medford Oregon. It feels like we've been married for hundreds of years sometimes. In the last two years we have lived in three different houses and moved all across the country. We bought our first home last summer where Ben started flying his helicopter. We then had a baby girl a few months later last fall and then Ben was off to Iraq and here we are! Our little girl is 1 years old and Ben is getting ready to be off again already. Anyway, to celebrate I took Ben hunting down the road from out house. We got up really early in the morning and one of my girlfriends came over to take care of Ellie when she woke up and through out the morning. Ben found a good spot but we didn't even see anything (we were hunting for deer). After I was encountered by THE largest mosquito bite ever on my face x 2 and all the buzzing in our ears we had to leave. We had our anniversary breakfast at The Cracker Barrel (it's as good as it gets for breakfast 'round these parts). And that's how you celebrate an anniversary in these parts...

Jim and Pam

After trick or treating and a bath the baby was off to bed and we were off to a party one of Ben's friends from the squadron had. It was a huge halloween party where every single person was dressed up. It was nice to go out by ourselves with some friends and not worry about Ellie. We dressed up as Jim and Pam from The Office.

Our little Seagal

I picked this outfit up in Seattle last month off Craigslist for a smokin' deal. Then I just made little pom pom and safety pinned them to her sleeves. She was really annoyed with the pom poms at first and then when I took them off she wouldn't let go of them. We went trick or treating with our friends from church and all the adults dressed up as crayons. It was actually my first time trick or treating EVER. Ellie and I got to share that together. She even got to have a share a sucker with dad:)