LLLOOOONNNGGG overdue

So, in case you haven't noticed....I took a little time off the blog. A lot has happened...the month of October...then November and here we are in the thick of the Christmas season...where does the time go and why does it go SOOOO fast???!

Here is a quick recap in pictures:

CHARGER GAME

We took the boys to their first NFL game. Chargers vs. 49ers in SF. The boys seemed to enjoy it...or at least the first 10 minutes! Jack didn't like the fact that everyone was rooting for the 49ers...at least the Chargers won-WOOHOO!

In all our charger gear
Hanging out with the fellas
The Beeman Boys

FABULOUS FRENCH FOOD

We got lucky and were invited to a great meal cooked by our good friend Nancy Jaske...did I mention that it was EIGHT courses!! VERY GOOD...VERY FANCY!! Can you tell I don't get out much??

Chris and I ready to enjoy the evening

All of us happy diners

BEN'S FIRST BUS RIDE

Ben had his first Kindergarten field trip to a local farm and got to go on the bus. The thing he was most excited about was....get this....not having to wear a seatbelt!! It is the little things that make me smile.

Ready to go!

Check out my chestnut!

HALLOWEEN

We had a fun night over at the Drakes house...the boys ran around and got their candy high like only Halloween can produce...even the big guy got into the spirit...check it out:

You will be happy to know that he was not the first Beeman to wear the costume...his dad wore it the year before...just carrying on the tradition.

The boys in their typical Halloween costumes...Darth Vader and for the THIRD year in a row...Ben as a Bioncle (a lego guy...gotta have young boys to know that one)

All that trick-or-treating got to them!

VISITORS!

We had lots of visitors in November. First our friends the Kiesle's came up to show us their new daughter Ava (absolutely beautiful).

Then a Mt. Carmel reunion with the Cross's, Petits and Tidwells....good time had by all.

Vancy, Maria, Baby Ava and Me

RB Boys on the loose in MV

The whole gang...Jack took the picture...not bad-huh?

SOCCER

I am a big fat loser for this one. All season long I kept forgetting to bring my camera...finally remembered it for the last game...only to have left the memory card at home-UGH!!!

So you will have to use your imagination. Ben's team did a good job considering it was only 8 kids, 2 of them boys and 3 of them 4 years old. Ben is a great player...when he wants to be...he can also zone out like no one I've seen before...he had a yoga pose going at the goal as the ball was coming for him in one of the last games...oh, boy!

Jack's team was UNDEFEATED...did I mention that Chris was the coach that lead them to victory??! He did a great job and I think he enjoyed it a lot more than he thought. All of the kids had a goal and Jack has found his niche as a defender. I think they both will be back for more next year!

Here is the one picture taken...of the cake at the end of the year party!

THANKSGIVING

We had a nice, mellow Thanksgiving. Great food, great family, great football!

CHEERS

Check out the great view up here!

Karate Kid Part Deux

Cost of 16 classes = $250.00
Cost of belts= $20.00
Cost of snacks at classes = $5.00
Cost of the massage needed after sitting on the bleachers twice a week for hours on end = $65.00
Cost of seeing the smiles on their faces after getting new belts...you know what I am going to say...priceless

Round two...Ben is now a Gold belt and Jack is an Orange...they are getting better all the time...don't try to bully them or sneak up on them-you will suffer!!


Form check

Ben and Sensei Braz

Mr. Orange Belt reporting to class

Brothers on attack

He's still the champion my friend

Three years and running baby...Winchester Club Champion! WOOHOO!

I don't remember the exact score...I just know it was good by a quite a few shots...and that Chris was happier than I have seen him in the last month in regards to golf (his game wasn't up to his par...pardon the pun). Life is good...at least for another year when the challenge comes back up!
Getting another cup....we are going to have to add on to the house for a trophy room at this rate!
BIG smiles guys
Chris and Hartman
Enjoying the evening
This is actually from Monterey...but it is a golf related picture...aren't they all SOOO cute??!

Pepe Le Splat

8 days and counting...how long does it take for skunk smell to go away???

Living out here in the country we have vitually no street lights...so when it is dark...it is DARK. Chris was coming home and happened to come across a skunk in the middle of the road having a night time stroll...but he didn't get out of the way in time and from Chris's story it sounds like he got him pretty good...a couple of times.

His pimp daddy car is now the Seinfeld car (remember the episode with the BO that wouldn't go away??)and our garage still stinks...my car isn't smelling all that good either to tell you the truth...we put vinegar out there in hopes it would help...any suggestions??

AUSTIN!

Jessica and I went to Austin a couple of weeks ago for Austin City Limits...it is a huge 3 day music festival. It was the BEST! Awesome...great...fantastic...can you tell I enjoyed myself??

We saw so many great bands...David Ford, The Greyhounds, Guster, Gnarls Barkley, Gomez, Los Loney Boys, Ray Lamontagne, Van Morrison (that was just the first day)

Day one...the first concert of the day...the least crowded show we saw, the crowds came later!

...Nada Surf, The Shins, The Raconteurs, Aimee Mann, Iron & Wine, Willie Nelson...

That is Willie playing behind us Saturday Night

Kathleen Edwards, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, Buckwheat Zydeco, Matisyahu, Ben Harper, G Love and the Special Sauce and Tom Petty closed the show. Saw some old favorites and found some new ones.


Buckwheat Zydeco...what a fun, happpy show...listen to them when you need a pick me up!


No...it is not a rock star...but Lance Armstrong introducing Ben Harper (and just in case you were curious...Matthew McConaughey was there too)


My only complaint...it was HUMID...I swear I lost 5 pounds from sweating pretty much non stop for 3 days...I don't think I smelled very good either...oh well...and it rained the last day...little muddy...then it POURED during Tom Petty's set...we looked like drowned rats...guess we should have brought ponchos or trash bags!

Anyway, great time...highly recommend it if you are in the area...would love to go again but gotta work it out with my babysitter (aka Chris...5 days with the boys was A LOT to ask, but they came through with flying colors!!)

Thanks to my cousins for all the great Austin spots information...got to go to some really good Tex Mex and felt like a local!


Our last night out...actually our only night out come to think of it...we were too wiped out from all the sweating!! This is us after the down pour. This place had a good live band (can't remember who??) and the owner was sitting next to us and gave us some free t-shirts...thats her over Jessica's shoulder

First Day of School

The summer is already over...where did it go??!!!!

We started school last week. So far, so good. Ben is officially in Kindergarten with Mrs. Reynolds. He came home the first day and said "Mommy, kindergarten is hard work, you have to learn stuff." Let's hope he survives all that learning!!


Jack is the BIG 2nd grader (!!!) with Mrs. Fredrick and Mrs. Lynn. He is settling back into the student role just fine. Can't wait to see all the new things he will be doing this year.



We've already had a sick day...Chris got the stomach flu and then gave it to Ben on Friday...who then gave it to me...while Chris (who was recoverd) was in Las Vegas having fun with buddies...(why is it every time he goes to the state of Nevada one of us gets the stomach flu??!! I am trying to figure that out...oh well) The good news is it only lasted 24 intense hours and I lost 5 pounds-woohoo!! Jack got to be in charge of the house...you don't want to know what happens when a 7 year old is in charge...lets just say, not some of the best decision making skills I've ever seen.


Anyway, here is hoping the boys have another successful year.

The Karate Kid (s)

Like we didn't have enough things going on in our lives, we decided to add Karate to it this summer. The boys have really taken to it...they must have gotten the taste it one of the 300 times I've watched the 1984 hit starring my first teenage crush Ralph Macchio.

We have signed up for 9 months-YIKES (for some reason, that is the shortest amount of time you can commit to)...so in April I will either have another baby (no thank you) or the boys will (or better be) masters.

Here are some pictures from their award ceremonies where they got their first "real" belts...you start out as a white belt...then move on to yellow stripes...and who knows what the next one is??...I will find out soon enough.


I got it!!!

Check out the yellow belt

You karate do no, get squished like grape

They were talking about "self disipline"...Ben had other thoughts

Wax on, wax off

Dangerous Monkeys

We signed Mr. Ben up for T-ball this summer with some of his buddies in a rec league. The boys came up with the team name...Dangerous Monkeys...it suited them perfectly. Chris helped coach...or should I say herd the little suckers. They were actually not that bad...although Ben liked to kick up the dirt more than playing the game...oh, well, there is always next year.



Waiting it out on the bench

Pig Pen at his finest

Coach Chris with his game face on

The Beach Boys

Here are some recent pics from a couple days in Monterey. Chris was competing in a PGA amateur match play event. While he was playing golf, the boys and I were playing in the surf. We had AMAZING weather. Next year Chris will win the event and the boys and I will perfect our sand burying techniques.

Here comes "Mr. Fun in the Sun"

Here comes his older brother "Wet and Wild"

I swear, they BEGGED me to do it!!!

Getting practice for the next version of "Thriller"

Hey, how you doing??

Mr. Magoo

The boys always want to take a bath in my bathtub. About once a month I let them and here are the results....

Birthday Boy

The month of July seems to be dedicated to Ben and the fact that he turned 5 on the 3rd...first the actual birthday, then the party and then we keep getting things in the mail...will it ever end??! (And, to those of you who sent us all those wonderful gifts...we are a bit late in getting out our thank you notes, they should be coming soon!! THANK YOU!)

The "Tan" Beeman Boys

I'm ready to open my presents now!

OOOOHHHHH-just what I wanted

Cake time

Thanks for the Transformers Grandpa and Bebo!!