Our cat, Beren

I never cared for cats growing up & I never desired one. Ben, however, grew up with cats and wanted one of his own. So, after much discussion, we decided to adopt a kitten our first Christmas as Mr. & Mrs.

I must admit that Beren is the most adorable cat! He loves to play fetch with anything from crumpled paper and hairbands, to the plastic ring from the milk gallon! He also loves to lay on his back and stretch. He has to be the longest cat I've ever known!

We have been told Beren is a mancoon cat. Characteristics typically include a large, fluffy tail (that looks like a racoon tail), hair sticking out from the ears, and very gentle mannered. He definitely fits all of these and more!

I'm a little concerned about how he'll react with the baby so I've started letting him "explore" the baby's room now that we have started turning it into a nursery. I figure the more he sniffs around and gets used to the baby stuff, the better he'll adjust. It will be interesting to see his reaction to a small baby that cries all the time and steals his attention!

No offense to other cat(s) but I still don't care much for them. I just happen to absolutely LOVE my cat & think he's rather swell. :)

Fall in the Midwest

I spent a week recently in St. Louis for the Navigator Staff conference. I stayed a few days extra & spent time with family & friends. My sister-in-law & mom threw me a baby shower as well. I had such a great time visitng everyone. I enjoyed the Navigator conference, but was pretty wiped out by the end - long days + pregnant = exhaustion!

I was very excited that the leaves had not all fallen from the trees so I decided to drive through Creve Coeur Park & take a few pictures. The Aspen trees in Colorado are goregous this time of year but doesn't compare to the array of colors of fall in the midwest.

Fall Football

I love Saturdays in the fall! I enjoy waking up and turning on ESPN College Gameday. Ben & I try to go every Saturday to the local Buffalo Wild Wings to cheer on the Buckeyes with about 50 other OSU fans. Even a 10 ft Brutus makes an appearance!



This year was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Buckeyes, but due to the wild upsets this year, somehow OSU is currently on top! Hopefully they can hold on to the top but that would mean a Championship game on or around Jan. 9th (my due date). Now that would be wild...

GO BUCKEYES!!!

28 weeks!

I am now in my third trimester & still feel fine despite some mild indigestion here and there. We started working on the baby's room this weekend so it's becoming more "real" now. We're getting more anxious to meet our little guy!

New Mexico

We spent last weekend in New Mexico for an early anniversary weekend. It was a lot of fun just hanging out and exploring a bit of the southwest.

We spent one day walking around historic downtown Santa Fe. Many of the buildings have been around since the early 1600's. Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in the US! The Spanish were there way before it ever became a state. We also spent a day in Roswell, checking out the hoopla surrounding the alleged Roswell "incident".

All in all we enjoyed our time together - just the 2 of us. It was our last mini vacation before the baby.

St. Francis Cathedral


Downtown Santa Fe Plaza


Enjoying Music in the Plaza




Dinner at Sunset

23 weeks

I am now 23 weeks along & he is definitely growing! Of all the changes my body is going through none has amazed me more than the fact that my belly button is getting wider & I can see that there is an end to it! I still feel great & am enjoying the little movements coming from inside my belly!

Charlie's Home!

Well, Charlie was found yesterday afternoon & returned safely to Petropolis! The couple who found him will be rewarded tonight at Charlie's homecoming party. One thing is for sure, nothing can match the free publicity surrounding Charlie's disappearance. Here's another clip. The story even made it on Channel 9 in Denver!