Standing tall!

These days it seems that all Joe wants us to do is let him stand up (with our help of course!) He makes his little legs really stiff and looks around like he is saying "I am such a big boy!" Probably because we say this to him all the time. It is really cute! He is also doing much better with tummy time and lifting his head up much higher and stronger than previously.

Doing a little bonding time with soon to be Godfather Rubi

I can do it myself, Daddy!

Hello, all you people out there!

Ryan Green is born!

Joe's new baby cousin Ryan Joseph Green was born today! He was 8 lb 6 oz and 19 inches! Both Mom and baby are doing fine and we are all thrilled that he is here. We can't wait to meet him!!!

Hello Baby Ryan! You are bound to be a handful if you are anything like your namesake!

Nancy and her two little darlings!

Nancy and Brady - you have your work cut out for you!!

Fish and Dolphins and Stingrays, oh my!

As most of you know, the Nelson family are big aquarium fans (fanatics?) so we decided to make our family fun day trip to the Baltimore Aquarium today. We became members as well so we can come visit whenever we want to!! They have made many changes to the aquarium since I have been there last, with at least two new buildings and many new exhibits. The dolphin show was fun as were all the fish, stingrays and sharks that we saw. We even ran into some college friends of mine - - Kate and Drew Keller and their nephew, and had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe with them!

Hey people, let's get this show on the road! I want to see some fish!

A cute little clown fish (Nemo!)

Have you ever seen a monkey frog before??? A certain brother comes to mind. . .

Ok, I think I have seen enough fishies! Let's go home now!

McBecker Halloween Party

In its heydey, the "Greenlawn Palace" crew used to have some of the best Halloween parties ever, but since the alliance dissolved, there were none to compare. . . .until now!! Well, not quite, since I remember a lot more chaos at those gatherings and I think Jesse and Sarah would want to keep their house looking nice!! Either way, the "McBecker" party was a lot of fun!

Marsha and "Sideshow Bob" (aka Jesse)

Shiver me timbers, matey!

More Halloween!

During the day, Joe and I ventured over to Ft. Meade on Halloween to visit Ken! Joe decided to wear his other costume for this trip (thanks Aunt Ann!). Unfortunately, we were too late to enter the Costume Contest....well, not that there would have been any contest if 'Chicken Joe' had entered the competition!!

Ready to go see Daddy!

I am a happy little chicken!

Trick or Treat!

We decided to decorate our house with spooky decorations for Halloween this year. It was low-tech but this was our first try! We draped the porch with black sheets, put crows in some branches we had saved (from Ken's pruning of the front yard tree), spiderwebs, and ghosts in the trees. Add some scary music in the background and a skeleton with a cape and we were set. Rubi, Lindsay, and Mamama Ruth came over to join us in the fun. We only had about 40 kids come by this year but we all had fun!

The full view of our "Haunted House"

Our little devil shows off his outfit and a picture of the nefarious gentleman who was the inspiration for the costume

Hey, Rubi. . . that costume is a good look for you!

My two boys are devilishly handsome!

Pumpkin picking

We went on our first annual pumpkin picking extravaganza this Sunday, October 21 to Butler's Orchard in Germantown. Uncle Rubi and Lindsay came with us for the event! There were fields and fields of pumpkins to choose from and we came home with quite a few beauties. In fact, we bought so many that we were asked by different people such things like "What are you going to do with all those pumpkins?" and "Are you going to carve them all?" to which we would answer...."We like pumpkins!!! Leave us alone!!"

Look at all our pumpkins!

Joe slept through the First Annual Pumpkin Picking
Extravaganza. Better luck next year!

Mine is bigger than yours!

I found a good one . . . again!

The harvest is loaded into the Jeep!

Autumn feast

I channeled my Martha Stewart side this weekend for dinner at home with Ken's buddy from residency Dan and his wife Julie (parents of 1 year old quads and a 6 year old!). How they managed to get away is a good question, but they eventually made it! Pumpkin spice soup, Harvest moon cocktails, tasty steaks and chocolate pumpkin cake were part of the menu. We were stuffed to the gills by the end of it!

Marsha, Ken, Dan and Julie enjoy an adult dinner (no kids!)
A picture of the feast!

Maryland Homecoming!

Saturday, October 20 was Homecoming at the University of Maryland and even though we couldn't make it to the game, we met up with our friends Amy, Scott and their son Ryan for lunch in College Park! They live in Tennessee and we don't get to see them that often so it was really good to get together! Plus, they had not yet met Joe!

Let's go Terps!

Gotcha!!! Ryan did not want his picture taken and
was playing hide and seek with us!

The Terp Motto: "Get 'em while they are young!"

Displaced Terps from Memphis at our old college hangout,
Ratsie's restaurant

Why did the Terps lose, Mommy? I just don't understand!!

Cheburger Cheburger

Today we had lunch with Jessica at Cheburger Cheburger (a burger place in Olney) which provided ample new photo ops since I had no pictures of Joe with Jessica!

Happy little Joe stared at the fans in the restaurant while Jess and I had lunch!

Spooky little pumpkin!

Since this is my blog, I will shamelessly post a ton of cute pictures that I took of Joe yesterday. Ken had a luncheon with his co-workers at Sakura Japanese restaurant so Joe wanted to dress up for the occasion (ok, I wanted an excuse to put him in this cute little Halloween outfit!)

Joe in his carseat is strapped in and ready to go see Daddy at work!

Look at me! I am a spooky little pumpkin!

Where's the food? I am starving, Mommy!

PUMPKIN KITTY!!
When we came home, we were taking more pictures (who would guess??) and Joe was sitting on Ken's lap. Soledad (who was never all that much of a lap cat) came over and sat in my lap so I put the little pumpkin hat on her head!

Joe gets a ride on Daddy's shoulders before bedtime!

Keller's birthday party

I have been quite lax about what has been going on lately so here are a few posts to get everyone up to date!

Cousin Keller turned 2 this year so we headed over to his house in PA on October 6 to celebrate with the rest of the family! Keller was really excited to have everyone at his house for his birthday and LOVED all the cool presents he received. On the other hand, he was decidedly NOT so interested in Baby Joe although we doubt that will be the case for very long!

My latest trick!

Joey seems to get bigger everyday (at least the grandmas seem to think so!) and he now makes lots of sounds and has a hysterically funny laugh. I will try to post it if I can at some point! Here are some glamour shots his mommy took of him this weekend (Oct 13-14)!

Posing with Buster the Bear blanket


Loungin' on a Sunday morning with Dad

Look what I can do everyone!!

October Wedding

This past weekend was Mama Ruth's and Pop Dennis's wedding at the Inn at Brookeville in Olney. It was a gorgeous fall day -- not too hot and not too cold. Perfect wedding weather (unlike our wedding in the sweltering August heat like many of you recall!!!). The wedding was small and intimate and then we all had a yummy lunch.

The happy couple, Mamama Ruth and Pop Dennis

Family portrait

Three generations!

All the kids were rounded up to get their picture with the bride and groom, although we had one asleep and another barely sat still long enough for the picture!

Let's BBQ!

After finally getting the last of the boxes unpacked and house straightened up, we celebrated with a BBQ! The day was absolutely lovely and not too hot. As luck would have it, our grill decided not to work, but it was Tata (aka Grandpa Ruben) to the rescue with his famous grill and even more famous Asado (beef Uruguayan style cooked over a charcoal grill) and chimichurri (a yummy sauce that goes on the meat!)

Mommy takes a break with Joe during the party

Made in Korea....Born in the USA!

The cook hard at work at the grill. Look at all those chorizos! YUM!

Ken with some of the gang on our deck...Tom, Heidi, Eirik, and Sarah. Tom and Heidi stopped by during their visit to the East coast from Missouri (they were making "baby rounds" to see all their friends with babies!)