Samuel, 2 Years Ago

This was our sweet Samuel 2 years ago:

And here he is now...

What a difference 2 years makes.

Thankful Thursday

A habit that Samuel and I got into when we did our nightly routine was to thank God for 5 things we are thankful for. Since Joseph arrived Andy has taken over Samuel's nightly routine. I miss that time a lot with him.

With Thanksgiving on the mind, I thought it would be nice to initiate a deliberate day each week to be thankful and not just on the 4th Thursday in November. So, we are going to introduce 'Thankful Thursday' to The Eckert Escapades.

We think it will be a great way for us to be able to reflect on all of the things we seem to take for granted so often and just give us a time to reflect on the past week and marvel at what God is doing.

Things each of us are thankful for particularly this week:

~Andy is thankful for all of the ways that God is challenging our perspective on things and challenging us to grow in different areas.

~Amy is thankful for all of our needs being met and even many of our wants!

~Samuel is thankful for the falling leaves, pumpkins, his brother, balls and trains.

~Joe Joe is thankful for warm clothes.

~We ALL are thankful for God providing a way out of Andy having to deploy again. Tomorrow (Nov 1) would have been the day that he would have had to report, and we would have not seen him for an entire year! I just simply cannot imagine...

Please feel free to add the things you are thankful for in the comments section!

Sweet Potato Party!

Since our city market is now over (BOOHOO!!!) I bought up a ton of vegetables to freeze over the summer. I got about 20 lbs of sweet potatoes and baked and mashed some of them for our sweet Joe Frog. He caught site of the big pile and was going crazy! I thought I'd let him have a taste of what the winter had to bring...





It sure made for one happy boy!

Time for Dishes

My mom always comments on how wild it is around our house. As calm and collected as I'd like our house to be, it's not. It's crazy! During a nap time I thought I'd try and tackle the mound of dishes that were starting to take over our kitchen. I needed some encouragement and a distraction, so I thought I'd called my mom and catch up. Within moments of calling, Joseph woke up. I put him in the high chair and he started screaming because he wanted to talk on the phone, so here he is getting his way.

Then I hear noise from Sam's room. I go in there to find this! What a hoot.

I gave him the phone so he could say hi to Nana and he started jumping on the bed telling her all about how the monkeys jump on the bed and fall off and bump their heads. He tells this story to everyone! I mean everyone. Anyone that says a single word to him anywhere we are, he starts telling them about the monkeys. He's a nut.

I'm so glad people are important and not things, because those dishes sure didn't get done that day! There will always be time for dishes when they're off to college! But right now, it's playtime.

Pumpkin Picking

Last weekend we went to MD to visit Gigi and Gran Ran. We went pumpkin picking and of course had to have a photo shoot. Out of about 30 pictures, we got ONE decent shot of both boys together. I even put them in matching outfits! Can't say I didn't try!



And I just had to add one of the boys and their Gran Ran. Oh the love of a grandparent just doesn't get any stronger! So precious.

PJ Twins

Here they are wearing their 'as close to matching as possible' pj's from Gigi. Cuddle bunnies!

The Leaves Are Falling

The leaves have significantly started falling today. We're so excited. Samuel and I got out and started raking immediately. It's been such a beautiful fall here in VA. The weather has been wonderful. But, most importantly, NO BUGS!

While Poppa Bear was visiting this past weekend, he nicknamed Joseph '7 Pound Eyes.' We got a kick out of it all weekend. We had a great trip. Berta, Andy's stepmom, couldn't come. We sure missed her!

Joe showing off his skills.

At Carter Mountain Orchard, for their harvest festival. They had an unbelievable view of all of Charlottesville. We just still can't get over how gorgeous the Charlottesville area is. We couldn't have dreamed up of a better town to live in.

Our first fire in our outdoor fireplace.

Poppa Bear and Joe coming in from their Sunday morning hike. Joe slept the entire way. Andy and his dad took the boys so I could make a nice Sunday breakfast. It was wonderful to cook the morning away with the house all to myself. We had a big breakfast casserole with some oat muffins and some freshly juiced apple juice. A great fall feast.

Joe's fat face! Don't let it kid you. He's a beanpole.

This kid is strange. Look what he can do with his fingers. He can put his ring finger over his pinkie finger without using his other hand. I couldn't even dream of doing that. Which of you grandparents can do that, because neither Andy nor I can do that? We even noticed he's double jointed in his wrist, he was like snapping it the other day at the dinner table. We begged him to do it again, but he was too embarrassed, so he wouldn't. I think he thought he was doing something wrong. I'm sure we'll see it again.

And then some pictures of Samuel outside playing this morning in the leaves.

***There are a million more where that came from Nana and Gigi. I will try and post the first half of October pictures to the account today.



I simply cannot get enough of this kid! He's addictive.

And then here are some of our mums that we got from Gigi and GranRan.

Can't wait to see you tomorrow Gigi and GranRan! Rest up! Mommy and Daddy want to go on a date :)

Joe's 7 1/2 Month Check Up

Joseph had his first visit with his frogatrician in Charlottesville today. We love him! He is very much up our alley. I feel extremely confident in him. Something I've never felt in a doctor, EVER (besides you, Penny!). He even does home visits when the kids are sick. Yay! I about cried tears of joy when I found that out! It was a miracle I was even able to get the boys in as patients because he's so popular. I mean, come on, who wouldn't want a doctor that does home visits!

Joe frog wants to report that he is a very healthy 'little' boy. Emphasis on the little :) He's not quite on the charts for weight but I'm sure you aren't at all surprised. But he's in the 10% for height. He's 26 inches. Go Joe!

The grandmas were convinced he seems longer than Sam was at this age and I'm starting to think they were right. He's 26 inches as of right now (7 1/2 months). I can't find anything off hand that says what Sam was at 7 1/2 months but at one year, Samuel was 29 inches.

Still no hopes for either of them for basketball, but soccer is looking pretty promising.

Joe's tipping the scales at 13 lbs 3 1/2 oz.

And 26 inches long...

God is so good!

Crazy Week

Andy was gone last weekend to Lynchburg for his Reserve job, and then was gone from Tuesday morning until late Thursday night. And of course while he was gone, Samuel got sick. I have no idea what he ended up having, but he's over it and back to his usual chipper self.

We are so glad that this week looks like it's going to be an easy one.

Here are some pictures of the past week:

Joseph enjoying some time with Daddy before he goes away for work.

Getting some good protein in, fish and eggs :)

Relaxing on our hike with our new play group.

A view from our hike of the Monticello area.

Playing in Samuel's crib together.


My new favorite drink: carrot and pear juice. It's wonderful!

Picking apples at Christian Aid. Samuel and I were having to get very creative getting them down since we didn't have an apple picker. Good thing Daddy came to the rescue and climbed the tree for us.

On a hike with Gigi, Gran Ran, and Aunt 'Juju' Julie.

Samuel and Gigi reading his new book, Don't You Feel Well, Sam?

And of course we had to get a picture of Joseph's first lemon. Even though this picture doesn't show it, he loved them! This was just the cutest, so I had to share. Everyone said he brought back his old man faces when he was eating them. Poor Joseph.