Butterfly Farm

Benaiah holds his hand out with Uncle Luke to coax a butterfly to land.

Sometimes butterflies would land on us (and sometimes the kids would catch them despite signs saying not to...not being able to really read yet doesn't help).

Benaiah enjoying the flowers and pretending to smell them, saying "oooh, oooh".

In Amherst, where my brothers, Jonathan (with wife Irina) and Luke, attend UMass, we went to a Butterfly Farm. It was a beautiful, serene place where we stayed for at least 1-2 hours...and got some good pictures while enjoying the different butterflies, some miniature quail, as well as lizards and frogs in little tanks.

More to come...BUTTERFLYs

A trip to Amherst and the butterfly farm still to come, but it's getting late and Obama's going to be our next president, so I will go and remind myself continually that God is in control and is much bigger than anything that happens on this earth while still caring for us and loving us intimately...amazing.

This is at Ruggles Baptist Church in the Fenway area of Boston where my Dad pastors (almost 30 years!). It was great meeting some new people at the church and seeing some familiar faces too. It was especially great being there with brothers and sisters and my mom and dad and having JB, Gloria, and Benaiah there this time.

This is where Max and I started our relationship. I thought he thought of me as a younger sister and he thought I thought of him as an older brother eventhough we both had fallen for each other...but that's another story...it involved months of avoiding each other at first, swing dancing, overheads, and lots more I won't get into in this e-mail...sorry, a little reminiscing.

On Sunday afternoon Benaiah took his nap at the house with my mom cooking dinner while the rest of us saw Tyler cheer for a football team. It was a beautiful day and a good time with the fam. Tyler did a good job cheering.

Trip to the North End of Boston

Jonathan and Irina down by the Warf with Gloria and JB.

Mom and the kids! This area was where my family growing up took some memorable pictures.

JB and Gloria really wanted to take a ride on the "T", so I promised them one trip...maybe we would've done more but the T fare went up a lot since I lived there. Benaiah was especially excited about the Ts going by the house and on the way to the playground.

Playing

Sitting with Gramma Lois at the park

Oh so many new toys to explore!

Gramma Lois' and Grampa Larry's house!

We didn't quite fit on the couch....
Do you like JB firey socks? and...sorry about Gloria's oh, so lady-like postion...oops.

Gloria made an "attachment" right away to Irina.

JB, Gloria, and Benaiah were glad to have so many loving aunts and uncles show up!

Friday night Jonathan, Irina, and Luke drove from Amherst to spend the weekend in Brookline. I was so glad to see my brothers and my new sister-in-law!
...much better Gloria:0)

Daycare

Gloria and Benaiah playing in the sandbox - in the park that I grew up playing in.

My mom has had this wagon that fits six little kids for years! It has held up really well. Benaiah enjoyed sitting in it with the other kids...with his blanket, of course.



My mom has had a daycare for the past 23 years or so. She has 4-6 one and two-year-olds Tuesday through Friday each week. Somehow she manages to have a home daycare with lots of fun toys and books and keeps the house looking well-decorated and homey at the same time! Although my kids were not used to the routine and rules of daycare, they were excited to have other kids around (even though younger) and new toys to play with. They especially liked going to the park, which my mom goes to with the daycare kids at least once a day, weather permitting. While we were there, there was only one really cold day and the rest of the week was beautiful fall weather with colorful trees.

On the Airplane to Boston

It has been a while since I've written much on the blog, but tonight I'm in a bit of a writing mood partly because it gets my mind off of the election (the results I'm sure are coming in as we speak, and I don't think it's looking good for McCain). It's so good to know that God is in control and He appoints whom He wants to and who am I to question God?...He has the big picture in mind and the master plan!

Anyway, Here are the kids on the plane traveling to Boston, where we had not visited for about 5 years! I got up the courage to take the three kids to Boston on my own because most of my siblings are there right now (except for Emily - I miss you Em!) and my brother Jonathan got married recently and I really wanted to meet his new wife, Irina. My brothers Jonathan and Luke go to UMASS Amherst (two hours from Boston), my sister Jess is almost done with nursing school and JB, Gloria, and Benaiah have a cousin there, Tyler (Jessica's daughter - 12 years old).

The plane trip was not bad, even the walking through the airport and going through security. A lot of it is due to lots of prayer ahead of time...thank you God! and because Max prepared me so well. Max is the master of being prepared. He has done some commercial travel and has observed some moms with children at the airport (which is one reason I have not traveled by airplane with the three kids). He rigged the car seat to be a stroller by having it strap to a foldable luggage dolly, which worked terrifically as we wheeled and walked through the Atlanta and Logan airports.

JB and Gloria did great partly because they were so excited to go on so many different modes of transportation - the van (whoop-de-doo), a shuttle bus to the Atlanta airport, the Concourse train, and of course, THE AIRPLANE!!, the moving sidewalks in the Logan airport, and the interesting van (much cleaner than mine!) ride through the city of Boston. They also got to ride the T (Boston's subway system), which was one highlight of their trip.

Max prepared me for what I would have to take off (shoes!)and out of bags to put into bins at security so that I was not overwhelmed. I felt like a supermom using 10 bins for all of our different things. JB and Gloria were very good about obeying through security and they even helped with Benaiah, taking off his shoes and keeping track of him after he was taken out of the carseat/stroller.

We also bought Benaiah his own seat on the plane, which made it a lot easier too. He's in the wiggly, wants-to-be-independent in exciting situations phase. A kind of expensive trip, but well worth it!

Gulf Coast Beach

This is the kids' first time at the beach. Gramma Shell came too and had lots of fun in the waves with the kiddoes.

Visit with the Great-Grandparents!

These pictures were taken in South Carolina at the Sealy's house. The Sealys are good friends of the Bremer family.

Now with Great-Grampa Oompa (Mitch)

At the Sealy's place in South Carolina

Reading with Great-Gramma Gloria

Benaiah Strikes Again

Then Benaiah...went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day....These things Benaiah the son of Jehoida did, and had a name as well as the three mighty men...David appointed him over his guard.

2 Samuel 20-23 (parts)

We are raising another "Benaiah"

Gloria's Clean-up Song