Pumpkin Patch Run

Last night, Austin and Karsen raced in the Pumpkin Patch Run at the Y. It is a mile long race, one and a half times around the track at the Y. It was a beautiful evening, temperatures in the upper 60's and sunny. Great running weather!

Here is a picture of the cutest spectator there.


Here is Karsen finishing her race. She won the six year old girls division with a time of 10:25. She only had to stop and walk "for a little bit," but she really picked it up toward the end. She didn't beat her personal best time, but is hoping to for the next race. Right now, she is pleased with her trophy for the win!

Here is Austin in the strong finish. He finished second in the nine year old boys' division, ninth overall out of about 60 runners. He had a very competitive division. His time was 7:28, and his friend Jackson won with a 7:16. Jackson is also in the 3rd grade at Westwood, so Austin always knows what he is up against when they race. He beat his personal best mile time by more than 40 seconds, so we were very proud.

Bryce has been getting his exercise by vigorously kicking and playing with his toys. He attempts to reach up and grab them, and is very good at grasping in his chubby fingers. He especially wants to grasp his bottle to get the maximum amount out of it! Unfortunately, this type of exercise has done not much to reduce the number of chins he has, but at his age, the more there is of him, the cuter!!

Here are the boys after a full night and morning of having Cooper over to spend the night. He is such a polite little houseguest and he and Austin have such fun. It makes it even better now that Bryce sleeps all night now, too!

Fall pictures

Fall has been flying by here...next week is the kids' fall break from school. We have had a two month doctor appointment (24 inches and 13 lbs, 9 oz--whoa, big boy!), two month vaccinations (three shots, oh no!), the end of soccer season (with a near season ending shoulder injury, but since the season was over one minute later, it's all good), the beginning of swim season for Karsen (who is also becoming quite a great reader), and the return of mommy to work after being home for 10 weeks with Bryce.

Winter coats are being broken out...the temps have been in the thirties in the mornings!

Austin is excited for this Friday's Pumpkin Patch Run at the Y. He and Karsen are signed up to run the mile. Then Cooper, one of his best friends, will be picked up for a sleepover Friday night.

Karsen also has a big weekend ahead. She will be in the Pumpkin Patch Run Friday, is going to the Caribbean Cove with Graham for his birthday on Saturday, and then to Chuck E Cheese for Ella Garvin's birthday party on Sunday. She is also pumped for the school bake sale on Thursday morning--just what she needs with all the birthdays she is helping to celebrate this weekend--more sugar!


This little guy has been very fun lately. He is starting to "talk"--loudly and often! He has very strong legs and likes to kick, kick, kick. Our future soccer star, just like the big brother and sister.

Two month picture, taken on his two month birthday. What a happy little kid, except for between 6 and 7 p.m. By this time, he is completely worn out from the day and is FUSSY! But he is so sweet the rest of the time and loves to get packed up to go to all Austin and Karsen's games, practices, and school events.

October weekend

This is the first weekend it has really felt chilly like fall here in New Castle. Friday night Austin, Karsen, and Bryce went to hang out with Grandma Hall and Grandma Purvis at Grandma Purvis's house while Josh and I went to eat and grocery shopping. Austin stayed all night while the younger two came home to snuggle on the couch before they went to bed.

Saturday we had family pictures scheduled with Grandma and Papa Beneker, Amy, Keith, Luke, Erin, and Ken. They were supposed to be outdoors in a park, but it rained ALL DAY for the first time in a couple of months. So we had to move the picture shoot into the photographer's studio. Poor Bryce. It was not his day, and all he wanted to do was sleep so he was quite unhappy. Hopefully we got some decent shots, we will see later this week. The photographer was really nice to work with and her assistant was so sweet. Austin, Karsen, and Luke were very well behaved. Then we got to go to aunt Beth and uncle Mo's house for some yummy snacks and we played a really fun new game called the t-shirt game. Austin loved this game, particularly.

Today we are relaxing in our warm house before we have to start the work and school week again. Bryce is having fun in his bouncy chair with the dancing spiders, which wore him out, so now he is napping. The older two played baseball with Bailey from down the street and shortly we will be watching the Colts! Go Blue!

This is my last weekend off of work--I have loved my weekends with the family but I know the kids will be just fine with their great dad in charge while I am working next Saturday and Sunday nights. Smiles from the Morgan's!!

"Meet Bryce" Party

My wonderful friends Jennifer, Lisa, and Rebecca hosted a Meet Bryce party at Lisa's house on Sunday. It was planned to be a baby shower in July, but since it was postponed Bryce got to make an appearance!


They were the perfect hostesses. The warm chicken salad, green salad, muffins and cheese toasties were so good, and so was the whale cake!

The company was fantastic, we received so many nice gifts, and Bryce was adored by many.

I am very blessed to have wonderful friends and family like these!

What a Week!

This week, Bryce has slept at least 7 hours a night each night with the exception of last night, which was 6 hours. Wow!

He has been staying awake for longer stretches during the day and is very playful. He enjoys going to Austin and Karsen's soccer games on Tuesday and Thursday evenings with us. Austin is doing so well this year. He has scored three goals and is excellent on defense which he has been playing more of. Karsen has also scored a goal this year so far and has a blast whatever position she is playing.

We had a great time on Tuesday night when Luke came to spend the night. He was the most pleasant houstguest as usual. He loved playing with Austin and Karsen and was a very good helper with Bryce. We talked a lot about animals, and played a lot of kicking the soccer ball around, and looked at many baseball cards. He even slept in Karsen's bed all by himself! If having four kids is this easy, watch out there could be another Morgan baby soon--ha ha!! Just kidding!! But adding Luke to the mix was really fun for us.

Bryce has been showing his fan club (mostly his parents and siblings) his newest trick. Check it out :

What a big boy smile! I just melt when he does it, which is more and more often these days.

Tomorrow is our "Meet the baby" party given by my sweet friends Lisa, Rebecca, and Jennifer. We are looking forward to a great time with our friends and family!

Karsen has been hard at work on her animal project for school. She chose to write her report and make her poster on Hummingbirds. Now we are working on the oral part of her presentation to be given at the 1st grade Animal Museum on Friday.

Tomorrow our little fans will be cheering on the Colts, too. Go Blue!

1 Month Dr Visit

The "little man" went to New Castle Family Physicians for his one month checkup yesterday. He is now 21 1/2 inches long (19 1/2 at birth) and weighs in at 11 lbs, 5 oz. That is the 90th percentile in height and 95th + percentile in weight. We may have an offensive lineman on our hands!

In other news, I have joined Josh's fantasy football league. Updates of the hilarity to come. I have not a clue what is going on, and since Josh is the commissioner of the league I think he will veto any dumb trades I might make.

Rock Star Baby

The first month of having Bryce in our family has flown by!

He is a much loved addition to the family. Austin and Karsen adore him. They give him kisses each morning before they get out of the van for school, and the first thing they ask when they get in the van after school is, "Did Bryce miss me today?"

He has enjoyed his first visit to Grandma and Papa Hall's house (3 1/2 hours each way!) on Labor Day weekend, which was also his first night spent away from home with the family. He took his first dip in the pool there, too. He loved the water, but not the shock of cold at first!


He is beginning to interact more, with the beginnings of smiles and coos. Austin loves it when he kisses him.
Some playtime with his mat.


Crazy bath time faces.

The little man is filling out quite nicely. He eats 6 ounces of formula at a time now, usually about every 3-4 hours. He has a doctor's appointment tomorrow so I am eager to see how big he is.

The older two have begun soccer practices and are looking forward to their games beginning next week. They also have joined an after school program at the Methodist church here in town on Wednesdays called CCKC. They loved yesterday having lessons and playing games with their friends. Bryce also is going to his babysitter Chelsea's house every Friday afternoon so I can work in Austin's class for their Success Time program. Chelsea loves having a little boy around (she takes care of three little girls on and off through the week, one being Ross's little Emily), and has nicknamed Bryce "The Professor" for his serious looks and old man faces. He loves his Miss Chelsea, and I like going in to Westwood to see Austin and Karsen's school activities.