A lot of things!

Greetings friends and family,

Tonight is apparently my (Nate) night to blog. We have a lot of stuff to talk about. But mostly, people want to just see pictures of Jacob...understandably so. So why wait...here is a series of pictures with a brief synopsis about our events of the second half of November:

Thanksgiving Day: We went to my parents house in Middleburg for Thanksgiving over lunch, and then it turned into Christmas by evening. We enjoyed eating turkey and mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes and pie and corn and other stuff. It was a lot of food, and we enjoyed it immensly. Unfortunately, Jacob was quite upset about the Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day "performance" just like I was. We celebrated Christmas with all of my siblings and siblings-in-law with presents and supper and a rousing tournament of Scrabble being played at two different tables.

Friday: We made a family memory Friday morning when for the first time we cut down a Christmas tree. We went to Orange City to the Pine Creek Tree Farm. It was a beautiful fall day to do this activity. Jacob tolerated this activity. He rode in the stroller on the BOUNCY uneven ground and enjoyed riding on the trailer following a tractor. Especially memorable on this trip was the pickup truck we borrowed failing to start before we left the farm. Even more memorable was the accident that happened on the way home. A beautiful 7 ft. tall pine flew out of the back of the truck and sadly laid on Hwy 60 just north of Hospers. We had to rescue it and then decorated it today. Here is us with our tree and of course we couldn't have done it without our little little lumberjack boy!

Sunday: Today was a memorable day. We celebrated a day of family today. Jacob Ethan Breen was baptized today at our church. My dad officiated the worship service and my sister Sarah sang beautifully. Following the service we celebrated with family and friends at Pizza Ranch in Sheldon where we enjoyed having space and a good meal there. We were blessed to have many of our best friends and family come to witness this occasion with us. Jacob was VERY well behaved during church, and even let Aunt Sarah hold him during her musical number. A heartfelt thank you to all who attended and to those of you who helped us. Here are a couple of pictures from the day!

And then these pictures are just because we think that Baby Jacob is very cute! :)

sleeping through the night and other good stuff

So yeah, it's been awhile since I posted last. Life as you guessed it is busy! Everyone is busy! I am so thankful that Jacob is sleeping throught the night (has been for a little while - without waking at all - he had been not eating through the night but would cry and we'd still have to get up). This means we sleep more too, yeay!

Jacob has been a very happy, content little guy. We have been working hard to keep him on the schedule we figured out. This helps him sleep at night.

Nothing too terribly exciting has been going on really! This is a rather boring post, especially because I don't have pictures to add. (Well, I really do, but just not the time - they are not on the computer yet.) Perhaps over the long weekend.

Blessings on your Thanksgiving!
Nate, Mary Beth, Jacob

change of scenery

I saw on a few friends' blogs they had fancy backgrounds, so I thought I would try one out and be festive. We'll see how I like it - there's TONS of cute backgrounds, perhaps I'll have to change it frequently!



We had conferences last night, so a day off today - much needed! I've had a sore throat, achey ears and body. Today I woke up better than yesterday, so that was positive! Now it's gone to my nose...still with a few of the other symptoms. Trying to pump the vitamin c, wash hands A LOT, and drink plenty of water. My wonderful boys surprised me at school with a vase of roses from each of them, a card, chocolate, and water! Thankfully they didn't come at the beginning of my 1 1/2 hour stretch of straight conferences, they came at a break before I had to prepare for more to come!



We went shopping to Sioux City today (after sleeping in a bit). We're having Nates family Christmas on Thanksgiving night. Today was basically our only day to do the shopping for that event. We have most of that finished.



One of the fun things we did on our shopping trip today was buy items to go in a shoebox that will go to children in other countries who are less fortunate. We have been blessed by so many people during this year, we really felt led to try to bless a young childs life in another country. We don't know where our box will end but we pray the holy spirit will work in the young boys life who receives the box we have put together.

(So I'm not sure when it will say this post was made...I started it on Friday and am finishing it on Saturday night)

Happy National Adoption Day! The path to Jacob's adoption was not always the straight and narrow path that we maybe thought it would. 'Our' vision for how we thought our family would be formed was not God's plan for how He would bring our family together. The difficult times that we went through are certainly not forgotten as they are still very fresh to us. There are still painful times - we'd give anything to go through a pregnancy and have emotions and sickness and uncomfortableness. We do joke about how "I wore my jeans home from the hospital" and how incredible I looked when my baby was 3 days old. Sometimes, we have to look on our bright side of it, and that's sometimes what we need. Yet we have the most incredible baby boy, the Lord knew just the right characteristics and personality to give him. We are not 'lucky' that he is a good baby, we worked at training him and praying for him and God gave him a laid back personality - like his daddy. Adoption is incredible. God had our baby hand picked for us long ago and we praise him for Jacob. I look forward to celebrating these "special" days in his future - his 'gotcha day', and national adoption day/month. We want him to know the impact of adoption and celebrate those moments that other families may not recognize.

By the way, the amount of people that read this is amazing! We have been told by others, oh yeah, do you know 'so and so', they read your blog. We often wonder how you have heard about our story. Thank you to ALL who read my ramblings, check up on how our family is growing and adjusting, pray for us.

these are a few of my favorite things...cherry pepsi and dove chocolates

How is it that some people just know when you need a note of encouragement!? This week had been busy and the change of weather was very dramatic on me and my students! I certainly was looking forward to the weekend. As I was wrapping things up in my classroom at noon I notice a beautiful present on my desk. I am enjoying my cherry pepsi and dove chocolates...THANK YOU! :)

Earlier this week Jacob and I had quite the photo shoot. I put most of them on facebook but decided I should put a few more on the blog to satisfy your need to see the little guy. I have heard from many avid blog readers they don't like it when I don't post pictures! He's such a honey...

In case you can't read it, the picture above says: I vote for a change! (my diapers wet!)

I love to try out the various settings on the camera to see what will happen. The one above is in black and white, the one below I was messing with the colors and this is the 'neutral' setting in the colors option.

By this point, Jacob was pretty much non-expressive. (However, I do think this picture says a lot!)

I'm so glad I took time to play around outside earlier this week. Tonight is certainly a night to be cozy inside. I look forward to cuddling under a blanket and watching a movie and drinking hot chocolate.

I really really like christmas music, I heard a small sample today and got really excited. Is it too early to put up the christmas tree?! I do think so...I love doing it thanksgiving weekend and don't want to take away from the Thanksgiving holiday. Speaking of Christmas trees though....we've thrown around the idea of buying a REAL tree this year. We have not done this before...where do we get such a tree? I feel like I've been told to not buy them at the grocery store (or wherever they sit out side already cut for a long time) If anyone has ANY knowledge or pointers about real trees...let us know!

My husband is phenomenal! I am the most stubborn, sound sleeper I think he knows. I do not hear Jacob in the night. We have cut out Jacob's middle of the night feeding over the last week, but he still fusses or sometimes needs a diaper change. I don't want Nate to always have to get up with him, so I hope that I can try to be a lighter sleeper and respond to Jacobs needs. (Now I know that we need to let him cry it out too, but we know 'the cry' when he really does need attention)

Have an enjoyable weekend!

A beautiful fall day

As I am learning more about my camera, I am making Jacob put up with a lot of picture taking! He's a good sport though. Today was perhaps our last nice day for A LONG time. The temperatures reached into the 70s again today. Despite the wind, it really was gorgeous. I was able to make some piles of leaves - to only be destroyed in the wind tonight, I'm sure.

We cast our votes this morning - at 7am! We were surprised at the amount of people out voting already. It is such a privelege that we have the freedom to elect the leaders of our country. I am quite sick of the ads on tv and the phone calls (my poor baby who is trying to sleep keeps getting interrupted by the phone....ugh....why didn't we get caller id?!) If you call my house tonight, I probably will not answer the phone.

I will be doing one of three things this evening... 1) finish report cards (they are 90% finished!) 2) play the Wii 3) watch a movie. All of these with an occasional check on the election. I will also be heading to bed EARLY! We have been doing a great job of going to bed early, Sunday night we were in bed and asleep before 10! I hope that happens again tonight. I am very sleepy.

Thanks for checking in. Blessings to you and your family!

Hooray for Friday!

Wow, am I glad it's Friday! This was a very long week, I was looking forward to the weekend! Now I have so much to do around the house I'm not going to get it all done. I wish I could buy a maid at the harvest sale tomorrow. (My school has an annual auction - it's tomorrow) I am not complaining, because it only means I have been spending a lot of time with my precious family. Jacob has been a trooper in his stroller - allowing me to get a lot of work done outside. Most of my tulips are planted! I also organized/cleaned the garage! (Most of my strawberries, beans and corn that I worked so hard on this summer spoiled in the garage freezer....:( ) I felt very productive, but once getting inside I don't feel like doing that work!

Trick-or-Treaters were sparse at my door tonight. One trick-or-treater that I was super excited for was my husband! He delivered a delicious pizza and he was tipped with candy - I was glad it was him because I didn't have any cash to tip - my plan was give em lots of candy! Nate also got a bonus Jacob kiss.

So remember last night when I was hoping to be in bed at 10? It was about 10:05 ish that I was officially 'in bed'. Nate came to bed about 10:20 and I was sound asleep! THEN...I proceeded to either sleep through my alarm or decided not to push the switch last night and slept til about a quarter after 7! Chaos this morning! Praise the Lord Nate didn't have to work until 3. Nate so graciously got up with Jacob in the night as well - which only means I am on my own tonight! That's ok with me. Why when you are running late do you drop things 10 times more often then when you are not. From toothpaste to hair clips to keys......at least I did not drop Jacob!

Oh yeah, speaking of Jacob, as promised...this was his costume - he wore it yesterday to daycare. Isn't he so precious?!

Wednesday evening we attended half of Unity's football game. It was chilly that night, so we had Jacob bundled in his hat. Which I searched ALL over for - no one has cute hats small enough for a 2 month old. The one I ended up finding is XS and too big! He'll grow into it though I suppose. Jacob had his 2 mo check-up today. His doctor was dressed as a witch. It was comical watching her with Jacob! Jacob is developing just fine. He is in the 75th percentile for his weight and in the 25th percentile for height. We enjoyed our visit and will go back in 2 months - hopefully we don't have to go in before. Pray for a healthy baby this winter. The daycare had lots of sickness last winter and we pray that will be different this year.

One last photo for my niece Abby, this one's for you!

Tomorrow brings November and 60 degree temperatures. I certainly look forward to more gorgeous days!

In case I don't get to the blog before Tuesday - do your civic duty and VOTE!

N, MB, J

cleaned out gardens = naked looking house (2 months old today)

Wow, what beautiful days we have had today and yesterday and look forward to this weekend. This has meant I (MB) and J have spend a lot of time outside digging up flowers in prep for winter. Leaves are dropping like flies (is that possible!?) I am quite satisfied with the gardens, but tomorrow will spend more time trimming back bushes and hauling this grub away - in the back of our car - this is when we wish we had a truck. And planting some tulip bulbs from Holland. I'm excited to have beautiful tulips this upcoming spring!

I can't believe it's the end of October and I've only brought out the winter coat a few times (mainly for recess duty). Speaking of school...it's the end of the quarter which means LOTS of reports and testing going on. I enjoy the progress monitoring and watching my students develop over the year, but it's A LOT of work to get all of my report cards ready. It's way more than a letter grade, so much goes into a Kindergartener's report card. Then in two weeks we have conferences. (Which also happens to be the night of Katelyn's Fund - a topic which I am [was] super excited to learn about - and am probably going through at times)

We took a picture of Jacob in his 'costume' today. It certainly isn't much of a costume, but why would we spend money on one for a 2 month old? (What we got was $3 - that's a lunch at McDonalds for me, so I can cut one of those out for the week!)

Well, Jacob is getting sleepy and needs more attention than what his baby einstein music gym can give him. Which he THOROUGHLY enjoys - always with big smiles and kicking going on! It's a highlight of his day for sure.

We're hoping to get to sleep by 10 tonight, please, please, please shout my drooping eyelids!

With love,
N, MB, J