Happy Thanksgiving

We just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to all of our friends out there. We are thankful for all of you.

And a special thanks to Alicia who left a nice message on our machine yesterday. We know there are lots of people who come and check up on us occasionally, but Alicia made Owen's page her home page - now there's pressure to get new material up. Thanks for calling, Alicia. We miss you and will try to call in the next few days.

We're headed to Louisiana. We hope you have a grea time wherever you go. See you on the other side of the holiday.

Oh yeah...quick Owen update. He's eating cereal now and loves it. Here's a picture of him eating.

Breaking News...Ben's Getting Married!

We got the phone call last night that we've been waiting for the last several weeks - Ben and Katie are engaged! Apparently Ben had quite the plan, which included stringing Christmas lights all over a bridge and asking some random people if he could plug them in at their house! Ahhhh, love. Well, the end result is that she said yes and there's going to be a summer wedding. We'll keep you all informed.

Congratulations, guys! We're very happy for you. Welcome to the family, Katie!

Trip to Iowa:The Final Chapter

These are just a few more random pictures from our time in Iowa. It was a great trip!!!

Owen and Mommy ready to go to church. What a handsome young man!


Owen chilling with Grandpa and Willie. He loves being naked!


Playtime with Grandpa. Grandpa loves to sing to Owen and play games that make him laugh and laugh.


4 generations of Schmidts- What a special time together

Trip to Iowa Chapter 6: Ben and Katie come to visit

Ben and Katie came to see us the last weekend we were in Iowa. They hadn't seen Owen since he was 4 weeks old and just sleeping and pooping all of the time. Uncle Benner commented on how much more fun Owen is now that he is smiling and laughing. We had a great time with all of us together (we missed Ryan though). Here are a few pictures.

Owen is sporting his new stocking cap from Ben and Katie. He'll need it when he goes to Minnesota to visit them.

Uncle Benner and Owen watching the Iowa game together. Go Hawks!!!

Trip to Iowa Chapter 5: An afternoon at the Pool

Dad and I took Owen to the pool one afternoon. He had been to a few swim parties this summer, but this was the first time he really got in and played around. He loved it!!! He splashed and played for almost 45 minutes. I even dunked him under a few times and he didn't cry once. I think we have a little fish on our hands.

Owen got his first swim lesson from Grandpa.

Trip to Iowa Chapter 4: Owen meets a bunch of Turkeys

On Tuesday night we drove to Iowa City to have dinner with a bunch of friends that we lived with in Turkey. Holly was already in Muscatine, so she drove over with us and we did a little shopping before dinner. We hadn't seen everyone since Mandy and Mark's wedding a year ago, so it was great to catch up. A special thanks to Mandy (the master party planner) for organizing this little get together.

Trip to Iowa Chapter 3: Owen's First Campfire

After church on Saturday night, we all enjoyed an evening outside by the fire. The flames kept Owen mesmerized. And next year he will be able to eat smores!!! Of course he will have to learn how to roast marshmallows from Katie because she is the best.

Trip to Iowa Chapter 2: The Pumpkin Patch

We drove down to the south end of Muscatine for a photo shoot at the Pumpkin Patch. It was a bit cold and rainy, but we had a great time picking out pumpkins and gords.

Owen searched long and hard to find a pumpkin just his size. It really wore him out.

Trip to Iowa Chapter 1: Meeting Great Grandpa Schmidt

Owen and Tara just got back from spending 10 days in Iowa. So the next several posts will be pics and stories from the trip. Enjoy!

Owen met Great Grandpa Schmidt for the first time. They became fast friends immediately. They had their special time each morning that they spent together. Great Grandpa is very proud!

Our Confused Son

I heard last week that USC is recruiting a 14 year old basketball player to come play for them, so I know that the recruiting process begins earlier every year. But there has to be a line! Case in point, in the 3 weeks that we've been seeing aunts, uncles, grandparents and old friends (and not blogging!) Owen has received paraphenalia from 4 different universities - Louisiana Tech, LSU (boooo), Iowa. and Iowa State. He also picked up some Cubs pajamas, but that was a given - his dad wasn't going to allow someone else to pick his baseball team! When it comes time to actually pick a school he's not gonna know what to do!

So, let's see who out there has an opinion on this topic. Feel free to leave comments to vote for your favorite of Owen's new university outfits. Even if you don't care about the universities mentioned, you can vote according to color - remember, Owen's eyes are blue.

Looking good in blue!

You have to question whether Aunt Ta really wants what's best for Owen by putting him in such strange colors!

Uncle Benner got him the complete outfit - shirt, socks and bib. You know, Ben, just buying more stuff doesn't guarantee loyalty.
This is a full body bib that Aunt Jill got Owen. This will come in handy on those really spitty days.