my pumpkins in the pumpkin patch i started writing this post in october. that's why there are pumpkins. that's why bean is small. that's why charlie looks like ... i don't know, a pound puppy or something with his shaggy hair in his eyes. that i started this post five months ago and it remains largely unwritten - that there is also an unfinished post on a belated birth story for ben ... it is indicative of where our family is these days. we are happy - look at those beautiful boys in a pumpkin patch! we are grateful - we have so many blessings to count and recount and positively bathe in. we are together - there are so many of us! ok, there are only five of us. but that is a lot when two are loud blustery beautiful big boys and one is a sweet busy baby boy. oh, yeah, and technically we're six, with the world's orneriest dog. we are also certifiably insane. and by that i mean, everyone else is fine and i am crazy. * * * before we found out ben