Indiana Family

We had the opportunity to go to Indiana for Patrick's 20 year high school reunion.  Twenty years??  Holy cow... where does time go? 

Many of our family members live in Indiana and we were so, so excited to head out there for a visit.  Only a few of them have had a chance to meet Calan, but he just seemed to know that they were family.  We sure wish we live closer!  I loved seeing our little guy in the middle of all the fun, being one of the kids.  He loves his cousins so much!

Our days and nights were filled with family.  We had BBQ's and ice cream, baseball games and lots of laughter.   

I especially loved seeing Cal with his grandma and grandpa. 

I love when Patrick's mom sings to Cal (she has an amazing voice)

and I love watching his dad play with him. 

They are amazing grandparents! 

  

Our trip was so relaxing and we made so many great memories! 

We feel so blessed to have such loving family members!

We can't wait to go back!

Our Cookie Monster

Cal is 14 months old, but for some reason in my mind he is still my baby boy.  I bought him an apron months ago thinking it would be forever before he would actually get to use it. (Isn't it adorable?)  Tonight we were all craving some cookies.  I decided to pull up a chair, get out his apron and let Cal help.  I thought he would quickly lose interest, but boy was I wrong!  He was curious about everything I did and helped to add most of the ingredients.

Cal LOVES peanut butter and could not get enough! 

 He was fascinated with the mixer, but more fascinated with licking the spatula clean.

He watched them bake and was ready to test out the fruits of his labor, so was daddy! 

What a yummy treat! 

Everyday is so fun as we watch our little guy explore the world around him. 

Everything is new and full of adventure. 

Two Peas in a Pod

Anybody that knows Patrick at all knows that he is a HUGE WWII Aviation freak enthusiast. He knows the name of every US plane flown during WWII and what it did.  He is a walking Google, seriously.

But when it comes to these historic birds, not all are created equal.  Patrick will argue that hands down, the B-17 is the most amazing machine ever made.  Ever.

In fact, I have heard him describe it with these adjectives- elegant, majestic, beautiful.

At a very young age, Cal is following in his daddy's footsteps and has taken a love to airplanes.  He will pick up one of his toy airplanes, wave it around and make a "Rrrrrr" sound.  Yeah, he's hooked!

Last weekend the B-17, Aluminum Overcast made a visit to Ogden (an hour north of our house).  There was no way we could miss this amazing opportunity.  We took Cal last year, but he slept the entire time. :)  This year was a completely different experience.  He is only 14 months old, but this boy could not get enough.  When we first walked up to the plane he started waving his arms and giggling. 

We had a great time watching it take off and land over and over again!  By the end of the day we all had sun-kissed cheeks and were ready for a nap. :) 

Cal slept all the way home, but held on tight to his new B-17. 



You and dad really are two peas in a pod! 

A Precious Mess

I love children's books.  I love the fun creative pictures.  I love the stories that teach a great lesson.  I love the stories that are just plain silly.  I love everything about them. 

For years I have been collecting children's books. 

I anticipated the day when I would sit and enjoy them with my children. 

Cal has several books in his room, but he loves to go into the office and pull these books off the shelf.  He is a quick worker, and before I know it he is knee deep in a pile of books.  We often read together, but sometimes I peek around the corner and watch him explore on his own.  He'll turn the pages, study certain pictures and even get a taste of things I suppose look delicious to him.  :)

Yesterday I saw him head into the office and knew he would be busy for a while.  I was next door in the bathroom getting ready for the day when I suddenly heard the very distinct sound of ripping paper.   Cal is not always gentle with the books, but he has never ripped pages before. 

I headed into the office to check out the damage.  He pulled off the jackets of several books and tore them in half.  Did I mention he is a quick worker? 

I held up the pieces and he looked at me with a very proud look on his face.  In a serious voice I said to him, "Calan, honey that's a no-no."  He began to shake his head, no-no as he picked up another piece to rip.  We gathered up the pieces and put them into the garbage. 

My  heart sank for just a moment seeing the pieces in the trash, but then I remembered buying these books and dreaming about this very day. 

Dreams do come true... and it's better than I could have ever imagined!

And besides, why does a book need a jacket anyway??