Cade Turns One

Cade celebrated his first birthday the week we were together. He was so cute. At first he liked the look of his mini-cake. His hands went up like he was going to attack...maybe he thought is was mud. When he actually had it in his hands he changed his mind and let out a scream of distaste. When he put it in his mouth, he changed his mind again. He's a cutie.

But you hardly know he is around. He smiles...a lot. He's happy...a lot. She screams...a little. He also takes lots of naps, so he isn't around a lot. So, I don't know him too well at all...yet.

I felt really badly after we had been together at Christmas. There were hardly any pictures of Cade ~ a few of his carrier with him inside, protected from the cold of Colorado.

He definately has a look of Ekedahl about him...his hair line and coulick loooks just like Jim's at a young age. His eyes are huge but they squint when he has a broad smile. He's a cutie.

He's starting to get around crawling. His Uncle Paul taught us all how to teach a little one to crawl...put out a trail of Cheerios. He finally had a real reason to go!

He gets along with anyone, goes with the flow, sleeps almost anywhere (except in the car).

Watch for more on this little cutie!

Another grand adventure has been in the making for quite some time. For years Faith has wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride ~ and we have been waiting for Avery to be tall enough to join us. We finally went over by Madison, Wi on July 4th! Some day Anders, Ryan, and Cade will go with Opa!

It was a gorgeous evening and we had a great ride. Andy and Aimee were with the chase car and enjoyed seeing us go up, up and away!

Faith and Avery went with Oma and Opa for a couple of days on the White Iris. They enjoyed every minute...posing on the deck, taking turns at the wheel. using the head, eating lunch on the water, sleeping in their own little berth. At one point Avery said, "Oma, I don't want you to ever leave Wisconsin...you would have to sell your boat." Great fun!

Adventures in VA and PA

As I posted this, I realized again how much Avery LOVES PINK...it really shines through in her choices in clothes, shoes, hats, and headbands! We had such fun with the school activities, birthday celebrations for Faith's 8th birthday, and soccer. We went downtown on Saturday and took the Canal Boat Tour which they all three seemed to enjoy.

Sunday afternoon Andy, Faith and Avery went to a baseball game ~ something Aimee arranged through Faith's school. Looks like they had a fun time eating their way through the afternoon.

We spent the afternoon at Independence Mall in downtown Philly before taking Faith to the airport to meet up with her Nana and Grandpa to go on the grand adventure to Scotland and England. There were hundreds of school groups (or so it seemed) down there that Thursday, but we enjoyed the self guided tour of the Mint, the Liberty Bell, the various statutes, as well as Washington Park. It was a nice day and didn't start raining until we were half way to the car.

Friday morning before we left New Holland to head home, Janet took us over the Lapp Valley to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the farm. Ryan isn't shy around the huge cows at all and Avery enjoyed the newborn kittens.

We got home Sunday afternoon just in time to get out to Cedarly to welcome a full house full of guests for the week...tired but very happy we could help make it possible for Aimee to go on her 6th missions trip to Romania

Soccer Stars

Faith and Avery are both involved in Upward Soccer this spring. Faith has been doing it for 3 years and this is Avery's first year. It was fun to see them in action on the field ~ in games and at practice while we were in VA caring for the kids in May.

I have great kids!

Thanks much to my thoughtful and kind daughters for a beautiful arrangement, delivered on Friday with wishes for a great Mother's Day.

I'm go glad I have had the incredible privilege of being a Mom (and now an Oma).

It is rewarding to see how God has worked in their lives, how they have matured, and what wonderful women they have become.

On top of that, they are doing a fantastic job as Mother's themselves ~ gracious, loving and kind!

Last but not least, they married well ~ the best sons a mother-in-law could hope to have!

Mother's Day 2011

I'm enjoying a wonderful Mother's Day, even tho the kids and grandkids are 1,000 miles away. We went to church last night and out to Mama Mia's for dinner, so this morning we took off for the Kettle Moraine State Forest down near Eagle, WI. We spent a couple of hours hiking the Emma Carlin Trail...4-5 miles. We enjoyed a variety of spring wildflowers along the trail, but the trees and bushes haven't leafed out much. It's a beautiful day ~ sunny and in the 60's with blue skies. Can't get much better than that!

Note to self: come back in the fall ~ the color will be spectacular!