Stopping to Consider . . .

A dear friend reminded me last week that it's been a year since we received the referral for our wonderful Caleb. It's hard to believe that a year ago we didn't have this shining star in our lives. And it's amazing to me that I forgot the date that I thought I'd NEVER forget . . . the day we got THE CALL from our agency. But I did. Caught up in life, ear infections, tummy troubles, running around after a toddler with seemingly boundless energy while fighting a stupid head cold, trying to get through the always growing "to do" list and pulling my hair out a little at what remains undone . . . until I stopped and realized that I would not trade this chaos and perpetual state of undoneness for ANYTHING in the world. Nope, THIS is what life is about.

And speaking of life . . . we had confirmed week before last that the little guy needs glasses. In a big way. This poor little thing has been walking through a Vaseline-smeared life until last Monday when we picked up his new glasses! He clearly loves them and has been experiencing his new world ever since. His wonderment of how the world "really" looks is an amazing thing to witness!

Making the Best of It . . .

Having Daddy gone on a business trip isn't much fun, but video clips through email make a yucky situation a little better! Here, Daddy is reading "Fox in Sox" (a fine Dr. Seuss classic and one of their favorites!).

Caleb's First Haircut

Well, I finally gave-in and agreed that Caleb needed a haircut! It was getting a little wild and crazy there . . . BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Much more manageable . . . and he looks like such a big boy now!!

Beach Weekend

We spent a great 3 days at Moclips Beach last weekend with our wonderful friends the Scott's. I am limited on the number of photos I can post on the blog, so I just picked a few . . .

One chilly day out of 3 wasn't too bad for a Washington State beach!

Sunny day family shot!

Lovin' the beach!

First attempt at skim boarding with Daddy!

Summer Pictures

Although this Summer has been a little on the cool side, we've been having as much outdoor fun as possible. I've included a few pictures from some recent events:

At Woodland Park Zoo . . .

Daddy and Caleb enjoying the zoo . . .

Blueberry picking . . .

Our weekly schedule has gotten rather busy . . . something that's been great for a VERY active and social little boy!! Gymnastics, swim class and music class are meeting those needs, and we've been including as many playdates and adventures as possible!

We had some great news recently when Seattle Children's Hospital Pediatric Orthopedics took a look at Caleb's recent x-rays and declared his nutritional rickets completely gone. Can I hear a "YEAH!!!" from the choir please! :o)

He's grown to 31" in height and is now 25 pounds . . . a significant increase since the beginning of Summer. He's popped up 16 teeth (those eye teeth were murder!!) and still eats like he's training for sumo wrestling!

Happy Last Days of Summer to all!

One of the Best Vacations Ever!!

Kyle took last week off so we spent the last 9 days just playing in and around our home turf. It ended up being a fabulous week and one of the best vacations we've taken! I've included a montage of some of the highlights from the week . . .

The Fun Kind of Mayhem!

It starts with the chase . . .

Then the capture . . .

Finally the sneaky payback . . . !