thrifty acres

its been a couple years, but its time once again to get a real live summer job. the past couple summers i've been able to help diana's mom and david with a bunch of fix-up jobs and stuff.  this year though, we decided that i needed to apply to a few places for a summer job.  i filled in a few resume's figuring that nothing would really pan out, but a few days after filling one one, i got a call back from meijer!  over the next week or so i stopped in for a couple interviews and training, and now i work at meijer.  i've been keeping busy working three-four days a week stocking  in the grocery department.  its been good so far, i've done the whole grocery stocking thing so often (3 years in high school and 2 summers while teaching), that it took about 10 minutes for them to teach me and then i was off on my own like i had been working there for years!  its been going pretty good, the only struggle has been trying to help customers.  the last stocking job was 3rd shift when the store was closed, so its been different working while there are shoppers!  i havent been much help to customers with questions either.  i guess after a few more days i'll actually know where stuff is so then i can help!  all in all though, its been good to get out there and do a bit of manual labor, it gets me moving!

big boy hat

my mom gave us this hat.  i remember when ledger was first born she gave us this hat, i put it on him and it fell all the way down to his chin!  now, it fits perfectly.  i guess its time to admit that our little guy is getting bigger.  everyone always comments at how small he is.  sure, he is small, but i still remember him when he was only moments old- now that was small!  thinking about this hat that now fits will hopefully be a reminder to me of these two facts:  that our little guy is going to keep growing and isnt going to be little for long, i best make sure that i enjoy him as he is because he is constantly changing. and also to recognize what he is now and not try to hold on to the past.  i'll bet that if i keep these two things in mind i will be able to better love and appreciate our son.

morning lounge

the weather finally broke and its been a lot more comfortable lately!  every morning i get up with ledger and give the wife a break for a few hours, payback for the hours of sleep that i got during that night while she had to take care of his crying in the night.  well, its been so nice out that ledger and i have been going outside, right on the front walk of the house.  he does pretty well out there as long as the sun isnt too bright (our trees help a lot with that!).  he might be getting bored with the sights in the living room, so this is a nice change of pace.

toy jungle

diana decided that ledger needed a play gym so we went to the second hand store and found this one for pretty cheap.  there are a bunch of different hooks that you can put hanging toys on, so i scavenged through his different toys and put on as many as i could find.  we set it up and put  him under it.  oh my!  the look on his face was priceless- its like he had gone to heaven!  his eyes were as big as saucers and he was left silent and motionless- excitement overload!  the play gym has lights and sound that come from the top of it as well and ledger just could not take his eyes off of it!  he stopped sucking on his hand and just tried to take it all on, it was as if he were suddenly submerged into a jungle of play things.  i think it was actually too exciting for him, he began whining after a couple minutes from sensory overload!  since then i took off all but one of the hanging toys and he does a lot better now.  i guess there can be too much of a good thing...

hugs!

those are the moments i love the most.  its so wonderful to make him laugh, heart warming to hold him while he sleeps, but when he nestles his head into your neck or wraps his arms around you and pulls you in?  those are the best parts of being a parent.

grandpa time

diana's dad stopped by for an afternoon while we were in town- he wanted to spend some time with that cute little grandson of his!  it was so much fun watching her dad play with him.  its obvious that he so loves babies at this age, but its also funny because he doesnt quite know what to do with a baby boy.  he had two girls, so this is a bit new for him!
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date night!

with grandma and grandpa more than willing to watch ledger, diana and i took full advantage and went out on a bit of a date night!  we drove up to niles, michigan and took in a flick.  it was so much fun to just enjoy some time with my wife, with no child related responsibilities!  after the movie we took a walk behind the theater.  the theater is right next to the beautiful niles city park.  we took a little walk (it was about 146 degrees, so we didnt walk too far...) and stood out by the river for a while, just enjoying the quite time together like we were back dating again!  it was a beautiful night with such a beautiful girl- i am so blessed!

the lake retreat

we got the opportunity once again to go to south bend and see diana's mom and david.  for some reason they always seem to want us around lately...  we got to stay three days this time and had a total blast!  its such a nice treat when grandma takes ledger in the morning so diana and i can sleep a couple extra hours.  it was a ton of fun, david made some great meals, as usual, and diana even got to go out and enjoy the lake and go swimming while i stayed inside with ledger in the cool air conditioning.  we both got to do exactly what we love!
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falling off

um, maybe its time to start using that seat belt that comes with the swing, huh?  i love his totally innocent face!  there's a reason you got in that position, buddy, and it wasnt because dad put you like that!

growing

this little guy just keeps getting cuter and cuter!  ledger is becoming more and more alert as the days go by, it almost seems like he is changing by the day- each morning he wakes up with some new trick to show off to his mom and dad.  what has been so amazing is being able to see and recognize those little developmental steps that he is taking, inching forward little by little.  he seems to recognize people, getting excited when he sees his aunts, or grandmas, or grandpas, or cousins.  he has begun to understand the day's schedule, knowing that after he feeds he gets to play for a while and then its nap time (granted, he fights that one till his last breath!).  one of the things that i find especially hilarious is his constant desire to put his hands in his mouth- and he can get those mitts of his pretty far in there!  i think he he tried hard enough he could get his whole fist in there!  along with those new skills he is showing more and more of his personality, which is so much fun.  every time i see him i get so excited about getting to know him and getting to build a father/son relationship with him.  i know how close i am with my dad, and i cant wait to begin forging that lifelong relationship with my son.
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miranda's grill out

miranda invited us over for her birthday.  she was getting together with a few friends and family at her husband's parents house and really wanted diana and i to come.  ok, really she wanted ledger to come, but knew she had to invite us as well!  it was a good time, we had brats and dogs on the grill, caught up with everyone, had some really yummy cake, and got to sing an off key rendition of 'happy birthday'!  and really, isnt that the best way to sing it anyway?
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can you hear me now?

ha!  from the front, ledger looks perfectly normal- adorable!  but check out those ears from the back.  look at those whompers!  he's going to have the best hearing in the world!

all hail the heat

i have had about enough of this super hot weather!  the thermostat hasnt dipped below 90 in days, and we dont have central air.  we have been trying to survive on a small window unit and an intricate series of fans!  well, recently we got some really strange weather a midst all this terrible heat.  it seems that a storm was brewing, but what came down at first wasnt rain, but rather hail!  i tried to take a picture of it, but i didnt want to step outside too far for fear of one bopping me in the head!  this stuff was coming down hard and was the size of large marbles!  it lasted for about 10-15 minutes and then turned to rain eventually.  fortunately our car was saved from becoming a giant golf ball with all the divots that hail can cause, but it was sure strange!

swinging owls

what is it about those owls?  diana picked up a swing for ledger a few months ago, she found a great deal on it.  it was in great condition, but the little stuffed animals that hang over ledger's head as he swings are just two kinda lame looking owls.  they look pretty boring, as you can see; we figured that we would have to try and find some other sort of toy to put in their place so ledger could have something interesting to look at.  well, it turns out we were way wrong!  these dumb little owls are ledger's favorite things in the world!  when we put him in the swing, he will stare at them so intently, babbling to them, and give them the biggest grins ever!  he doesn't even smile at his mom and dad the same way he smiles at those infernal owls!
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sis' new pad

on the way home from visiting my family we had to stop by sis' place to pick up our stinky dog! she recently moved and now diana has a chance to see the place for the first time! she is not quite moved in all the way, but has repainted the walls and it looks great! while there sis made us a great dinner which we got to enjoy on the top of empty boxes! she said that she will be getting a table soon, she just hasnt been able to bring it over just yet. no problem, i remember what its like moving, and it never goes as quickly or as smoothly as you hope it will! poco had a great time over there, going for tons of walks and everything. thanks again, sis, for doggie sitting for us!

sandy fun

we spent sunday out at the pines, this time with tim and jill and the kids stopping buy for lunch. it had been a while since the kids got to see ledger, so they were excited to play with their newest cousin! it was a fun visit, especially the stay at the cabin! by sunday night its time to go, but we had a blast!

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first lawn

this was one of the first times that ledger got to spend much time at sandy pines. he did a month or so ago, but then he was too little to really realize what was going on. this time, though, he was all about it! he loved looking around at the different sights and just taking in all the amazing new things. well, one of the things that he experienced for the first time was grass! diana and i put him down on papa's front lawn and he was amazed! with extra wide open eyes he took in the rich green color, and even put his feet down in it, wiggling his toes the whole time. it made me remember just how incredible God's creation really is, to see something as boring and mundane as grass through his eyes for the first time, to be filled with such wonder at what is around us! its good to gain that perspective every once in a while, huh?

great new digs

on saturday, before we headed out to sandy pines, diana, ledger and i stopped by jeffry lee's new place!  he had been looking for a different place to live for the past few months and recently found this one.  its a bi-level duplex and is amazing!  he found a really great place: its got two bedrooms, a big kitchen, a bath and a half, a garage, and about 1000 square foot of extra storage and work space in the basement!  diana and i were totally impressed.  as he was taking us on the tour we kept saying 'oh, this is nice', and then he would show us the next level of the house, 'oh, wow, thats great!'  and by the time we saw all four levels were were blown away- 'no way!  this place is amazing!- we're moving in!'
we got the chance to hang out for an hour or so, catch up, and rex even stopped by for a while too!  oh, and jeffry lee showed off his paper wad gun...

middle school reunion, take 2

one of the reasons we came to visit this weekend is because my buddy adam was having the second annual kelloggsville middle school reunion! i had so much fun last year that i couldnt miss out on it this time! it was a much more intimate gathering this year, last year there were almost twenty people there, this time there were only six, most of which were there last year too. it was still fun to catch up with everyone and chat. there was one new addition this year, our old friend nathan! it had been many many years since we had the chance to catch up with him. he is doing well and currently expecting twins! yikes! we had a great time and eventually called it quits around midnight or so. you know, i wouldnt mind if this was an annual event!

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sandy pack up

we were lucky enough to get the cabin for two nights, but that wasnt the end of our trip!  we wanted to stay through the weekend as well, so we packed up and headed to mom and papa's house for the rest of our stay.  in order to allow us to pack up a little easier, mom and papa offered to take ledger for another cart ride while diana and i got everything all set.  thank you so much- it really helped!

breakfast with the ladies

on friday morning my mom had plans to get together with grandma and aunt joni for breakfast.  mom asked if diana or i would be interested in going as well so we could show off ledger.  well, since this is a vacation, diana opted for the extra sleep (cant blame her there!), but i figured 'hey, i'm up with ledger at 6:00 am anyway, so i might as well get a breakfast out of the deal, right?'.  ledger and i were dressed and ready for mom when she picked us up, and we got to the restaurant only a couple minutes late.  it worked out perfectly though because that way joni and grandma were already seated.  mom didnt tell grandma that ledger and i would be coming, so she was quite surprised to have us there- good surprised!  the two of them, mom included, fawned over ledger the whole meal.  i just sat by, the ever proud father, as they passed him around and laughed at his smiles and giggles.  its always nice when ledger gets to see his extended family!
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cart ride

the coolest part of sandy pines has always been the golf cart riding.  well, ledger got one of his first opportunities to take a ride!  i wasnt sure how he would react, but that boy was as cool as a cucumber.  in fact, i'm pretty sure he fell asleep about two minutes in!  oh well, i'm sure he will appreciate it more when he is older.

bunker breakfast

with papa working evenings now, we wanted a chance to see him so we made plans to go out for breakfast to bunker hill with everyone.  diana got ready while i took ledger for a walk,and i quickly went to the showers when i got back.  it worked perfectly, because mom and papa were pulling in just as i was getting back- all squeaky clean!
we all hopped in their car (after switching the car seat base over) and off we went for some breakfast!  i hadnt been to bunker hill in years, but it looks like things have been going well for them, they are expanding and just about doubling their space.  the food was great and it was so much fun getting to show off ledger to mom and papa, they are always so excited to see their little grandson!
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cabin in the pines

diana and i planned to go up to grand rapids and visit my parents straight from south bend, unfortunately we didnt have everything we needed to extend the trip, so instead we headed back home for a night, regrouped, and drove up to g.r.  my mom was so excited about our visit that she made some pretty special arrangements for us: she got us a cabin at sandy pines!  usually when we come to visit in the summer we stay at my parents house and they stay out at the trailer.  this is a nice set up in that we get to have a place to ourselves, but the big draw back is that we have to drive back and forth to see them and we have to leave early so we can get ledger to bed and all that stuff.  well, my parents rented out a cabin for us instead, that way we got all the good and none of the bad of traveling or having to call it quits early!  diana was so excited about it that when we arrived and pulled in to the cabin lot she was absolutely giddy with excitement!  we checked it out, unpacked, and got ourselves comfortable!  the cabins are really popular out there, so mom and papa could only get us two weekday nights, which was perfect for us since we were arriving on wednesday.
the cabin itself was really tiny, but very cute (which diana mentioned often!).  there is one larger room with a big bed, table, and two chairs, and there is also a small back room that has two sets of bunk beds, an air conditioner, and a mini fridge.  a lovely little place to stay.  one problem though: no bathroom!  fortunately they built it only a hundred feet from the community bathroom, so it wasnt a huge deal.  we set up ledger's pack and play in the smaller room and we were in business!
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hanging at mom and davids

all in all we got to spend two nights and three days at mom and davids.  it was a great time, seeing the family, showing off our growing boy, and having a chance to relax!  i know diana is always rejuvenated when ever she gets to spend time with her family, so she was all smiles the whole time- and i'm pretty sure her mom and sister feels the same way!  i tell you what ledger, you are pretty lucky to have a family that loves you so much!  (oh, i better make sure that i mention that my family loves him a ton too, i dont want my mom getting mad or anything!)
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sea worthy

that monday and tuesday david and i got right to work!  he asked me to help out with getting his pontoon boat back in the water.  at the end of the season last year david decided that the torn up indoor/outdoor carpet on the boat needed to be replaced, so he took everything off the boat and painted it with a cool waterproof liner paint, the same kind of stuff that they use for truck beds.  well, the liner was all ready to go, he just wanted a bit of help putting the ol' boat back together!  there were a few adjustments to make as well, a couple new seats, and a bench that needed to be rebuilt.  we got right to work on it and over the course of two days almost got the thing back together!

first fathers day

we made plans to spend a couple days in south bend visiting diana's family.  we headed out to see them over the weekend, which just so happened to be fathers day!  diana invited her dad to stop by the house and join us for dinner, which was a ton of fun!  we didnt really do anything special for father's day, but we did get to eat some pretty good burgers on the grill!  this being my first father's day as a father, i'm told that this is exactly how most of them go, with nothing all that special happening.  mother's day is the big event, father's day is simply an after thought.  i sure am looking forward to getting a tie each year from ledger...
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baby fingernails

there are some baby things that i would have never thought of before we had one of our own.  diana did a lot of preparing for when our little guy would be born, reading up on what to expect and what to do to take care of him and all that stuff.  i thought about it a ton before he was born, looking forward to the special moments, the cuddles, singing him to sleep, you know, all the cute baby stuff.  but there are some things that just never crossed my mind until he got here.  little things, like clipping his fingernails, constantly pulling up his socks, or having a pillow to go under my arm when i am sitting and trying to put him to sleep.  i never would have though of these little moments, but i take joy in each and every one!

rescheduled shopping

now that its summer vacation, diana and i can do what ever we want during the afternoon.  well, what ever our little napping and feeding little guy will allow!  my mom took us up on that opportunity and we made plans to visit her in michigan city.  there is an outlet mall in town there and they have some great baby stores that diana had been wanting to visit for months now!  in fact, on the day that ledger was born we actually had plans to meet mom and papa in michigan city to do some baby shopping!  finally, all these months later, we got around to it!  mom and diana had a great time shopping and finding all kinds of cute baby stuff.  i was in to it for about a half hour, at which point i let them continue on while i wondered off to the book store.  an hour or so later they were wrapping it up, bags in tow, happy as clams!
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bumbo boy

now that his neck is getting stronger and he can hold his head up without any help, we can use his bumbo seat!  if you dont have a baby and have never seen a bumbo seat before, let me tell you- they are hilarious!  its a foam molded seat for babies.  i know, it doesnt sound that exceptional, but the seats are for babies who are much too little to sit up on their own, so its really funny to see our little 10 week old sitting up on his own and just chillin' on the counter!

building muscles!

last time we saw the pediatrician she was happy with how ledger is progressing.   he is developing very well:  tall and skinny, just like his dad... but one thing that she told us to work on is his muscle control, we have to make sure that we are intentional about giving him opportunities to work out his neck muscles so that he can hold up his own head.  she gave us a bunch of different exercises we can do with him every day and he will be able to hold his head up steady in no time.  well, we have been very dilligent in his exercises, and look at how good he can hold his head up now!  he is also working out the rest of his muscles and regularly stands up with only his hands being held- now thats a strong boy!

clean poco

recently we took poco to petsmart, he's been having some issues lately with regrettably living up to his nickname: stink bottom!  they will take him for a couple hours and clean him up, expel his glands, trim his nails, and clean out his ears for pretty cheap, so we figured it was worth it.  we are always a bit worried when we bring him to where other people or dogs might be.  see, our little stink dog doesnt really play well with others...  or so we thought!  when we went to go pick him up a couple hours later, the woman behind the counter talked about how sweet he was, that he was the best behaved chihuahua she has ever dealt with before.  what?!?  you are talking about our dog, right?!?  strange...  oh, and when we got him back he was also dressed in this ridiculous petsmart scarf- so adorable!

walking with daddy

now that i find myself with a ton of free time, i figured i should try to put that time to good use.  see, i dont mind waking up early, so diana and i worked out a plan: she takes care of him during the night, but once he wakes up at 6:00 am, he is all mine!  well, if i'm up at 6 anyway, i might as well go for a walk, right?  so every morning i put on my walking shoes, put little ledger in the bjorn, and off we go!  we usually put in between 2-5 miles, which ledger does a good job of sleeping through!  it can be a little cold for him in the morning, so he gets bundled up real good.  on those mornings it isnt cold, he still wears his hat, but now its to keep the sun off of him!  its been a lot of fun taking him out each morning, i usually get a few smiles from the neighbors who are up and at em that early too!  i've been taking poco out with us recently, which i'm sure causes even more funny looks from those we walk past...
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night time

we have been getting into the habit of giving ledger a bath each day before bed.  at first he seemed to hate them (i think he gets that from his father...), but since we have been doing it every night he has taken a little more of a liking to it.  he no longer whines and complains through out the whole ordeal, pulling his arms back when we would try to clean them.  instead he just silently watches as we wash him, scrubbing his tummy, pits, and toes!  he still doesnt much care for it when we wash his hair, all that water on his head still kind of freaks him out a little bit.
it has been quite helpful to create a pattern, or ritual, for getting ready for bed.  he  seems to understand that once he gets his bath then its time to get sleepy.  we wash him up, put on his pajamas, rock him in the rocking chair, sing him a couple songs, and then its into the crib with him!  some times he will fuss for five or ten minutes, but usually he goes straight to sleep.  if this keeps up, we are going to be very happy parents!

sitting with dad

when we are home and hanging out in the living room, i am usually in my arm chair.  our little ledger often wants to join his dad by hanging out on that chair too!  if i'm not trying to get him to stand up on his own, i let him sit next to me and just chill out.  his hands were bored, so i gave him this little burp cloth to play with, and boy did he love it!  he played with it, gripping it and feeling it, right up until the instant he fell asleep... which was about five seconds later.
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dad's crawdads

while at barbara's, the weather was looking good so we figured we might as well take advantage of it!  we grabbed ledger's stroller and headed off down the street.  this was the house that diana's dad grew up in, so he took us down to the creek he would frequent as a child!  he must have been feeling that childlike spunk, because, without hesitation, he pulled off his shoes, rolled up his pants, and wandered in knee deep!  he told us that he was looking for 'crawdads'.  now, as someone who did not frequent the outdoors as a child, i was not exactly sure what a 'crawdad' was nor did i entirely understand why he would want to go about finding some...  oh well, we had a good laugh about it anyway!
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to grandmother's house we go

with barbara missing ledger, and diana missing barbara, we decided to head over to osceola and visit dear ol' sis!  when we arrived, dad had a great pasta lunch on the stove for us to enjoy.  we ate in the living room, not the usual eating place, but with the house being sold, the kitchen table had already been taken away!  (barbara lived in grandma's house for a while, but the family recently sold it to one of the cousins, so barbara is moving along to her own place).  we had a fun time chatting with barbara and dad and laughing at our little ledger's antics!