progressing

Now that we have a progressing hairline around here, I have a new favorite body part to add to my list.

Yep, it's the little duck curl that comes out when his mood is just right. I love it!

the learning curve...

I heard squeaking coming from the bathroom...

Apparently climbing into the tub has a few kinks that still need to be worked out.

(Dad, this is your fault for trying to teach him how to climb in!!!!)

score!

We were just out for a walk after dinner through our apartment complex and found this leaning against the dumpster. When I saw it, I said out loud, "I want that!"

As we walked over I was sure there would be something very broken about it. But, I couldn't believe it! It's only missing one wing nut and even has the paper roll bar still with it. So Jonathan carried it home and I wiped it down and Charlie stayed up way past his bedtime while we set it up and ate ice cream.

Now all we need is some chalk, paper and paint or the companion set and we will be artsy artists creating in style around here. What an encouraging gift from God!

'Uncle' Brian blows through town!

Over Spring Break, our great friend and brother Brian the fantastic visited. Charlie smiled at him right away, which is rare and just goes to show our whole family was on the same page about how wonderful having a visit from Brian really is.


The visit would not have been complete without some gaming. Here they are setting up headquarters in our bedroom so they could while away the hours of Charlie's naps blowing up things and getting guns with more damage and other cool stuff like that....(can you tell I don't game myself? Ha!)

We grilled burgers in the rain...and it almost felt like Seattle home!

We took Brian to see the Zoo. (It was much better than our last Zoo excursion!)

Charlie really got into the monkeys. He can make monkey noises now and I think that helped.

It was a beautiful day for ogling at animals.




That night Brian took us out to dinner downtown. We ate at a place called Mango, a Peruvian restaurant. It was really interesting and yummy food. Charlie was the perfect gentleman throughout and we even got to enjoy flan for dessert. What a grand time!

Having Brian here was SUCH an encouragement to us on so many levels!

Thank you for visiting us Brian!

of course not!

Of course I'm not the sort of person who would give my child half the vegetables I cut up for dinner, just to keep him entertained while I make that dinner!




It would be so silly, really, to do such a thing....

the grandparents visit

enjoying tub time


scrunch faces on the couch


cleaning with Grandpa

cuddling with Grandma


Grandpa changed this diaper...can you tell?

fixing toys


rescuing homemade igot jam from its broken bottle

bears

animals

books

goodbyes said too soon

empty house....

anna banana

Charlie has been carrying around this picture of his cousins playing in the snow. He periodically comes up to us and we point them out, "This is Andy. This is Emily. This is Rebecca and this is Anna!"

Each time we say Anna's name, he makes the sign for "banana" and looks as us and laughs.

Jon's Wedding Weekend

My youngest brother Jon got married this last weekend in Louisville, IN.

We got to go on a roadtrip to help him celebrate! It was our first since Charlie entered our lives, and it brought back great memories!

Charlie learned a new word. "Duhk"

And was very excited every time we passed a truck.

I got to put in some major hours knitting, which I haven't done in ages. It just felt SO good!

We got there in time for the rehearsal dinner. Here is Jon with his lovely bride-to-be Zanna.

My grandparents drove down from North Carolina to be there.

The next morning we all met up for breakfast at Zanna's grandpa Less's house. He played the part of short order cook and served us up custom eggs with waffles and grits and hash browns and bacon and sausages. It was amazing!

Everyone had fun with Charlie too.

And Charlie helped out his Uncle Erik with some last minute wedding projects.

That afternoon he got all dressed up for the wedding in his Barong Tagalog. It was a present from my dear friend Nerissa in the Philippines, and hand carried to us by my parents. It fit him just right and he got so many complements on his fancy shirt!

Aunt Jerrilyn wanted to eat him up!

The wedding was beautiful. Jon got such a wonderful look on his face when he saw Zanna coming down the isle!


We fed Charlie fish crackers during the wedding. (He made some very vocal comments, but other than that was as well behaved as you could ask a 13 mo old to be!)

My Dad celebrated their communion.

They kissed (and kissed and kissed!!)

And then we cheered them back down the isle as man and wife.

Charlie stuffed his face at the reception afterward....

Zanna made her own wedding cake.

We all agreed;

It was very, very yummy!

There was mother and son dancing...


And then we wished them farewell...



What a great time!