Watching Gage Grow

Spidey-Scooter

2009-08-24T11:29:00.003-05:00

Camping '09

2009-08-19T11:05:00.002-05:00

Lake Arrowhead. It's a nice campground with a fabulous kids' pool.

Random Pictures of My Handsome Son!

2009-04-20T16:01:00.001-05:00

Our Christmas Card Photos

2008-12-27T10:45:00.004-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

Love Hate relationship with Santa

2008-12-15T11:33:00.002-06:00

He was soooooooo excited to see Santa. He could hardly wait his turn in line..but then he got up there, and wouldn't do it. We bought a crummy picture for 20 bucks, and went to shop in the mall. 15 minutes later...."I want to go see Santa!". Hmm, so we go back, and this time with a little coaxing we got a pretty good picture. Three year olds...you just never know what's going to happen!

Walking in Daddy's Shoes

2008-11-17T16:26:00.003-06:00

He loves wearing Daddy's shoes - or in this case boots!

The Incredible Hulk and ChinkleBell

2008-11-01T09:10:00.006-05:00

It was so warm out the kids didn't even need coats!

Since Gage didn't want to wear his mask, I thought I'd make use of it!

The Pumpkin Farm 2008

2008-10-13T11:37:00.003-05:00

The pumpkin farm was fun - especially since it was uncharacteristically about 80 degrees! Gage always loves the animals, and he got a kick out of playing in the hay on the hayride. He kept saying, 'Look it's a squarecrow'!

Three Year Pictures

2008-09-26T10:30:00.002-05:00

He looks like such a big boy now, doesn't he? The last picture includes his little buddy, Omri.

Our Baby's Three

2008-09-15T13:31:00.003-05:00

Where has the time gone? Seems like I just blinked my eyes and he went from a baby to a big boy :)

Little Mechanic

2008-09-02T09:10:00.007-05:00

Ryan is very handy about fixing things, working on cars, etc., and Gage always wants to help. He has his own little work bench (rummage sale, $1), and many tools!

Ryan was fixing his brakes here, so the tires are off the car. Notice Gage has the lugnuts on his fingers! Needless to say, he was absolutely filthy! Oh well, a little dirt never hurt, right?

The Many Faces of Gage

2008-07-24T10:22:00.004-05:00

More vacation fun.........We visited the Philly Zoo, and found this great mask. Doesn't it remind you of 'Planet of the Apes?' The face painting was done at our hotel. There were people at the free breakfast everyday painting faces and making balloon animals. All the kids there loved it.

More Sesame Pics

2008-07-14T11:03:00.002-05:00

The theme park had a recreation of the 'street' you see on Sesame Street TV show that included a fire house with a fire truck. I think this was one of Gage's favorite parts of the whole park!

Preview of our P.A. Trip

2008-07-10T12:05:00.001-05:00

Sesame Place! The perfect theme park for a toddler!

My Little Boy Loves Trucks!

2008-05-31T10:19:00.003-05:00

Nearly everyday we go into the field behind our house to watch the trucks. Gage knows the name of every truck including the 'hulbarizer' (pulverizer). He just can't enough of them!

Of course, finding rocks and throwing them is great fun, too.

Movie Nights at Our House

2008-05-12T13:47:00.005-05:00

These pics are just ones I liked. They don't have (or need) any explanation I guess!

Pay-it-forward

2008-04-28T14:18:00.003-05:00

OK, I'm part of the pay-it-forward fun now, thanks to Julia.
How does it work?
Here are the rules:
I will send a handmade gift (of my choosing) to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this "PIF" exchange, and who make the same pledge on their own blog.
The only thing you have to do in return is PAY IT FORWARD - on your own blog.
So, if you want to get a homemade goodie from me, and are willing to do the same via your blog, let me know! (I have 365 days to pull this off - thanks goodness).
(Note that you'll need to give me your real (snail mail) address... which you can do by private email.) Just leave a comment and I will get with you.
So, who's up for it?

Yes, that's spaghetti on the wall!

Dino Museum

2008-04-25T17:40:00.005-05:00

They have a little tiny dinosaur museum in my home town, and it was just the right size for a 2-yr. old. Here he is below with Grandma.

Easter Morning and Filling Daddy's Shoes

2008-04-07T13:02:00.007-05:00

Gage found his Easter basket in the laundry room. The Easter Bunny didn't make it too hard for him :)

At church, just waiting for the service to start...

Gage wants to fill Daddy's shoes, I guess!

Dye Job

2008-03-31T10:46:00.003-05:00

I'm a little behind, but here's some egg-dying pics. Last year Gage thought the eggs were balls, and wanted to throw them. This year, he just kept wanting to bang them on the table to see them crack!

Here he is cracking one...

Gage has been tagged!

2008-03-22T08:21:00.002-05:00

Gage has been tagged by Tuki to list 10 things about himself. I'll help him type :)
We tag John Bryan and Brayden.

Here's his list:

1. I love monsters of any kind. Wolfman is one of my favorites. I now have to go barefoot all the time just like Wolfman. Skeletons are especially cool.

2. I like broccoli!

3. I like to pretend my food is something gross (spaghetti = worms.....)

4. One of my favorite movies is Toy Story.

5. Tractors are way cool, especially John Deere tractors.

6. I am 100% boy, but I still like the Little Mermaid!

7. Whenever we come home, Mommy says, 'home on the range', and I shout, 'No range!'.

8. I know all my colors, but if I ever get one wrong, I will argue with Mommy!

9. I can ride my trike and my john deere tractor!

10. I can count to 16, but I won't do it unless it's my own idea!

Some Funny Stuff

2008-03-19T15:15:00.004-05:00

I try to write down things says that Gage says that are cute...here are a few recent favorites. Can you guess what he means?

ass-ka-dent
macky-cheese-and-roni
finger snails
serious fute bah

For the most part he talks really well, but he does come up with some good ones!
He also asks me everyday, "You a girl, Mommy? Too funny.

The Hunt is On

2008-03-10T11:07:00.011-05:00

This is what an Easter Egg hunt looks like in Wisconsin - yes, that's snow. We've had lots of it. It doesn't deter our tough little Wisconsin kids though - anything for candy filled eggs!

Two-fisted chocolate - what could be better?

And then...the sugar crash.....

"I can stay home myself"

2008-02-24T09:01:00.002-06:00

That's what Gage told me last week when he didn't want to go to daycare. He's getting to be pretty independent (or thinks he is)!

Below he's riding his trike and his John Deere in the snow. He loves both and will ride the trike for blocks!

High Tech Boy

2008-01-21T13:03:00.000-06:00

Gage is definitely a child of the high tech world. Although he will say 'go Pack', he definitely didn't want to watch a 3 hour game on TV. So here he is watching his movie on the computer. After a while he was laying down on this chair (minus the bucket)!

Our First Snowman!

2008-01-17T14:26:00.000-06:00

Here's Gage and Daddy making Gage's first snowman. Last year he was too little, but this year he's plenty big to play in the snow.

Time out for a snow angel!

Umm...Gage...I'm not sure that's where the carrot goes....

OK...that's better...you just needed a little boost!

Putting Up the Tree

2007-12-31T13:11:00.001-06:00

Gage has to help Daddy and be right next to him!

I think he had just as much fun going through the boxes of decorations as he did opening presents!

Freya, one of our very understanding dogs...

The Christmas Parade

2007-12-12T11:08:00.000-06:00

This was the Christmas parade in Milwaukee. It was actually in November, so I'm a little behind. Luckily, the weather wasn't too bad (for Wisconsin in November, that is).

Gage loves the Grinch, as you might guess from these pics. Don't tell Santa....

My Little Boy, the Elf

2007-12-06T16:18:00.000-06:00

This is so cute. The website lets you put your kid (or anyone's) face on an elf, and he dances around.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1193807201

I can't wait to show Gage this. He loves elves (or 'effs' as he calls them!)

What a Difference a Year Makes

2007-11-30T09:38:00.000-06:00

This year's photo with Santa and last year..... He's grown so much, and got so much hair!

Cowboy Gage Goes Trick-or-Treating

2007-11-08T14:08:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure who had more fun - Gage or me and Ryan - going trick-or-treating. It was so fun to watch his excitement. When he got that first piece of candy is his bucket, his eyes got so wide! After that he wasn't shy at all about saying trick-or-treat. The next day he said, 'Mommy let's go trick-or-treat!'. Sorry, Bud, only once a year :)

My Big Boy

2007-10-14T09:27:00.000-05:00

Here's Gage's 2-yr pictures and his annual pictures taken with best buddy and Guatemalan cuz Omri. Aren't they gorgeous?

We're so lucky to have a little Guatemalan buddy for Gage. He just lives a few towns over, so the boys can grow up together.

Our Boy is Two!

2007-09-24T12:16:00.000-05:00

Everyone tells you the time will fly, but this is crazy! Didn't we just bring this boy home a couple of months ago?? Sigh...I guess not, because he just had his 2nd birthday!

It fell on a Thursday, so we spent that evening with just the three of us. We gave him this pedal tractor and "Cowboy Woody" from Toy Story. Then we went to A&W for supper, and brought our own cupcakes.

I found the perfect card. It plays the theme song from Toy Story (You've got a friend in me......)

The party was on Saturday. The cake and all the decorations were from Toy Story.

A present from Grandpa.

The M&M dispenser was a bit hit. You press it's foot, and candy shoots out into the sidecar. I took this picture just as he realized he could take the hat off and get the candy that way!

After the party, he got a chance to play with the balloons, and had a ball.

He likes to nap with Woody :)

Only My Kid.......

2007-09-08T17:22:00.000-05:00

This is Gage watching TV. Yes, that's a skull on top of his head. (He's into skeletons these days). About 2 minutes before this he had his foot in the skull, and was wearing it like a shoe, but I missed that one!

Did I mention he sometimes sleeps with the skull??

My Funny Boy

2007-08-27T18:26:00.000-05:00

Gage is obsessed with "Toy Story", especially Woody. The other day he wanted me to put the movie on for him, so I said "OK, I'll put Cowboy Woody on". So he gets all happy and excited, and says, "Good boy, Mommy!!".

This picture doesn't have anything to do with the story, I just liked it.

Gage's First Camping Trip!

2007-08-23T09:58:00.001-05:00

Neither Ryan nor I has been camping in probably 20 years. But since little boys usually love campinng, we decided to start again. Our Church had an outing planned, so that was the perfect way to get going on it.

Here's Gage trying to do his part, but I'm afraid that cooler weighed twice as much as does!

They had a tot playground with lots of cool things to do. This "digger" couldn't have been more perfect for a boy who loves trucks, tractors, construction equipment........."

Campfires and smores were as much fun as I remembered. Gage loved the light stick, of course. All the kids had them, so I'm glad Ryan thought to get some.

Gage had no trouble sleeping. He woke up once, sat up, said, 'Mommy?'. I said, "I'm here...", and he went right back to sleep. My big boy :)

They had karaoke night at the lodge, and guess who was a dancing fool? No, it wasn't me.....

Just chillin'

Here's our group cookout. Why does food taste better outside?

We got some rain, but overall still had a very good time.

Little Boy Blue

2007-08-13T12:47:00.000-05:00

We bought blue sand for Gage's sand box. Take a look at the picture, and let me know if you think he likes it :)

The County Fair

2007-08-02T15:39:00.000-05:00

We went to our County Fair this past weekend. It was really nice - I hadn't been in years. We usually go to the State Fair, but it seemed like it might be too much with the little guy. Blazing hot that day......

It came as no surprise that Gage's favorite was the tractors and big trucks. Maybe next year we can see the tractor pull. This year it was going on after his bedtime!

He had his first merry-go-round ride - first with Ryan then with me. He was laughing and scared at the same time.

When we got off he was looking at another BIG ride next to the merry-go-round and pointing to it and muttering, "No ride, mommy, no ride."

The petting zoo was a big hit...for Gage and for us!

Boys and Frogs

2007-07-23T14:58:00.001-05:00

Actually, they're toads. Can you spot the toad in the first two pics?

When the toad jumped off Ryan's hand Gage yelled, 'GET IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'

Do I Hear Wedding Bells?

2007-07-04T18:32:00.000-05:00

This is Dee, who is also from Guatemala. We met her and her parents on our visit trip, and lucky for us they don't live too far away. Her mom and I and the kids got together for lunch and a walk through the park, and Gage and Dee got along wonderfully. So, anyway, the date for the wedding is tentatively set for 2027...are y'all free? :)

Here Dee teaches Gage the latest dance craze for the toddler set.

In turn, Gage teaches Dee the "pick all the grass and throw it" game.

Does it get any sweeter than this? Wait, yes it does. Keep going......

Awwwwwwwwww..

Sigh...they grow up so fast......

Chill Out

2007-06-17T11:28:00.001-05:00

Gage has discovered the garden hose. I think the pictures speak for themselves!
He also has discovered frogs........ :)

The Great Outdoors

2007-05-29T11:53:00.000-05:00

We went out to Camp Charles Allis the Sunday before Memorial Day. We weren't so much camping as hanging out at the lake. We all had a good day, but Gage especially loved that his cousins, Sam and John Paul, were there. He looks up to them and tries to imitate what they do. It was a beautiful day, too, sunny but not too hot.
Tetherball! Gosh, I haven't played that in sooo long!

That's an official bug box the boys are looking at. They got caterpillars, dragonflies, and a toad. (They let them all go, though, so bug-lovers please don't come after us :))

There's a very big playground the kids all love.

Gage and new friend racing to the top.

With cousin, John Paul.

That's my sis-in-law holding Gage. I'm in the bright pink shirt.

Our Adventures Up North

2007-05-21T10:50:00.000-05:00

We went to visit some friends the second week in May in Northern Wisconsin. They built a beautiful log home on 7 acres of land. They were kind enough to take not only the three of us, but our two dogs as well. We all had a great time, but Gage and the dogs loved the freedom of running around all that land.

This was on the way up. The dogs were soooo excited. I don't know how Gage could sleep through that racket!

We got up there late at night, but the next day, Gage found lots to do. It was paradise for a little boy (and the dogs!)

Our friends, Barb and Lee have young grandchildren, so they are well prepared with toys.

Daddy and Gage playing chase. Looks like Daddy got him :)

That little guy was not afraid to go exploring! See how far he went without us?

Barb and Lee getting Gage ready for a nap.

They also have two dogs, so it was something of a dog riot up there!

The best part for Gage was Lee's tractor. He'd run for it everytime we went outside. It was awful trying to get him off of it!

It was such a thrill for him.

Breakfast at the coffee house. The coffee, food, and atmosphere was great!

Sometimes He's Mommy's Helper

2007-05-17T13:32:00.000-05:00

My boy, helping me clean up.

Daddy's Helper

2007-05-04T09:13:00.000-05:00

Gage loves all things his Dad loves, and always wants to help. If it involves tools all the better. Here he is helping to assemble his new bookcase.

Let's jump right in, and get started...
Where are those instructions?

I'm not sure where this piece goes...

...but I think this piece is really important!

I'll take care of the screwdriver!

Good job, Daddy, you were a big help to me!

Snip! Snip!

2007-04-24T15:57:00.000-05:00

Well, we finally did it! I loved Gage's curls, but his hair grew so much faster in the back and on the sides than the top, that he was beginning to have a mullet! He did sooo much better than I thought he would. There were only a couple of times he looked like he might cry, but Ryan held his hand, and he was fine. Afterward - ice cream!
I do miss those beautiful curls he had in back.

The first two pics are the before shots.

Easter Fun

2007-04-16T18:13:00.001-05:00

We had a very fun Easter. Last year was great, but this year was even better because Gage was able to do an Easter egg hunt and dye eggs and really participate. Also, since last Easter we have joined a church, so the service was special. For Easter dinner we went to my mother's house.
Here's the Easter Bunny visit at the mall. I had bought cookies to bribe him into sitting with the bunny, but we didn't need them - he loved it!

And this was the egg hunt. He caught on pretty quickly. When all the eggs were gone, he looked around like, 'Hey, I wasn't done yet!'.

The egg dying was hilarious, if not messy. He was fascinated with how the eggs changed color. It's fun to watch him to try figure things out. Unfortunately, I heard him call the eggs, "ball", just before he started hurling them around!

Getting reading for church....Daddy was having fun with Gage's long locks... We call this his Sanjaya look. Those of you who watch American Idol will understand.

At church...

Trading Easter baskets with cousin Sydney.

My mother with all 5 of her grandkids.

Wild Man

2007-04-07T11:42:00.000-05:00

Gage is in daycare three days a week, and at the end of each of those days we get a little report. Here's the report from Wednesday. Check out the part I highlighted. I have a feeling the next 17 years are going to be quite a ride!

Like Father, Like Son

2007-04-05T10:12:00.000-05:00

Gage sure loves his Daddy, and even at this young age, he wants to copy everything he does. Ryan took him outside to play the other day, and when I looked out, this is what I saw. It doesn't get much cuter than that!

Our Little Sailor

2007-03-31T08:30:00.000-05:00

I was so excited to have Gage's 18-month pictures taken in his new sailor suit, but he just cried and cried. The photographer managed to get 3 or 4 that were usable. In some of them if you look closely you can see the tears. I had brought along an Easter outfit, too, but I gave up before we tried that! I didn't know it at the time, but he's getting 4 molars and his eyeteeth!

Gremlins...

2007-03-17T19:40:00.000-05:00

Someone around this house has been swiping cookies, hats, and monkeying with the TV. I thought we had a gremlin until I finally caught the culprit!

Crazy Weather

2007-03-16T08:20:00.000-05:00

We went from snow to summer in a day....
Unfortunately, it looks like we're back to winter now. Gage likes playing outside either way though. He's a bit confused about temperatures. He picks up the snow, and says, "hot". We're working on the word cold :)

Silly Kid

2007-03-01T08:29:00.000-06:00

Why will this boy put anything on his head except his own hats?

Tomorrow is One Year as a Family

2007-02-12T20:12:00.000-06:00

Last year on February 13th, 5-month old Gage was placed in our arms forever. I can't believe it's been a whole year. That little newborn is now walking and talking and still the light of our lives. Here's a slideshow of the past year. It's amazing to see how he's changed. We love you, Gage!

Special thanks to Krystal for the idea and the song :)

Click on this link to go to the slideshow

Cahs and Grucks

2007-02-02T09:19:00.000-06:00

Or cars and trucks, to the rest of the world. He loves them, and has from the day he got home. He's just fascinated with everything about them, especially the wheels. A while back a documentary came on TV about the history of farm equipment (tractors, etc), and he watched it, pointing and saying gruck the whole time!
This dump truck isn't really meant to be ridden, but where there's a will in a little boy, there's a way.

Sometimes it isn't enough to ride the car, you have to be playing with your train at the same time :)

And of course, it's always a good idea to check your tires.

What boy can take a bath without his little blue gruck, er, truck that is.

We saw this tractor at the apple farm. Gage was in 7th heaven.

Snow!

2007-01-21T15:01:00.000-06:00

Gage finally got to try out his sled and snowsuit. It's only the second real snow of the winter, and the first time around we didn't have any boots for him yet.
I took him up and down the driveway, and down the street. The snow plow came by, and he was fascinated with that yelling "Cruck, cruck!". Ryan took him around to the backyard, and he stopped off to play on the swingset. After he was done with the sled he really wanted to ride in his little car.

Into Everything........

2007-01-14T12:26:00.000-06:00

Look at this kid! OK...I'd admit, I put him in the gift bag, but he climbed in the kitchen drawer on his own!

Do you think he needs a haircut? He was bald for so long, I hate to cut it.

This is his dancing, saxophone-playing Santa. He loves this more than anything else, and has been carrying it around since early December. He never gets tired of it, and he's played it so much it's on its last legs.

More Christmas Pics!

2007-01-02T10:09:00.000-06:00

Here's Gage with the beautiful rocking horse Grandpa gave him. He also likes his Elmo chair and Thomas the Train!

Gage loved the live reindeer that were at a party we went to. He also loved all the decorations -the tree, the lights, our reindeer in the front yard.

Gage celebrated with his Guatemala buddy, Omri. They exchanged gifts, and Omri gave Gage a ride on the trike.

A Few Christmas Pics

2006-12-26T17:56:00.000-06:00

This has been a great Christmas - the best I can remember since I was a kid! I'll post a few pics now, and more later. Naturally, I took about a 1000 :)

Baptism Day

2006-11-26T12:36:00.000-06:00

Our little Gage was baptized November 19th, 2006 at the United Methodist Church. It was a wonderful ceremony, and Ryan and I were received as new members at the same time.

Doesn't he look handsome in his white suit?

That's the Pastor on the left and Aunt Elyse (Ryan's sister) on the right. Elyse and Ryan's other sister, Cheri, are Gage's Godmothers/sponsors.

This is Grandma Trudi.

Our Little Pumpkin

2006-10-24T08:52:00.000-05:00

Gage was fascinated by all the stuff to see at the Pumpkin Farm. I think he liked the bull best!

We also took him to a Halloween party put on by my employer. His costume was Curious George. He's going to be a giraffe for trick-or-treating.

Hell on Wheels!

2006-10-22T18:22:00.000-05:00

He's walking! He started Tuesday night with 3 or 4 steps at a time, and by Friday he was walking across the whole room. He practices every waking moment!

Ice Cream and Pickles

2006-10-12T13:02:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not pregnant, I just have some cute pics of (who else?) Gage. Here he is with one of his most favorite things to chew on - a pickle jar lid! Also, here's his first real time eating ice cream - think he liked it?

Meet the Relatives!

2006-10-06T09:26:00.000-05:00

Gage met Uncle Jim and Aunt June for the first time just after his first birthday. They brought him so many nice gifts, and he especially loved his animal train. He plays with it all the time! Gage thought Uncle Jim was pretty funny. I told him don't make fun of people's looks (ha ha sorry Uncle Jim)!

A Sesame Street Birthday Party

2006-10-05T16:24:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm overwhelmed by trying to post everything that happened from Gage's homecoming until now, so I'm going to continue forward from his first birthday.

We had a party for family a few days after his birthday. Poor thing was so tired, since he had a cold and ear infection. He held up like a trooper though, and you'd never know he was sick as he plowed through his cake!

Sesame Street was the theme, and he loved his presents, especially that blue truck. This boy loves anything with wheels!

Unfortunately, he put out the candle on the cake with his hand instead of blowing on it! But, he was OK - see cake eating picture!

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!

2006-09-13T10:25:00.000-05:00

I can't believe you're 1 already. You've been home 7 months, but the time has just flown by! I skipped a lot of months in this blog, but couldn't let your birthday go by without posting about it. I'll get back to the story soon!

We love you. Happy Birthday!
Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Our Trip Home

2006-08-23T13:53:00.000-05:00

Although I enjoyed our time in Guatemala, I was very happy to get on the plane for home. Gage was pretty good on the plane rides, first to Texas, and then on to Milwaukee. He slept quite a bit on the way to Milwaukee, so that made it much easier. My dad met us at the airport, and was the first to meet Gage.

.

The Craft Market

2006-08-03T14:06:00.000-05:00

In the afternoon of Valentine's Day, we went to the local craft market. We bought a lot of stuff, naturally, and had some ice cream. At one point, a local woman was watching me with the baby, and I wondered why. Eventually she came over, and said only this, "God Bless You." I've heard some locals don't approve of American adoptions, but clearly this lady was happy that we were taking Gage into our family. Little did she know, that we think we are the lucky ones.

Our Embassy Appointment

2006-08-03T14:02:00.000-05:00

Our appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala was on Valentine's Day, 2006. While it should be mostly a formality, with everything prepared ahead of time, it was still a little nerve-wracking. Luckily the agency led us through each step. All we really had to do was have a visa photo taken, answer some simple questions, and sign the visa application. The next day, Ryan went back to the embassy to pick up the completed visa, and that was that. Here's Gage's visa photo. Couldn't get much cuter, could it?

Finally A Family

2006-07-08T08:26:00.000-05:00

We got word that the adoption was finalized in PGN the day that Gage turned 4 months old. Then all we needed was a few more things - a new birth certificate, passport, and visa for him. We went shopping that weekend for a crib, and I spent the next 3 weeks buying him clothes. We travelled to Guatemala on Feb. 12, 2006, and became a family on his 5 month birthday. The next day was Valentine's day. What a gift!

The Waiting

2006-07-08T08:17:00.000-05:00

The time between visiting Gage and picking him up were the longest months of my life. We had a short process compared to others, but it seemed like eternity. All we had were the pictures and video we took, and some updates from the agency. We loved the pictures they sent, but it was reminder of how he was growing up without us.

Gage's First Christmas

2006-05-31T17:32:00.000-05:00

We were in Guatemala in the early part of December, but the whole city was already decorated beautifully. Of course, we wanted to celebrate our baby's first Christmas with lots of presents and pictures! Grandma Trudi sent down a stuffed dog and some clothes. Grandpa Bud bought a Radio Flyer wagon for Gage, but naturally we couldn't bring that to Guatemala!

Grandma Barb's Blanket

2006-05-26T09:38:00.000-05:00

Ryan's mother, Barb, passed away years ago, but she left her future grandchildren with a wonderful keepsake. While she was still well, she knitted baby blankets for each of her kids to use for their kids. I was surprised and happy when Ryan remembered he had it safely tucked away. He's saved it all this time, and what a remembrance of Barb it is.

The Many Firsts

2006-05-26T09:34:00.000-05:00

Among many of the "firsts" we were to experience, was giving Gage a bath for the first time. Although I'd babysat a lot, I'd never before given an infant a bath. But Ryan and I tag-teamed, and we got the job done. Gage loved the bath, as you can probably tell by the pictures!

It's A Boy!

2006-05-25T14:59:00.000-05:00

Our son, Gage Donovan, came home in February 2006 at 5 months old. This is the story of our journey with him.

We first met Gage December 9th, 2006, when we visited him in Guatemala. He was just shy of 3 months old. It was love at first sight, and from that moment on he has been our son!