Sunshine - Here I come!

Well, the week has finally arrived. My first girl-fest vacation. Brian has gone on lots of manpanionship adventures in recent years - and now it's my turn! Tomorrow night I will leave for 4 lovely days in Cancun. I am quite excited. I am going with 3 fun gals (Katie, Jen and Mary) to soak up sun (on my uber white body), drink fruitiness, read books and have a good time. This will also be Brian's first time staying home while I travel somewhere - so wish him a happy, content monkey-Isaac!

However, before I go...here an update on the last week or so....
- We enjoyed the rest of our time with Ms.Samantha. We made visited to the play area at the mall, Brian took her to Meijer Gardens, we made cakes, threw a tie dye party and played with balloons! It was a lot of fun, but it's amazing what a different level of energy a 3.5 year old has!!! Sam is happily back home with Jon and Dawn - and Dawn is recovering nicely. :)
- Thank you for all the birthday wishes. It's weird to think I am 32...seems like just yesterday I was 23! I am amazed and thankful for all that has happened in the last decade of my life. From meeting my husband, graduating from college, our first home, several exciting jobs. many travels...to having my son. Growing up isn't so bad... :)
- Brian and I had a quiet and restful Sunday at home. I was able to start my packing for my trip, and watch a few of our sitcoms.
- Today and tomorrow I am working (we leave tomorrow night), so the days are going to zoom by!

Well, enough for now...off to pick up some last minute items for my trip!

Happy Birthday to Me....

Wow. Since I don't remember my birthday last year - and it's not because of malty libations, but probably excitement over prepping for Isaac's baptism and the visit of Molly and Robert... I figure, I can say that - right?

Oh hum, happy birthday to meeeeee....

A nice birthday present would be if anyone in Flint could go out and vote for Walling, since I can't...ha. You think I am joking?

Or, for my friend Dawn to wake up feeling fabulous after her surgery today! That might be a stretch, but hey - good vibes can't hurt.

Anyways, I am going spending the day with Jon and Dawn's daughter Sam - doing fun thing, like baking cakes, hanging out - just doing things a 3.5 year old girl likes to do. Hopefully Isaac can be patient with us and doesn't go monkey wild on any of her toys!

Ohhhhh...happy birthday...to me.....

Monkey Causes Carnage - News at 11

 

Today was Halloween. It was pretty eventful! We had a good time! First, I went to Isaac's party at Rainbow. I thought it pretty funny when he went "ape" on the stuffed animals. He enjoyed the parade and got knee deep into a big sugar cookie with orange frosting. Ah, it's good to be a monkey.

This evening, Brian took Isaac around the neighborhood with a group of neighbors while I stayed home and gave our the candy. They were gone for ages - having made the rounds to EVERYONE! Ha. Isaac's favorite loot? Three duckies that have colored LED's in them - causing me to want to call them the "X-tasy Duckez". (is that wrong?).

Anyways, here are some pictures from Isaac's second Halloween. Fun was had by all. :)

Blue thinks to self...can I have that banana when you are done with it? (guess what folks...he did!)

Couple of Videos

It's been a while since I've done a video. Since everyone always complains that I put them on YouTube and make them private, I'm going to give it a shot and do a couple of public ones to please the masses.


This one is of Blue, a Balloon & Isaac


This one is of Isaac when he was in his, I want to sleep 2 hours before bedtime so I don't go to bed until past Mom & Dads bedtime.

MM....good...?

Only in babyland are bizarre combinations of food uber good.

Today's lunch...scrambled eggs with peas and carrots, a cheese slice and pineapple.

Once, at daycare, I saw a meal that consisted of chicken chunks, mandarin oranges, break chunks - all slimed in something resembling cream of mushroom soup.

Or - the ham and butter on bread-wiches. Eww.

Wanna play a game???

This morning, as we were leaving the house - Brian and I noticed a very interesting collection of items in our neighbor's yard. I decided it would make for a humorous game...can you name all the random items in our neighbor's lawn....

There are at least 16....

Bringing back the Berridge - Brother Brag...

My brother does a lot of cool things. Saving old buildings and making them awesome places to work and live is just one. Here are a couple articles about about one of his recent projects - the Berridge Hotel.



http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=local&id=5719610

FLINT (WJRT) - (10/22/07)-- A multi-million dollar renovation project for a historic hotel in downtown Flint gets underway later today.
This is the latest in a series of projects that will get underway in the Carriage Town neighborhood. When this project at the Berridge Hotel is finished, there will be 21 new condos in downtown Flint.

The Genesee County Land Bank is heading up the $6 million project, which calls for renovation of the old hotel inside and out. Each of the units will be about 1,000 square feet and will have either a loft or townhome style design. Sizes will range from one to three bedrooms.

You may remember in February, a fire damaged part of the building, but didn't stop the plans to renovate the building.

Plans also include turning the old Tinlinn House, right near the Berridge, into four rental units.

This is the next step in the Land Bank's plans to revitalize the Carriage Town neighborhood. The group last month announced it would place eight new homes and renovate several others along Stone Street.

That project is expected to be completed by the summer.

In the meantime, the Bringing Back the Berridge project kicks off this morning at 11. The public is invited to tour and learn more about the building at 421 Garland Street.

The Berridge Place Project is expected to be finished sometime next year.

http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=local&id=5720619

(this one has a nice video!)

FLINT (WJRT) - (10/22/07)--In downtown Flint , a building that has been known for decades as "last-resort" housing will soon get a new look and a new image.

But before the major transformation begins, developers decided to give the public one last chance to take a look inside the old, run down Berridge Hotel.

Floors feel like they're going to give way. Broken windows and plumbing and electrical bathroom fixtures are ripped out throughout the building. But the structure of the building seems sound.

Developers say they will be totally gutting the inside the of the building but maintaining the structure of the outside walls and some features in the lobby as part of a $6 million renovation project.

The financial package from government -- as well as some local foundations -- is already in place.

The project will move ahead immediately to turn the 70-year-old building and the Tinnin building next door into 21 loft apartments with an upscale look intended to draw people to downtown living.

What is significant about this project, officials say, is that the building -- which has functioned as housing of last resort for the city's poor -- could soon function as an attraction for the city center.

Renovation will begin within days.

The two- and three-bedroom apartments will be ready for occupancy by this summer. They'll range in size from 855 to 1,500 square feet. They start at $960 a month.

And even before they're built, the project is attracting spinoff development right across the street.

And the duckie lives on....

This past weekend, I helped throw a shower for my friend Kathy. I will post pictures soon - but in the meantime, I just had to post this.

I brought home one of the balloons from the shower - the big ol' duckie. Isaac has fallen in love, and he has been playing with it all day. He even refused to let go to eat breakfast and dinner. I just had to post a picture!!!



"This duckie? It's too important to me"

Baked Apples

Today, Isaac tried to steal my apple. So - I decided what would be more "fall-ish" than to make him some home-made baked apples with cinnamon of his own.

Baked Apples

1. Core apple and leave peel on
2. Place a wee bit of butter (if baby is ready for or has had dairy) on the inside of the cored apple (sprinkle a bit of cinnamon in the apple if your desire and if baby is ready for or has had cinnamon)
3. Place in a pan with just enough water to slightly cover apples – about an inch of water
4. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes or until tender; be sure to check on the water level.
5. Once baked, either cut apple into little bits and serve as a finger food or mash

The flu and monkey blue

This week, the Spratke house was hit with a bug. We presume it was the flu - whatever it was, was wicked and unrelenting. However, in the midst of it, Isaac still managed to make us laugh, and Blue still managed to amaze us with his patience.


Here is Isaac making sure Blue is paying attention to his dental hygiene.


Isaac is like the energizer bunny. I think Brian and Blue thought they might get some of that same energy with the power of the bunny ears. I will say - it did not work!

Have a great weekend everyone...stay healthy!

Chicago Marathon and werewolf movies...

Last weekend, with the babysitting assistance of our mothers, Brian and I were able to go on our first "post child, no child" getaway with our friends, Jon and Dawn.

We left Saturday morning, taking the train out of Michigan City, IN. It was so easy! We all decided it's totally the way to go in the future. 2 hours, no hassle, no gas, no traffic, no parking fees....

Anyways, after checking into the Swissotel on Wacker - Dawn and I went to spend some time on Michigan Ave. Unfortunately, we didn't find the store we were looking for until a half an hour before it's bizarrely early closing time, but we did get to walk the town and see some sights. That evening, Jon, Dawn, Brian and myself headed out to dinner at a wonderful italian place called Bella Bacino. Even on the walk back, around 10pm, it was bizarrely warm and humid for an October evening.

Perfect for werewolf movies (that's for Jon).

I must mention - I think that the Swissotel lies about having a floor 42. Dawn and I tried numerous times to get there, with no luck.

6:17am. That's the time the phone rang - Steve and Ellie had arrived. According to them, it was already 74 degrees out. Although we all realized this was bizarre, and it was going to be a tough day for running - I don't think any of us realized what was really ahead. So, we packed our bags and headed out on our adventure.



Brian, Ellie, Dawn and I had a nice breakfast before heading to Mile 3 to try to see the boys. When we got there, we thought that we had already missed them (however, as it turns out, we probably didn't!) - so then we charted our course to the next spot - the halfway point - Mile marked 13.1.



This was our rendezvous point to hand off Jon's mp3 player. We made our way there, using the EL, and were shocked that so few other people were using it. Hello people, it's air conditioned!!! By the time we staked out a spot at 13.1, it was hot. I mean....like, Collective Soul hot.

So then we waited....Dawn video taped some seriously irritating girls, and one painfully continuous cowbell...and we still waited. Finally, Dawn got the text message that Jon had hit the 13 mile mark...noticeably behind where she had expected him to be. Steve and Jon were hot...and I don't mean in a pretty kinda way...they said that the water stands behind them were empty and people were suffering big time. After some drinks, wringing out some drenched socks and some stretching - they were off again. It was hard to watch. According to the news, by this point, it was 88 degrees - and technically the race had been canceled. Apparently nobody at 13.1 knew this, because they kept running..even the poor man in the testicle costume. I know, I know, he was running for testicular cancer - get your mind out of the gutter!

So, unaware of the events unfolding, Brian, Ellie, Dawn and I made our way to an establishment for some refreshments and lunch. When we left...Dawn had a text message saying Jon had crossed the finish line....an hour later? We were very confused - but stuck to our plan - go check out of the hotel, head to the meeting point.

It wasn't until we got off the EL near Grant Park that it hit us. I think we overheard someone. We walked past a man, passed out on the ground with cops watching over him. People were everywhere. Dawn and I with our pile of luggage set up camp in a little park next to the Institute of Art. Brian and Ellie went off in search of Jon and Steve.

As it turns out - Jon hit about mile 18 when they rerouted the course. He thought something was up, but just kept running. Since he had his headphones on, he didn't hear the people on the blow horns or the helicopters above. he said after he got out of the finish area, there was no water and he had to (ahem) borrow some from an unwilling volunteer. Once we were all together, we stayed in that park, in the shade for a few hours, since our train didn't leave until 4pm. The sirens went on for almost the whole time, it was very surreal. So - we sat, drinking our beers - as it was the only beverage we had, listening to sirens downtown Chicago. I can't say it was a bad time, we actually were having some fun - but it seemed almost wrong, when you knew so many other people were suffering from the intense heat!

So then, we took the train home...had a wonderful dinner at Jon and Dawn's - tried on the bunny ears from the marathon that we didn't get to use and relaxed. It was a very memorable weekend!

Breakfast of Champions

My son decided to alter his normal breakfast menu today.

He tried out some dog food.

It took a while to chew...a few brown bits came out, but he finished it.

The jury is out on whether he liked it or not.

Sneak peaks!

Sneak peaks of Will and Isaac's photo session are on Hayley's site!

go to the Live, Laugh, Love link to see them!

Birthday fun, part I

Here are a few pictures from the birthday party!

Rambles, rambles...

My entries have been sporadic lately, I know - we have been so busy. It's been hard to catch our breath! From trips to SC, to birthday parties...we are finally starting to slow down! It's no wonder Isaac is a busy guy - how else is he supposed to keep up with our ridiculously paced life!?

I just finished the book Freakonomics. Last night, I went out to a "fondue restaurant" to meet up with a book group for the first time to discuss it. A totally new experience for me, but I had a really great time - to get together with some people to talk about something intelligent, as opposed to diapers, schedules and baby formula was really nice. The dinner was awesome too - a three course "fondue" meal with "mini-tini's" that were tasty, but not too strong. Mmm...good. Side note: Bizzarely, one of the people at the dinner was an old high school classmate of Brians! He said "how do you find all the Alma people?"

[pause to stop Isaac from attacking poor Helen]

I was invited to the book club dinner thingy by Katie and Jen. I met Katie almost a year ago at the breast feeding support group at Baby Beloved (www.babybelovedinc.com). We hit it off right away - having a freakish amount of things in common. Next thing you know, she invites me on a trip to Cancun this November with some other "new" mothers (insert Jen)...which I have now dubbed "Mom's Gone Wild".

[pause to remove sweatshirt from son which he has just sunk his sleeves in toliet water - at least it was a stationary item of water, not the water bowl]

Aside from book clubs and trip planning....not much has been going on. Today Isaac and I are going to hit the gym, take a friend to Baby Beloved, try to find the Saturn keys, and possibly a walk if the sun stays out. People who truely know me have read between the lines..."and laundry, clean the bathroom, go grocery shopping, and send about 20 emails in between...."

Hope everyone has a great Thursday!

p.s. Pics included for people who don't care about my ramblings and only visit this site to see Isaac.

12 Month Appointment

Isaac had his 12 month wellness exam today.

He is 20lbs, 12oz, 30" inches tall - and, according to Dr. Davis - he is at the 50% percentile! That's a pretty good jump from 2 months ago, when he was around 20th!

Today is also my nephew Will's 2nd birthday! The bid birthday bash is this weekend!

Edit: This was totally not the picture I meant to upload! It's not the most flattering...but what the hey - it's there now!

Funny joke...

Instead of forwarding this to a ton of people, I thought I would just post it. It totally made me crack up.

Subject: Stay At Home Mom

A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard.

The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall.

In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a Cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing.

In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door.

He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened.

He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls.

As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went.

He looked at her bewildered and asked, "What happened here today?"

She again smiled and answered, "You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world I do all day?"

"Yes," was his incredulous reply.

She answered, "Well, today I didn't do it."

Charleston, Part Deux - Hayden's Baptism

We have returned from a long weekend in Charleston, SC! A big trip, a baptism and a few wonderful days with friends...

We left for Flint on Thursday afternoon, dropping Blue off with Dad and flying out of Bishop airport. Our flight was delayed for 3 hours, and I almost kicked some cranky bar & restaurant lady's butt for refusing to give me warm water for a bottle...but, we made it there in one piece at about 1:30am in the morning. Isaac did surprisingly well - despite a mild breakdown in the airport when I made him stop demolition derby with the stroller (several knee caps expressed their thanks...)

We spent Friday and Saturday hanging out with the Jones clan. While Brian and I got to know our new godson, Hayden Patrick - Isaac took it upon himself to research ever square inch of their house. He fully approved of their selection of kitchen strainers and the step down into their living room.


Sunday was the baptism at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, downtown Charleston. This ranks up there with some of the most beautiful Catholic churches I have been to in the US. The mass was absolutely beautiful - with more latin than I have ever experienced and music that was just fabulous. Then, the baptism was performed. I could hear Isaac jabbering in the back of the church the whole time. Hayden did very well, despite being a little fussy at the start. It was so enjoyable to be the Godparent this time, and to watch the joy on Hayden's parents faces. Especially Robert, who looked like he was going to bust out with pride when Father Michael (I think that was his name?) blessed him.

We returned to the Jones residence for the party - Robert's family and Molly's family were all there, as well as some neighbors. The weather was PERFECT and we spent much of the day out on the deck. Isaac had his first piece of birthday cake..and was surprisingly unenthusiastic!

Monday rolled around, and it was time to head home. We had such a nice time, it was hard to leave...Isaac did well on the plane ride home - and we were all happy to see Dad waiting to pick us up at the airport, and to hear the adventures of Blue while we were gone.

I will post pictures as soon as I get time...it's a busy week - this upcoming weekend we are hosting Isaac's 1st birthday party and William's 2nd birthday party - with my family, Brian's parents, Missy's parents and a local friend or two!

1 year later...

One year later....just a reminder of how small Isaac was.

4lbs, 13oz.
17" long

Next week is his 1 year appt - but we know he is around 21lbs and 29"....that's 16lbs, 3oz and 12 inches gained! WOW.

Isaac's 1st Birthday

As hard as it is to believe, today is Isaac's 1st birthday. How fast this last year has gone! As I write this, he is having his afternoon snack...and I am packing for our trip to Charleston. We will have birthday festivities on the 22nd with cousin Will, who turns 2 on the 19th, and all of our family - so tonight will just be a quiet night at home with us, our wee little family of baby, nanymuls and us.

I will post some pictures soon...promise!

Labor Day, Walking Boy and Spoons...

Long overdue post...I know...

We spend the weekend of Labor Day at the cabin. The weather was absolutely beautiful, and we had a wonderful time. Dad, Tim, Missy and Will came up Saturday, as well waas my cousin Rob and his girlfriend Kayla. (I will upload some pictures when I get a chance!) We spend the weekend playing on the sea doo, laying on the beach and saying goodbye to our up north neighbors.

In these past few weeks, Isaac has perfected walking. He doesn't bother with crawling anymore, and is nearly on the verge of running. His new favorite pastime is walking around the house with something in his hand...walking, walking, walking - without stopping!!! And of course, this most certainly IS the most hilarious thing in the world!

We had another first last night. While eating dinner - Isaac sometimes like to take a spoon and "help" by sticking it into the bowl (in this case, yogurt), as if he is spooning it up himself....but yesterday...he dipped it in...turned it around, and shoved it into his mouth! He thought this was just the coolest thing, so he did it a few more times!

Well, it's a busy week - as we are preparing to visit our friends, Molly and Robert for their son's baptism. Isaac's first flight - YIPES! Wish us luck!

30, and still a gazelle...

So, Sunday was Brian's 30th birthday. It was somewhat eclipsed by all the activity of the weekend, but all the same, I hope he had a good one. It's hard to believe that we have known each other for 9 years...(10 if you count when I used to pick on him in Dr.Murthy's class..."hey redwing boy...") - and now, look at how different our lives are!

Anyways, Brian placed 9th in his age group for the 8k with little to no training...apparently 30 isn't slowing him down any time soon!

Happy B-day Brian!

Crim Weekend...

Another Crim weekend, come and gone. It was a busy and eventful one.

We commenced the weekend by going to see Dave Matthews Band on Thursday night with Kathy. The show was postponed a half an hour due to the storm that passed through. It was a great show however, and the remaining lightning in the sky was awesome to watch from the hill at DTE Energy Theatre.

Friday was eventful - to say the least. It started with the sad news that my brother's boxer, China, passed away. China was a sweet, beautiful white boxer who had suffered from cancer a few years back. She will be greatly missed. Then, we found out my grandfather had driven himself to the hospital, not wanting to bother us! He is fine, however, was held for observation. After this - Brian and I headed to the mall, then VG's to pick up some groceries, only to be caught in a tornado warning! The sky didn't seem that bad when we left to head back to Dad's - however, it turned out to be the scariest drive we have ever had. We finally were able to relax and be entertained by the cars attempting to pass through the flooded street in front of Dad's house. What an insane day.

Finally, Saturday, and the Crim. The pictures below are myself with Isaac, then, myself with brother Michael. The weather wasn't perfect, but the race was still fun to watch. Brian placed 9th in his age group for the 8K - not to shabby for not training! We wrapped up the day with dinner with my parents and Courtney - who was brave enough to join our motley crew.

Sunday...Brian's birthday - we started with a wonderful breakfast at the Farmer's Market - then headed home. We are POOPED OUT after the long and draining weekend - however, we don't have a restful week ahead! I am sure you are all surprised. This week, Brian has to travel for work and I will be home - while our roof is being redone by a crew from Flint (who will also be my house guests while it is going on!)

I would be more descriptive about the weekend, but it's time to feed Isaac dinner!!

Hope you all had a great weekend...take care!

Laundry 101

New video posted on You Tube. Let us know if you want to see it!

A first I am not so proud of...

Today, Isaac is a little gassy. He has a toot so loud...it made him laugh.

That's a first I am not sure if I am proud of, but was funny enough I had to share.

College - Paid in Full

Brian emailed me something very exciting today...

...as of the end of this month, my student loans will be completely paid off...

Not that they were that much, compared to a lot of people, but to me, it seems amazing that we are done paying on them!

HORRAY!!!!!

More weekend pictures...

There just seemed to be too many good ones not to post just a few more....our son LOVES the water! He has no fear!

Weekend on the sunrise side

Isaac eating raspberries.

Isaac napping on Mommy.

Isaac playing in the water with Daddy and Blue.

We had another beautiful weekend at the cabin in Tawas. Our friend Kathy joined us for a few nights too! We were able to spend a lot of time on the beach - and even get some Sea Doo'g in. (I think I might have over done it, my back has been achy and stiff this week!) Brian even took Monday off so we could stay the whole day. Our theorem that "Sunday and Mondays are always more fabulous than Saturdays" seems to have held true.

Playtime with Toby and Rosa

On Friday, Isaac and I drove to Flint at 6am. We had breakfast with Grandpa Frank, visited at Grandma Carol's work, then, had lunch with "Auntie Sarie" and Uncle Michael. What a busy day! That afternoon, so we had a playdate with Toby and Rosa, the children of my high school friends, Scott and Jonquil. Toby played nicely with Isaac and introduced him to "the Wiggles" music...and Rosa, the sleepy little beauty smiled and showed off all her new skills since the last time we saw her!

Bathtime....

Isaac loves his bath time....we do bath time after dinner every night because he REALLY gets into his food...and it's a good transition into bedtime...

Hard to believe that next week he will be 11 months old! Birthday 1 is right around the corner!!!

New camera and "tie dye day"!

For those of you who know us well - you know Brian has a uber complex camera, complete with bells and whistles. All of these features I find intriguing, yet are lost on me when it comes to application. Since the bag for this camera is larger than my diaper bag - I do not take it on play dates, trips to the Gardens, etc. So - Brian got me my own, uber tiny weeney camera this week - a Canon Elph. It's about the size of a credit card and the thickness of a slice of bread! It arrived yesterday and my first photos were of the tomato plants....

That being said, putting pictures up should be much faster and more frequent these days!!!

So, today we have this picture...it was "tie dye day" at day care. Can you imagine how hilarious it was to arrive to a room full of babies in tie dyed onsies!!? Soooo cute!

Here is Isaac, in his tie dye....almost 11 months old - 20.5 lbs...looking super cool with the retro toy loaned by neighbor Sarah...

Tom-toes...

We planted 3 different tomato plants this year...and so far, they seem to be a success. I picked my first ripe tomato today....ok, so they are taking their time, but once they get going, I think we will be flooded with tomatoes...I counted up to 30, then stopped....here they are!

Operators are Standing By

Our home phone should be back to normal. You should be able to call, and we should be able to call you...unless we owe you a call, in that case call us, we forgot.

Home phone still nutty.

It's still not working quite right...just in case you have tried to call! We will keep you posted!

10 month video

Brian made a new You Tube video of Isaac. If you want access to it, let us know!

Concert fun...

Last night, Brian and I went to see Collective Soul, Live and Counting Crows with Jon, Dawn, Bill, Dan and Cara (Bill's brother and sister in law). Dawn and I had passes to the meet and greet with Collective Soul - which was supposed to happen before the concert - but ended up being after they played. Although standing in the hot sun for an hour & half kinda stunk - meeting them was awfully fun, and we did meet some other fun people along the way - especially Emily, "Collective Soul's biggest fan". Dawn and I got to do a "CS sandwich" with the band when we had our picture taken, and it was quite fun. And of course, what would be a CS concert for Brian, Jon, Dawn and I if it wasn't "Collective Soul Hot".

Collective Soul played first, then Live, and then Counting Crows, but we all agreed, it should have been in reverse order. Counting Crows was mildly disappointing, mostly because they didn't play some of their top hits! In the rankings of concerts, I wouldn't put this up there with the BEST we have seen, but the double whammy of Live and CS puts it up there in the ranks for enjoyability factor.

Anyways, we had a really great time - and totally appreciate my mom driving over for the night to watch Isaac. I think they had a good time and he must miss her already becayse he cried today when she left!!!

We took a disposable camera, just to be safe, so when we get our old school photos developed and scanned, I will post them.

Quick...while he is sleeping!!!

While Isaac is down for his nap, I thought I would give a quick update...

On Friday, July 13, Isaac had his 9 month appointment (yes, a month late!) - he is now 28-1/4" long, 19lbs 0oz.

We spent a wonderful weekend at the cabin with friends...Isaac had his first visit to a sand dune and the Lumberman's Monument!

Last weekend we went on our annual trip to "Fever Lake". We had a great time! Pics to follow when I get them downloaded.

This weekend, we are looking forward to staying HOME! However, the weekend will not be totally uneventful as Mom is coming to town to watch Isaac so Brian and I, along with friends, can go to see Collective Soul, Live and Counting Crows (my anniversary gift!). Brian even got Dawn and I passes to meet CS - whoo hoo.

Hope the summer is treating everyone well...I will try to post some new pictures soon!

Phone Update

After getting home our phone with our old number still works. I guess for now continue to call that number, and if you can't get us, call the cells.

We should get our new hardware end of this week and be up and running with that. They told me that they would be able to get us our old number back.

RIP Sunrocket

Well...Brian discovered today that our VoIP phone hosted by Sunrocket is dead. I guess they went out of business rather unexpectedly. Very odd, because I made phone calls last night without a problem! Brian is working on hooking us up with another company today.

Anyways, it looks like we will be out of a home phone for about a week - and even then, we aren't sure if we will have our old phone number back. I will keep you posted. In the meantime, we have our cells - drop us a line if you need our numbers!

Congrats Jones Family!

I just talked to Brian - and the Jones baby has arrived!!!

Welcome to Hayden Patrick Jones - approx 7lbs, 13oz - 20-1/2" long. According to Robert, Molly and baby are doing wonderful...and Isaac has a new buddy!!!

Family Photo....

I just received this photo from Courtney, who joined us up at the cabin....we don't often get all three of us in a photo, so I was pretty tickled to see this one!

Also...Saturday, Isaac decided to be adventurous and stood on his own, unsupported, for about 25 seconds. Brian and I were amazed! Then, today, while I was at the park with Kathy - he did it AGAIN - for longer, and this time what made him topple over was attempting to take a step! He is getting to be such a big little boy! At mealtimes, he wants to feed himself, and he gets irritated when I try to "spoon things" into him! He likes avocado, tofu, fruit, peas, carrots and of course, a myriad of different bread products! He's not a baby anymore - he's a little boy!

Isaac's Wheels...

Isaac had a good time at the cabin with all his wheelin' options. First, we have his stroller...simple, economic, to the point. Handles moderately well on dirt roads, not so fabulous on sand, but it gets the job done.

Then...the deluxe wheels. These wheels were a gift from "Just Jan"...and Isaac LOVES it. His first Radio Flyer wagon, complete with a cooler, drink holders, and a canopy to protect his poor little Polish-Scottish-Italian skin. He totally feels like the coolest kid on the block! Thanks Jan!

Almost 10 months old...

Isaac turns 10 months old in just a few short days...here are some shots of him on the beach in East Tawas last week...

So hard to believe this little guy, who is almost 19lbs and somewhere around 26-28" was the tiny, 4lb 13oz, 17" long guy we met almost a year ago.

;)

Packing for the cabin!

Isaac worked very hard helping me pack for our time at the cabin....