Glimpses of Camden

Turtle Park!

2012-02-19T07:03:00.000-05:00

I realized we missed the opening day of Dairilicious (1/2 price milkshakes) this week. But when the temperatures hit a warm 51 degrees on Friday after work, Camden decided a visit to Turtle Park and an extra-thick raspberry milkshake was on the evening slate.

We (read, "I") only last about 30 minutes, but we both had a good time getting some fresh air, swinging on swings, sliding down slides, and sipping on a delicious treat.

V-Day Clearance

2012-02-17T09:38:00.000-05:00

Camden and I stopped at Kroger to pick up a few things before heading home for the evening. An employee in the floral department called me over and asked if I was interested in this big bag full of valentine's gifts, including a large stuffed tiger, a big heart box of chocolates, and a bag of twix/M&M's. I wasn't really, until he flipped the tag over and revealed that it cost $3. So I splurged.

There was also a small sign (I think that you put out in your flower garden/front porch). Camden calls it her wand.

Lily and Evelyn

2012-02-16T08:00:00.001-05:00

We stopped recently for a brief visit with Beverly and Steve, plus their two new little ones.

First, we met Evelyn. She has a head full of dark hair and big chipmunk cheeks. She is the smaller of the two twins.

Lily has a more fair complexion with reddish-blond hair.

Camden entertained them both for about 2 minutes, then was OBSESSED with Rupert...the dog!

She spent most of the rest of the visit chasing after him and making him chase after toys.

Valentine's Love

2012-02-15T07:52:00.001-05:00

Camden is in love with Peter Pan. So when I saw this heart, I knew this was the Valentine for her.

When I gave it to her, she ooohhhed and aaahhhhed. Then she opened the lid, looked at her 5 pieces of chocolate, and exclaimed, "Wow...look at my treasure!" I soooo love my little pirate.

The ring and rose were small trinkets from my bosses wife. She made them to give to her kid's daycare teachers, but had extras and spread the love to the women in our office. We wore our big diamond rings all day!

Invitation

2012-02-14T08:00:00.002-05:00

Late on Friday afternoon, I received this text from Kevin, "Camden said it would be ok if u joined us for dinner on our date."

How could I pass up dinner with my two favorite people!

Happy Valentine's Day, Daddy.

We love you!

Date Night

2012-02-13T09:20:00.001-05:00

Kevin and I have been having more frequent "date nights" in the last month or so. I think it must be because he has weekends off. Camden asked one night at dinner how our date was. I told her it was fun and Daddy and I had a good time. I then asked her if she would like to go on a date with Daddy. She lit up! She clapped! She exclaimed, "Yes!" So Friday afternoon, Camden and Kevin had a date. He let her choose from a few options, and she decided they would go to "All Fired Up" in Lafayette.

She picked out a heart box to paint for me!

She is so in her element when she paints. She is so careful and concentrates.

She picked the 5 colors she would use and decided where each went. Kevin thinks the colors will "pop" a little more once it's fired.

She also selected 2 tiny hearts to put on the lid.

A special bottle of paint let her make polka dots. Kevin said once she did this, they had a hard time stopping her. She wanted to put dots on everything!

We pick up the finished product on Friday. I just can't wait to have this keepsake treasure!

Smile

2012-02-07T09:32:00.000-05:00

Super Bowl

2012-02-06T09:51:00.001-05:00

GaGa watched Camden last night so Kevin and I could watch the Super Bowl uninterrupted. Aunt Carole called this week and said they would be in Crawfordsville on Sunday afternoon...could they come over and watch the game too. Of course! So Uncle Ric, Aunt Carole, Joe-Joe (cause everyone in that family now has the double name thanks to Camden) and Amanda came over for chili, panini's, and chocolate nachos (to name a few items on the spread).

The plan was to have Camden stay the night at GaGa's since it was going to be late, but Camden got to missing her mama. After watching a movie about her new favorite person (Peter Pan), she came home. Boy was she excited to see everyone (even if only for 15 mintues).

Amanda had a red laser pointer that she teased Max with all evening. He was in love (and kept us entertained). Camden took a few turns at it, too.

She got the giggles watching Max go crazy chasing the light. We may have to get one of those sooner-than-later.

Super Bowl Village

2012-02-02T09:58:00.007-05:00

UPDATE: Kevin was offered the job! He interviewed this morning and got a phone call this afternoon. He heads to Atlanta shortly for several weeks of training. Congratulations, Yardmaster!

Kevin has an all-day job interview today (Thursday) for a new position at CSX so he took Wednesday night off in order to be rested. Our church group was also cancelled on Wednesday night, so we decided we would head down to the Super Bowl Village in Indy and brave the crowds. We wanted to be part of this celebration in some way since it was so close to home.

The town and buildings downtown are all decked out.

Our parking garage was overlooking the Village, so we got some good pictures of the happenings while it was still daylight.

We walked over to Monument Circle to see the huge XLVI numbers. During the day it looked just like big pillows...and was fairly impressive.

Down the main Village street were more cool signs. It was just at 6pm when we passed this sign which was hung near the Channel 8 studio. We got close to the window and waved with the crowd as the news cast went on. I don't think you could actually see the crowd very well behind the anchor, but we made an attempt to be on local news.

The weather has been uncommonly warm this week, so some of the ice features have not been maintained, but we did come upon the Food Network ice guys still working to maintain their creations.

The special Indy race cars decked out in team gear were impressive.

We also watched many people go down the infamous zip line.

We had dinner at Sushi On the Rocks just a block off the main drag. It was good, but we both were wanting GREAT sushi and were fairly disappointed not to have that experience. Plus it was fairly expensive and we are kicking ourselves for not trying something else (even one of the big steak houses would have been comparable pricing - if we could get a table). We got a flaming roll which was one of the better options, but still just okay. We had post-decisional regret on this restaurant choice all evening!

Especially when we went into "The Huddle" - an old department store in Circle Center Mall that had the downstairs converted to a restaurant of sorts. It had some really good food offerings - everything from gourmet mac & cheese to foot-long brats to an extravagant dessert table - at good prices and more part of the "Super Bowl Experience". Upstairs was the main Super Bowl gift store with lots of hats, shirts, mugs, etc. We wish we had discovered this place before we had the sushi we selected.

We walked the Village a little more than headed back to the circle to see the big numbers at night. The crowds were much harder to negotiate now, but I was so glad to see how things had been transformed.

A few more pictures from our garage as we left. Lucas Oil Stadium is so impressive.

But probably our favorite signage of the evening was on the JW Marriott as we drove out of downtown. Hard to believe this effect was created with a sign on the side of a very tall hotel. Stunning!

Watercolors

2012-01-30T11:30:00.002-05:00

Got the watercolors out on Saturday for a bit of painting fun.

Camden was very careful not to mix paint and to clean her brush out between each color change.

For about 15 minutes. By the end of the session, every color in the paint tray was a shade of grey. She created three nice colorful pictures, though. And enjoyed every minute.

Camden's Beauty Shop

2012-01-28T12:35:00.000-05:00

When she does her own nails...

Pirate Crew

2012-01-26T09:45:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, when Kevin picked Camden up from daycare, he went to the gym to find her in the corner surrounded by a bunch of other kids. My first thought was she was getting picked on, until he said that she burst out from the center, ran across the gym toward him with one eye closed and eyebrow cocked, shouting, "Arrrggghhh, matey." She was being a pirate. And apparantly she is captain of the pirate crew.

Yesterday, her teacher (Mrs. Debi) told me that Camden asked her for a pirate hat. Mrs. Debi found some blankets in the gym toy storage and decked the crew out in hats. Thankfully she took a picture on her phone and sent it to me. Thrilled to hear stories of her using her imagination...and leadership.

Recycling Assistant

2012-01-25T11:44:00.003-05:00

Kevin and I are addicted to Diet Coke/Pepsi/Dr. Pepper/etc. We have started buying a lot of cans of soda to take to work to save a little money on our daily habit. All of this means many, many aluminum cans. We realized we needed to start recycling more faithfully. We just bought a can crusher this weekend, so in the meantime, a big garbage barrel had amassed the cans. Sunday was time to start crushing them down. Camden was a huge help to Kevin in making a big dent in the pile.

Dance!

2012-01-24T10:16:00.002-05:00

On our visit to New Jersey at the end of October, a couple of UrbanPromise interns watched Camden, Rimere and Salim while Elizabeth and I went to Pam's party. They had a dance party while we were away. One of the babysitters took a video of Camden doing her thing and copying the other babysitter's (Aunjel) dance moves. Rimere makes a great cameo appearance as well. I'm working with Aunjel on a project for UP and she remembered she hadn't sent me the video. Here it is:

So much energy! And such great moves!

Picasso in Training

2012-01-23T12:47:00.001-05:00

While in Terre Haute, we stopped at Gander Mountain. Camden saw a painting kit that had some butterflies in it and she had to have it! Too bad it was $20. I told her we'd pick up something later (thinking some cheaper craft at Walmart). Long story short...I forgot! So Saturday evening (sans nap) we had a meltdown about paint.

After church on Sunday morning, I ran into the dollar store and, thankfully, found a $1 suncatcher paint craft that had a butterfly on it. Crisis solved. And talent discovered....well, discovered that Camden had patience and enough skill to complete an entire craft project. She did all the work herself, besides me cleaning up in the small crevices.

The paint was thick and gooey (she called the yellow paint, "honey" which was an accurate analogy). This was to give it a stained-glass look. I'm not sure if it made it easier or harder, but she was successful none-the-less.

Love that shot!

She is so careful and focused.

Can't see a thing about the painting in this picture, but I loved her expression!

Ahhh...final product:

We actually hung it in our kitchen window (but dishes weren't done, so no picture at it's final spot).

Cheeseburger in Paradise

2012-01-23T10:17:00.002-05:00

A trip to Terre Haute on Saturday with a brief visit to THCM (aka, "the dinosaur museum") and some shopping. For lunch, we choose Cheeseburger in Paradise. I have only eaten here about 3 times, but have never been disappointed with the food. I just had a turkey burger patty and broccoli and it was still fantastic. Gotta love a place like that!

Look at those long legs! Camden was still under the weather a bit (you can see it in her eyes), but felt well enough to get out of the house. We enjoyed being out with our silly little one.

Camping In

2012-01-20T09:20:00.001-05:00

Camden had to come home early from daycare because she had a fever. She was simply feeling crummy, so we picked up a few videos to watch before heading home. We knew we'd be housebound for a day or two. After dinner (applesauce and a few crackers was all she wanted), we got her small video player out. Kevin also suggested she might enjoy her tent. That was a "great idea" to her. She and Max spent a good amount of time in it watching, "The Incredibles".

Max liked it so much we had to move it to her bedroom for the night, otherwise we had a kitten attacking a tent and trying to claw his way up the sides.

First thing this morning she asked for it again and it's back in the living room for her to enjoy relaxing in today. Good news, MUCH lower temperature this morning.

Sunday Afternoon Nap, Part II

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Snowball Fight

2012-01-17T14:30:00.000-05:00

After a few minutes of sliding, it was time for a snowball fight with Daddy. Camden takes aim!

And runs quickly when Kevin gets a handful.

Together they gather snow off the picnic table.

She enjoys tossing it in the air. Wheeee!

Until Daddy points out that she could also get me!

Snow Sliding

2012-01-17T10:34:00.000-05:00

Kevin had to get something out of the shed on Sunday afternoon, so Camden thought it was a perfect opportunity to put on her boots and go outside for some fun in the light layer of snow.

She watched Daddy for a few minutes then realized that her park needed some attention. First, she cleared the deck with her mittens.

And, of course, while she was up there, decided she needed to give it a go - snow or no snow.

And back up for round two!

Shaving Cream Painting

2012-01-13T10:38:00.000-05:00

We pick up Camden early from school on Thursday's so she can go to dance class. When I showed up yesterday, they were in the middle of "painting" on the table with shaving cream. I happened to have my camera with me and snapped a few pictures.

I pointed the camera at these three girls and they all immediately said, "cheeeeeesssssse."

Camden knew we had to get going so she got to the sink to wash her hands. I found it just so adorable to watch her wet her hands, get soap, and scrub off the shaving cream. I guess being so biased makes even the most routine task something to love. She's a keeper!

Family Project

2012-01-12T11:08:00.003-05:00

Camden had a "homework assignment" from her teacher at daycare. They are talking about families this month and Camden needed to make a family banner. She got to select the color of paper that she wanted from school and her only requirement was that our handprints had to be on it. We could include anyone that was part of our family in the banner. I planned to put some pictures of our extended family around our hands, but then when I traced Kevin's HUGE hand I knew it was not going to be possible. So we concentrated on our immediate family. Inside each of our hands are images of things that we like/describe us. I like how it turned out!

And yes, I did put Max's paw on the paper and trace around it. I then drew the circles to represent his paw pads.

Happy 21st, Amanda!

2012-01-11T11:00:00.001-05:00

GaGa had us over for dinner last week to celebrate Amanda's 21st birthday. She fixed some of Amanda's favorites - chicken and noodles and mashed potatoes. They are also some of Camden's favorites!

The cream cheese frosting on the homemade cinnamon rolls (Amanda's birthday cake) would also rank up at the top of Camden's favorite list - especially when licked off the bottom of the candles.

After dinner, time was spent playing with cousins and having a tea party with GaGa.

Camden has become quite the pro at spinning jacks, too. She tries to show Hali how to do it.

It was a very nice celebration. Happy 21st!

Crazy Fun? Or Just Crazy?

2012-01-10T09:50:00.001-05:00

We took Camden to Imagination Station in Lafayette on Saturday (after Home Depot) only to discover that it was closed for updates. We headed over to the Tippecanoe Mall for a few purchases and to play in the indoor play area. Camden made a few friends and as we were walking to a store, she spotted one of them on the bungee jump ride near Dick's. She asked if she could do it. We were headed to the other end of the Mall, so put her off and told her she could do it when she is older. She often says she wants to do something, but when push comes to shove, she chickens out...so we thought that was the case. We were wrong. When we came back by, she asked again, and I could tell she really meant it. Kevin gave me the "should we?" look and I pushed her a bit to make sure she would go through with it if we paid the money. It appeared she was all on board. So we let her do it!

She loved the trampoline and probably would have been content just jumping on it.

But they strapped her in and started it going. She never hesitated one bit!

I didn't realize that they control the height of the jump (although they make the kids think they are doing it), but she only wanted to go so high, so it was kept pretty tame at first.

But she got comfortable real fast (she is a daredevil once she is over the initial hesitancy on things) and soon was going higher and higher....

Her "wooo's" and "whoo-hoo's" made us all giggle.

When it's over, they are to land on their knees. She was a pro!

It was crazy...FUN!

Home Depot Project

2012-01-09T12:00:00.001-05:00

It was the first Saturday of the month, so we headed to Home Depot for their kid's project. This was the first one we were able to do since Kevin was home on the weekends - so glad that Daddy and Camden did the project together.

She absolutely loves to hammer. The concentration on her face is priceless!

Her technique is quite astonishing (humorous) as well!

Painting was next. Her motor skills are really improving and she did a fantastic job on each of the sides of her bank.

The finished product, including stickers, is ready for some pennies - which she kept asking about immediately after she completed the bank. Since her pig is almost full, we will now concentrate on filling this one.

She proudly holds up her fourth project botton. Job well done!

Sunday Afternoon Nap

2012-01-08T18:01:00.000-05:00

The Tamale Place

2012-01-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

I really like Tamales. We pass a strip mall in Indy frequently that has a restaurant called, "The Tamale Place." I commented that we should try it sometime. Then a few months ago, we were watching "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" and saw it was featured. Now we knew we had to try it! It was just down the block from our hotel, so it was our dinner destination one evening.

Kevin and I shared a few tamales and a fish taco. We also got some homemade chips and guacamole. VERY YUMMY on all counts.

Camden had a black bean and cheese taco. It was so stuffed and gooey with cheese. Again, YUM!

She also ate her lime. That face is simply a requirement - even when you like them.

Mass Ave Toy Shop

2012-01-05T15:00:00.000-05:00

While trying to locate the cupcake shop, I spotted a toy store. Because it was so cold out, I didn't want to keep running around town shopping. However, this looked like a cool store (and another hour away from the room would ensure Kevin got some good sleep), so we stopped here after our sweet purchase.

They had very nice, high-quality toys and lots of items on display to play with.

She sat down at this doll house and I turned my back and walked up the aisle next to it to look at some other items. Next thing I hear is a small crash and her crying. I turn around to see her on the floor. At first I just thought she was upset since she fell, but her cries were more urgent than that. I pick her up and look above her ear where she says it hurts and see that she was bleeding. Apparantly she fell into a low cabinet that was right next to the doll house and hit the corner of it just above her ear.

She didn't let me mess with it too much, but I did manage to get a paper towel on it and make sure it was just a spot that was bleeding and not something that required further attention. It bled off and on all evening. Her hair was matted with blood even the next day (and even after a good bath), but she didn't complain any more about it. Gotta love a head wound!

The Flying Cupcake

2012-01-05T08:00:00.005-05:00

Camden and I did some running around Indy on Monday. One of our stops was at The Flying Cupcake shop. We have been loving trying the various cupcake places around Indy and Lafayette, so, before we went back on our diet, we had to try this Indy's Top Spot. We went to the downtown location which was a small little storefront on Mass Ave.

Camden sat at the counter looking out the front window while I selected a few to take back to the hotel for our evening snack.

Of course, Camden wanted to have one now. She saw the Christmas tree on top of this chocolate one and had to have it. I think she was a grump because I wanted a picture. Geesshhh!

But it only lasted a minute because she was about to dig in!

This thing was HUGE!

I even shared a bit and there was more than half to take back for later. She ended up only eating the frosting (like mother, like daughter), but she gave it her stamp of approval.

Kevin's Impressions

2012-01-04T15:00:00.001-05:00

As Camden says, "He's so silly."

Can you guess this one?

It's his "Statue of Liberty."

We were in the elevator going down to swim. We got a hotel in Indy for a few nights before my vacation was over to enjoy some swimming and relaxing. We don't Priceline in Indy since it's so hard to guarantee an indoor pool, but we still found a nice price near Kevin's work, so that he had a short drive and could enjoy the afternoons and evenings with us.

The hotel was starting to show it's age, but you could tell it was once a very nice place. The pool was well layed out and from the big windows you could watch planes come in and out of the airport. It was a little cool in the water/air (it was freezing outside), but Camden didn't mind!

She especially loved the waterfall from the whirlpool to the big pool. She would "slide" down it over and over.

A Toast to the New Year

2012-01-04T09:52:00.000-05:00

My bosses gave me a basket full of presents for Christmas. There were treats for our new kitten, trinkets for Camden, and a few things for me, too. There were also 2 bottles of sparkling cider. They wanted us to be able to share with Camden. We broke one of the bottles out to celebrate the New Year (well it wasn't on NYE - since we all went to bed at 10 - but it was still a nice treat).

Camden loved the "blueberry 7-up" and wanted seconds...and thirds!

Riley Visit

2011-12-30T11:55:00.002-05:00

Preslee has been at Riley since Christmas Eve. Her breathing has returned to normal, but the vomitting and diarrhea was still occuring. On Tuesday, I took GaGa and Grandpa to Indianapolis to get Grandpa's stitches taken out at the plastic surgeons. Since we were near, it was the perfect opportunity to visit Preslee and Amanda.

Her color was really good and she was eating well which was positive. When you look at her she looks fairly healthy and even chunky. Except when you realize that at 10 lbs, she'd be "chunky" for a one month old, not at 4 month old.

They took her for an ultrasound on her kidneys while we were there. She still has fluid on one of them that she has had for the past month. They still aren't sure if this is the source of all the illnesses. We really pray for answers soon.

Grammy's Gift

2011-12-29T19:51:00.002-05:00

Grammy and Aunt Linda joined us for Christmas dinner. It always wonderful to have Grammy able to join the family and get a break from the nursing home.

Some of my favorite memories from my childhood Christmas' were dinner at Grammy and Aunt Mirna's followed by games with cousins and singing Christmas carols and hymns with the whole family. Grammy always was a whiz on the piano. She never read sheet music, but played by ear. As her eye sight left her a decade or so ago, one of the things she (and all of us) missed most was her piano playing.

I was in the kitchen helping prep food when I heard someone tinkering on the piano. Carole's kids weren't out in the living room, so the only person it could be was Grammy. She was only able to play with one hand (she always played chords with her left), but she plucked out her favorite Christmas tune. I LOVED hearing her play - even if it was a very simple piece...Grammy played the piano! It was my favorite Christmas gift.

Christmas Hotel

2011-12-29T15:00:00.001-05:00

We stayed in Lafayette for the night at a hotel...with a pool, of course!

ReeRee and LaLa came into town for a dip, too. Camden had a blast with her crazy cousins.

Gramma Pat and Grampa Jim were also at the same hotel. We had both used Priceline, but got the same deal!

After swimming, Camden enjoyed a burger and fries from McDonald's (one of the few places open on Christmas evening). She loved that our room had a platform and mirrors as the headboard for our bed and used it as her table.

Lafayette Christmas

2011-12-29T07:27:00.000-05:00

Camden opened her last few gifts on home on Christmas morning, we went to church, and then headed to Lafayette for Christmas dinner with my family. Gramma Pat and Grampa Jim spoiled her with more presents!

She got a Cabbage Patch "Dirty to Clean" doll. It has some dirty spots on it that come clean when you give it a bath. Then when it dries, the spots appear again. She has enjoyed it every bathtime since.

She received some new markers, stickers, cotton candy, and several games. Gramma Pat joined in the fun, then Camden got a big game of Dora Bingo going with Daddy, Uncle Ric, and ReeRee.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-28T15:30:00.001-05:00

Another tradition is Christmas Eve at GaGa and Grandpa's. Unfortunately, Preslee had a setback and was lifelined to Riley again, so she, Hali, and Amanda were not going to make it. Camden was the only youngster this year (since the other grandbabies are high schoolers or older). GaGa let her shake her present before we dug in to the yummy wings and such.

Camden brought her new Woody and Bullseye toys (along with the Buzz she already owned). I stumbled across this scene on the den floor once Camden got distracted by other new things...like a scene out of one of her favorite Toy Story movies...

Finally it was time to open her gifts.

She got a train set. GaGa even painted "CSX" on it since that is where Kevin works.

One of her cousins, Emily, had to help Camden with her other gift since it was so big!

A little red wagon for her dolls just like her big red wagon. It came with a little white kitten (which she named "Hankaroni" just like Uncle Ric's dog), but I think there will be many trips for Max in it as well!

GaGa helped her put the train together.

It was a wonderful evening together...and Camden was just a little bit spoiled!

Christmas Eve Christmas

2011-12-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

We held our annual Christmas Eve Christmas with Papaw and Austin. First we have breakfast - featuring monkey bread - and then we open presents.

Stockings are always first! Camden scored some candy, stickers, books, and a new Veggie Tales CD for in the car.

Also a flashlight and a "fart" tub of slime...always good for some giggles.

She also opened most of her gifts. We set aside 3 for Christmas morning.

Papaw gave her a new penguin ornament that sings, dances, and glows. It's a tradition that he has established and we usually keep it out for several days since she enjoys dancing and singing along with it.

I picked up this fishing game at the last minute...think it's one of my favorites, since it's educational AND she enjoys playing it with someone or even by herself.

Christmas Dressing

2011-12-22T14:30:00.000-05:00

I found a really cute plaid skirt for Camden at a resale shop on clearance several months ago (maybe was even last year!). I forgot I had it until I was getting her dressed for church on Sunday. It is a perfect holiday outfit (although I have refused to buy her a pair of black dress shoes when her white ones still fit her...I break all the fashion rules, but she still looks cute!).

If only I could get her to stand still...and look at the camera!

I guess sitting is the better option.

Kevin and I taught preschool Sunday School that morning and decided to keep Camden in the room with us. It is a new room used for our church's preschool, so it has cool toys and playthings...including "The Rock."

Camden wants to be 4 so she can come to this room every Sunday!

December Birthdays Bash

2011-12-22T07:58:00.001-05:00

There are 4 of us with birthdays within a week and a half in December. Brian (Kevin's brother) was born on 12/7, Kevin on 12/9, me on 12/16, and Brian's girlfriend on 12/20. GaGa had all her "kids" over for a wonderful prime rib dinner. Amanda (who's birthday is in early January) and her two kids also joined us. Preslee is, thankfully, growing like a weed.

Camden enjoys helping out with little miss Preslee Marie.

Of course, stories with GaGa are special too. Camden always sits on the arm of her chair.

Living Nativity

2011-12-21T14:30:00.005-05:00

After the yummy dinner, the three of us went to Faith Baptist Church for the Living Nativity. They have done this for 15+ years and I have never gone. The drive-through line was long, so we decided to park and walk. It was nice to go at our own pace and get done quickly.

Camden was a little bit of a grump (such a theme lately) and didn't want to be in any pictures. I was finally able to snap one in the crowd scene at the Jerusalum market.

The nativity scene was only about half way through the "program". The other half was the life of Jesus and his death/resurrection.

I liked the scene of Jesus walking on water and calming the seas. Because it was so dark, it was hard to get pictures of other scenes.

As I said, we went through fairly quickly. I think we'll do it again in a few years when Camden's a bit older and we can take more time at each scene, listening to the story being told, and taking in the "action" a little more.

Don Pablo's

2011-12-21T08:00:00.001-05:00

We decided to go out on Friday night for my birthday. We hadn't been to Don Pablo's in forever. In fact when we sat down, we realized we couldn't remember the last time we came...and whether we'd ever been there together. I'm pretty sure we have, but since we couldn't remember, it's been a while.

Camden liked seeing them make the tortilla's fresh on the griddle. She especially loved it when they gave her a piece of dough to play with.

It was a last minute decision to go here, but we called Aunt Carole and Uncle Ric and they were able to join us.

Fun times!

Bathtime with Max

2011-12-20T14:00:00.000-05:00

It's obvious that Camden loves Max. But Max is also pretty fond of Camden. Despite how she wallers him, puts him into closed containers, and carries him around constantly, he seeks her out. Even at bathtime.

Raymond's Accident

2011-12-20T10:20:00.001-05:00

Do not scroll down if you don't want to see "gory" pictures.

Grandpa French was burning some trash on Sunday afternoon. Unbeknownst to him, there was an aeresol can in a bag that he dumped into the fire. The can exploded in his face. GaGa called our house frantic and Kevin (who was sleeping) rushed over and took him to the ER in Crawfordsville. They were able to stop the bleeding, take a CAT scan to check for broken bones, and stabilize him. However, he would need to go to a bigger (real) hospital for treatment. They were sent to St. Vincent's in Indy, where he was seen by a plastic surgeon that specialized in the face. According to GaGa, he had one pretty thick flap which started about an inch below his eye, then a smaller flap under the bigger one, about the size of the bottom of the can. He is swollen pretty badly, including a black eye and hemotoma around his neck. Thankfully he is not complaining of pain. He also has a hairline fracture on his cheek bone (not much can be done for it).

We stopped over last night to check on him and it looks pretty good. I was a little worried how Camden would react. She made him a get well card and gave him a sweet kiss on the non-injured cheek. She did point it out, but immediately said, "Silly Grandpa" and slapped her thigh. She thought he looked "funny" not scary. Last night as she was laying down for bed we talked about him and prayed, she said, "He looked like a cinnamon roll. Silly Grandpa." Well, the kid has a point...(see pictures below, if you want).

'Jama Day

2011-12-19T14:30:00.001-05:00

Friday was Camden's Christmas party at school. It was also Pajama Day. We got a handful of free books at the Christmas parade and there were some duplicates. I took them in on Friday to leave with her teacher. The pajama clad girls immediately formed a reading circle and dove in.

Camden had to bring a $5 gift for another girl in the class for an exchange. I found a fun playdough set at Kohl's that, with discount, was under $5. I also threw in one of the free books. It was a great gift...and Camden was excited. I told her what the gift was (but didn't show her) and explained that it was for one of her friends. I knew that if she saw it, she would want it. I thought she understood that it was the gift she was GIVING, but apparantly during the gift exchange she was pretty adament that the playdough was HER gift and was fairly aggitated about it. Her teacher finally got her calmed down and accepting of the book she received and, downtrodden, she proclaimed, "I guess I'll tell mommy I didn't get the playdough."

I will score mommy points when, on Christmas morning, she learns that I bought 2 playdough sets!

Our Pink Ballerina

2011-12-19T10:42:00.000-05:00

I had my camera in my purse at last week's dance class. Parents aren't usually allowed in the room, but there were only two kids (usually 6), and both were being pills, so the moms stayed to do some behavior modification. Before the lessons started (more pictures and video to follow when I have time to upload/edit), I snapped this one of Camden. She looks so grown-up to me!

Birthday Cheesecake

2011-12-16T15:00:00.001-05:00

Kevin requested cheesecake for his birthday, so I made him a Junior's. Ever since we went to NY city a few years ago, this has been his favorite option when I bake one of these beauties. Camden helps me mix it up, but only because she gets to lick the beater.

I don't think she could have gotten it anymore cleaner (or her face anymore covered!).

Gingerman Bread House

2011-12-16T09:31:00.000-05:00

Camden gets the name a little backwards, but she enjoyed building the house. The kit I got from Target was the best! The cookes was thick and the frosting "glue" was very easy to work with - and both tasted good!

I bought it last week and she's been begging to do it every evening since. I wanted to wait until Kevin returned from Atlanta, but she had been sick and we'd been at home for two days and we really wanted something to do. It was a perfect evening activity for us.

She got a big kick out of knocking on the front door and saying, "Anybody hoooommmmeeee?" I don't know where she comes up with some of the stuff she says and does, but she cracks me up.

Last year we battled the house and the candy. It was such a pain. I can't say enough about how pleasant the experience was in putting this together. It's not just that Camden's a year older...the adults had the problems! But she did put every single piece of candy on it. Very impressed by her patience and ability to complete the whole task.

The only draw back to this kit was the colored frosting wasn't really contained properly to be able to decorate unless you are a real artist. At least that's what I'm sticking too considering the only part that looks really bad is my attempts to decorate with the colored frosting!

Camden ate the gingerman bread before we could decorate it. I loved the tree and snowman, too.

Once we were finished, she looked at me, looked at the house, and leaned in for a big bite. I laughed so hard! That little mind is always workin'.

Camden Portraits

2011-12-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

At the cookie reception, Camden used my camera to take some portraits of everyone around the table. She did a good job of aiming...and capturing personalities!

Even a self-portrait!

GaGa took one too. It's my favorite.

Christmas Program

2011-12-14T08:04:00.005-05:00

Also known as "Camden drives her mother crazy."

I should have deduced from the pictures I took in her classroom before the program what was in store.

Flying around the room wasn't too bad, plus she sat and did puzzles while other kids were arriving...

and took a decent picture with her friend Kyla...

But trying to get a class shot was next to impossible. The first one is the best of the bunch. The second the best of the more typical attempt.

A few of the performance shots make it look like she actually participated. In reality, she jingled the bells and clapped a few times, but mainly jumped and twirled and rolled on the floor and slid down the steps.

Someone remind me to make sure she is NEVER on the end of the rows in programs.

She did have a full pew of supporters. Kevin was in Atlanta for work, but GaGa, Grandpa, Papaw and Austin were all there.

After the 20 minute program/mom torture, there was a nice cookie reception. Camden continued in her performance...acting up, then behaving...

...acting up, then behaving.

Most days Camden is an easy kid and a joy to be around, but these moody/grumpy episodes are enough to make you say, "UGH!"

Max At Home

2011-12-13T08:00:00.002-05:00

Max is quickly becoming acclimated to his new home. He spends a lot of time under the couch, but ventures out frequently to play with the plethera of toys Camden has left on the floor or to pat at an ornament on the tree or simply to rub up against our leg. He is coming or answering when we call his name, too. I think he is most definitely home!

The pictures make him look bigger than reality. He is actually still a very small kitten - only 2 months and a week old. He is also very willing to let Camden play with him for very brief splits of time...poor Max...

We are still working on the squeezing!

Austin's popsicle star ornament is really tempting fate. Max is under the tree often...and swats at it each time!

McCord's Candies

2011-12-12T10:30:00.000-05:00

Before we picked out Max, Camden and I met Aunt Carole, LaLa, and ReeRee at McCord's Candy in downtown Lafayette for lunch and treats.

They had Camden's favorite snack/chocolate treat...chocolate pretzel rods. To top it off, it had sprinkles. She only allowed me one bite!

Meet Max!

2011-12-11T08:38:00.002-05:00

Santa called me earlier this week and said he had left something for Camden at the Almost Home Humane Society. Kevin and I went on Thursday to check it out, then Camden and I returned on Saturday to bring home her new kitten. Aunt Carole and ReeRee came to help her pick.

She wanted one that wasn't too "sharpy." We had discussed with her that the kittens still had their claws, so she had to be careful. She was concerned for a few days about them being too sharpy.

The ones that Kevin and I had seen were already adopted. They told us kittens went quickly, but knew there were enough others to still pick a good one.

Camden took to the first one I got out of the cage. He was gentle and sat well on her lap.

He also immediately climbed up on my shoulder.

We tried a few other kittens, but this one seemed like "ours."

The shelter had named him, "Arturo," but on the way home, Camden was talking about Max from her favorite cartoon, "Max and Ruby." I asked her if she wanted to name her kitten Max, and she said, "Oh, yes. That is perfect."

She's in love.

Happy Birthday, KEVIN!

2011-12-10T08:26:00.000-05:00

Kevin and I went out to dinner at the Possum Trot Supper Club last night for his birthday. Technically it was both of our birthday dinners since mine is just in another week; but he was the only one who got a free dessert in his honor. The Possum Trot is a steak, chop, and rib place just outside of Danville, IL. The food is good and it's someplace different to go than the usual fare in Indy or Lafayette. It was where he took me for our first birthday celebration together. Didn't get the most flattering picture of the two of us, but the evening was a very nice time together.

Christmas Tree

2011-12-09T08:43:00.000-05:00

We put up our Christmas tree this week. We had planned to start the real tree tradition this year, but a little surgery sidelined that idea until next year. So our little, pathetic artificial one is back in the living room.

Camden did a good job putting up the ornaments. She started to bunch them all together, but listened really well when Kevin gave her instructions on where to put them so that they were all spread out.

The stockings were also hung (and the buck got his santa hat...just not a picture).

Crawfordsville Christmas Parade

2011-12-08T13:53:00.001-05:00

It was still early afternoon when we finished up at Mansfield, so we decided to go back to Crawfordsville for the Christmas parade. Despite the rain, we enjoyed the small town festivities.

Camden was especially happy when the parade began and she learned that every group or float threw candy!

Too loud!

Covered Bridge Christmas

2011-12-08T07:49:00.000-05:00

Two of the towns that host the Covered Bridge Festival have a Christmas festival as well. It's very small, so it's nice to see the sights without battling crowds. There aren't nearly as many vendors either.

We headed there after church on Sunday. Our first stop was Bridgeton.

Camden liked going in the mill and pretending to sell me items in the store. They had all kinds of flour and cornmeal that was ground in the mill, as well as local jams, jellies, maple syrup, etc.

We decided to wait to make a purchase until we got to the mill at Mansfield. I love this old mill because you can go up all three floors and see the inner workings.

We bought some cornmeal and local maple syrup. Later this week we are going to make some corncakes for dinner. I think I'll use Paula Deen's Hoecake recipe since we liked it so much when we were in Georgia.

There were only a few shops open in Mansfield, but one had a dancing Santa Claus outside. Camden thought it was a hoot and we stood and watched him for a while. I didn't get a picture of him, but I love this sweet expression on her face as she watched it...she was wide eyed and had a natural smile. Although this picture doesn't fully capture it, it was pure childhood happiness.

Red Robin...YUM!

2011-12-07T14:45:00.001-05:00

Saturday afternoon we headed out to do some shopping in Avon/Plainfield. We stopped at Red Robin for dinner. Camden learned to say "YUMMMM" just like in the commercials.

Danville park has a drive-through light display at their city park, so we headed there after shopping. There were some really cool set-ups.

Santa also had a house in the rec center. Camden is just a bit shy with the jolly old man. We never could get her to sit up and smile or even talk to him. I like this picture, anyway, because it shows how kind and patient he was with her.

We got out of the car and walked across a small suspension bridge. Kevin and Camden thought it was great fun to rock it back and forth. Me...not so much!

Our favorite displays...

Kevin caught the golf ball mid-drive.

The animation was really amazing on some of the lights. These two fishermen took turns catching trout.

Advent Season

2011-12-07T11:30:00.000-05:00

I intended to do the advent box like we did last year...doing something little each day to prepare for/celebrate the holiday season. Unfortunately, time got away and I haven't been able to get the list translated to envelopes and put in the box. We are well underway in the month, so I decided not to do the box; however, we are still trying to do special activities each day. Kevin and Camden had both been cooped up in the house all week with sickness/recovery, so we decided to get out on Friday evening, get some ice cream at Culver's and drive around town to see some Christmas lights.

Answers...Finally!

2011-12-06T14:03:00.002-05:00

We have made 3 trips to the emergency room in the past year for Kevin's severe abdominal pain. Everytime, they rule out his heart and go to acid reflux. The GI cocktail they give him provides enough relief for him to feel better, so they send him home with a diagnosis of GERD and instructions to follow-up with his doctor. Everythings fine for a while, then we repeat the process.

On Black Friday, after a day of fun and shopping, the pain became unbearable again. Since we were in Lafayette, Kevin decided to go to one of the hospitals here, rather than our small (and "troubled") hospital in Crawfordsville. Immediately upon hearing his symptoms and feeling his belly (which was tender to the touch on the right side), they wanted to investigate his gall bladder a bit. Thankfully Camden was able to bed down at Aunt Carole and Uncle Ric's because we knew it was going to be a long night in the ER.

An ultrasound of his liver, pancreas, and gall bladder showed, "too many gall stones to count." The ER nurse said she had never heard that said before. As was probably the case in the previous incidents, one stone had apparently gotten out and blocked the tube to the gall bladder AND the pancreas. He had gallstone pancreatitis...a VERY painful condition. The levels in his pancreas & liver that they use to diagnose this were very high. One was to be below 100 and it was over 1000; the other was to be below 50 and was over 100. The stone would pass, the pain would ease (as it had the other times), but we would be back another time if the gall bladder was not removed. We could wait for another day, if we wanted, but there was no guarantee how long before the next of the many stones would set up this situation again. The surgeon on call strongly recommended it come out NOW. So he was admitted and surgery set for the next day.

Camden came up on Saturday morning for a visit before the operation.

It was so wonderful to not have to worry about our baby girl. Camden was showered with wonderful love and attention. Aunt Carole did some beautiful things with her hair...

...and Uncle Ric taught her all kinds of new silliness.

The surgery was a success and afterward the surgeon confirmed that it was the right decision to have the surgery today. He said the gall bladder itself was very "sick" and would have continued to be a nasty problem...and sooner than later. We stayed one more night to make sure the levels had returned to normal and the pancreatitis had subsided. Kevin is off work for 2 weeks, resting and getting bored!

Grammy Time

2011-12-06T08:05:00.003-05:00

While Kevin and Uncle Ric went golfing (yes, I said golfing in November), the girls (and Grandpa Jim) visited Grammy. Camden was being a pill and refused to sit for pictures. Oh, the joys of a tempermental 3 year old!

This is the best picture of her and Grammy. She refused to get any closer. I want to believe the look in her eyes is simply timing with when the camera snapped...I don't want to believe she is looking at me with a 14-year olds attitude. Silly, stubborn girl.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-05T11:58:00.000-05:00

We made our annual trek to Grandma's house in southern Illinois. Upon arrival, Camden helped set out the food. She went right to the pumpkin pie that GaGa just put whipped cream on, stuck her fingers in, and took a big swipe. Good thing Uncle Rick was there to help!

I made the remainder of the carrot cake and chocolate cake (frozen from the baby shower) into cake balls. One of the little nephews had 10 of them!

Camden, of course, was obsessed with playing in the gym.

It was also good to catch up with her cousins. Preslee is doing remarkably well. She has gained weight and seems to be growing quickly. Amanda said she was almost 10 lbs and was finally in 0-3 month clothes. She definitely had some "chunk" in her face. Still has a little catching up to do for a 4 month old, but it's soooo good to see her at this stage!

Hali was all Hali! She is a stinker...cute...but a stinker!

The weather was cooperating, so Camden spent a good deal of time outside as well. The slide always terrifies me a little because it is so tall, but Camden climbs up without hesitation and flys down.

She was also "practicing" on the logs outlining the slide area. I gathered she was referring to her dance lessons since there is a balance beam they sit on/walk on sometimes during class.

It was such a fun day with family - good food, good play, good people!

Anniversary Roses

2011-12-04T23:45:00.002-05:00

November 16 is the anniversary of our first date. Kevin and I have returned to Scotty's Brewhouse each year on this day to celebrate. Every year he brings me roses, just like the single rose he brought me on our first encounter. In the picture, these are at the end of their life; but they were a beautiful reminder on the dining room table for a week+. He is so wonderful!

Found It!

2011-12-04T17:41:00.002-05:00

The long lost camera has been found. Pictures and updates to come over the next few days!

Recent Events

2011-11-30T16:14:00.001-05:00

We've had a very "exciting" Thanksgiving holiday. I'd normally be sharing it in detail, along with pictures, except we lost our camera!

Hopefully we will track it down and more explanation will follow, but in short:

* Thanksgiving in Illinois at Great-grandma Beasley's
* Black Friday adventures with Aunt Carole, Uncle Ric, Grandma Pat, and Grandpa Jim
* Emergency Room visit for Kevin
* Gallbladder surgery and 2 day hospital stay. Thankfully Aunt Carole and a very sick Uncle Ric were able to keep Camden during this stay.
* Kevin to stay at home/off work for 2 weeks...Camden develops Croup...Gina has extended, extended holiday weekend taking care of her two sickies.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T06:55:00.000-05:00

I sent these treats to Camden's school yesterday. They were better in theory than how they turned out in reality (yes, they are supposed to have eyes, but the sprinkles I had were too small)...but they still eat good!

Gobble, Gobble!

Evening Activities

2011-11-23T09:55:00.001-05:00

Evenings in our home are quite relaxed. After dinner we basically hang out with each other. Often the TV or a movie is going, someone is surfing the web, toys and books are being brought out and played with, etc. A few nights ago, coloring was the activity of choice.

Camden is showing such improvement in her skills. She concentrates and tries to stay in the lines. She chooses multiple colors and doesn't just scribble.

She is growing up in so many ways - big and small!

Grandma's House

2011-11-21T14:30:00.001-05:00

I had to travel last week to Louisville, KY for work. I wasn't sure how to make this long day work with Camden/daycare/Kevin's schedule. Then realized that Grandma Pat lived only an hour from Louisville! Camden and I could travel down the night before (making my morning drive that much shorter), sleep at Grandma's house, and Camden could enjoy a day with her while I did site visits. We drove through a terrible rain storm (tornado warning and all), but Camden was so excited to see Grandma Pat and Grandpa Jim. She chanted, "Grandma Pat, Grandma Pat" from the start of the journey and didn't want to stop for dinner, but "get to Grandma's house." Unfortunately because of the weather, we did have to stop and wait out the storm for a bit in Indy.

Camden had a great day taking walks, making cupcakes, and riding the exercise bike. I think she wore everyone out -including herself! We left for home just after a yummy dinner and Camden didn't even make it to the highway before she konked out. She slept the 2 hours home, awoke long enough to be carried inside, whine/cry for about 5 minutes, and fall back asleep on the living room floor. I had to wake her up 11 hours later to get ready for school. That was a total of 13+ hours for my girl who normally gets about slightly less than 10!

We didn't have pictures of all the fun they had, but I snapped these while riding the horse at Meijer on Saturday...and her shirt reminded us of the day with Grandma!

We can't wait for more Grandma time later this week...

Family Time

2011-11-21T09:52:00.000-05:00

We are making the most of our weekends together. Simply running errands is so much more fun since Daddy gets to come too.

Saturday we went to Avon for some shopping, stopping at McAllister's for lunch.

Camden also got a promised afternoon break at Chuck E. Cheese's.

Kevin likes it too!

I was pretty impressed with Camden's skills at the air hockey table. She actually had good hand-eye coordination hitting the puck back and forth to me.

(Sorry about the red-eye...I wasn't able to edit before uploading).

We got a handful of tickets and redeemed them for a crazy straw and a pencil topper...at least she didn't select candy!

Caboodle Cupcakes

2011-11-14T10:15:00.003-05:00

Camden and I enjoyed Saturday in Terre Haute. A stop at the "Dinosaur Museum" (aka TH Children's Museum), some shopping, and discovering a cupcake shop were on the agenda.

We got there about 2 hours after they had opened and they were already sold out of a few flavors. I thought that was a good sign. I selected four flavors to take home and share with Kevin. I also let Camden select one to enjoy at the store. She choose Vanilla/Vanilla (since the icing was slightly pink...and it had sprinkles).

She was slightly excited!

She told me I could have a little bite!

Then made faces at me the rest of our visit eating the yummy treat.

Turns out the Vanilla/Vanilla was the best of the flavor choices. The other cupcakes were a little dry or a little too sweet. Kevin's favorite was the Chocolate Fudge filled (neither of us are huge chocolate fans, so it says more about the other flavors than this one). I prefered the Chocolate Carmel Mocha slightly over that one.

I found a great cupcakery in Carmel (on a recent work-related trip to Indy) that I will go out of my way for again...this one, while a nice treat, probably not.

Fall Weather

2011-11-09T06:32:00.001-05:00

We've had some mild temperatures the last few days. Camden, of course, wanted to play outside.

So we got out the riding toys, again.

I love how she kinda tilts her head up as she looks at me when I call her name. That cute little nose!

We also spent some time being silly on her "park."

Up and down the slide a gazillion times.

Beverly's Baby Shower

2011-11-08T10:19:00.003-05:00

My dear friend, Beverly, is pregnant...with twins! Her shower was Saturday afternoon. It had a fun circus theme and they really went all out! Very fun food and decorations...everything in red and blue.

I made cake pops for the celebration. They were chocolate/chocolate and carrot cake/cream cheese. I had never made these two flavors and feared the chocolate would be too overwhelming. They were actually delicious...and the carrot cake were good, just very obviously a cake mix recipe.

Kier made the most delicious cupcakes I've had in a while. She has some secret frosting recipe that involves buttermilk...best.frosting.ever!

Lindsay also traveled in from Iowa; so good to see her! Amy hosted the event and was a fabulous ringmaster.

Monday Morning Pick-Me-Up

2011-11-07T07:06:00.000-05:00

Halloween

2011-11-04T13:26:00.001-04:00

I love Camden's octopus costume. The best part is the purple sweatshirt (minus the eyes & mouth) can be worn for a few more years! She received many comments about being the "cutest costume" people saw this year.

Since we were traveling over the weekend, I had some mother's guilt. She was going to miss her school party and our town trick-or-treating. She was very excited about trick-or-treating this year and I was not sure about my decision to go East. Then I remembered that she is 3 years old and will not care in the long-term. So we packed her costume and I decided whereever we were, we would do something.

On Sunday afternoon we would be in Pittsburgh and Elizabeth's church was having their "Truck or Treat" event. The weather was very cold and we arrived back in town just for the last hour of the event. Only about 10 cars were out...and they only had the bottom of the barrel candy left.

Camden loved it regardless and got a bag full of dum-dums and tootsie rolls. I decided we would go to another town near us when we got home on Monday and get some real trick-or-treating done.

Later that night, however, I called Kevin and learned that his Uncle Art had passed away. The viewing would be Monday night in Illinois. Camden and I had to drive the rest of the way home on Monday morning, then pick up Kevin and drive 2 more hours to the funeral home. Poor Camden. It's so good that she travels so well...another long day in the car seat. I decided to pack her costume and, regardless of where we were at 7pm on Monday night, we would stop and knock on a few doors.

Turns out that the small town of Paxton (and specifically the neighborhood where the funeral home was) is BIG TIME into trick-or-treating. We pulled up and the neighbor was setting up his kettle korn tent to pass out bagfuls to the kids. He stopped us and told us to come by after the viewing for a bag and a full-size candy bar. He said last year he handed out over 650 bars!

We went inside for a while and then Camden and I stepped out. The neighbor said we could use his playset for a bit to give Camden some play time.

We made plans with Kevin's cousins to meet back up and walk the neighborhood with their kids. When Camden and I got back to the funeral home after grabbing some dinner for the three of us, the neighborhood was in full swing. It was already getting a little late, so Kevin told us to go ahead and trick-or-treat while he went back to the viewing. It was a perfect plan! We were done trick-or-treating by the time the cousins arrived...and Kevin got good visit time with his family.

She scored so much candy! I think we only went to 20 or so houses and she had 2 buckets of goodies...many full-sized treats. A wonderful blessing around a sad circumstance.

Of course, on Tuesday night, we made one final stop at GaGa's (who saved some extra treats for baby girl).

We literally will be eating candy until Easter, at least...

Pam's 50th Birthday

2011-11-03T13:30:00.003-04:00

The "excuse" I needed to head out East was the birthday of my good friend, Pam Main. She is one of the most beautiful, wise, hilarious, real people I know. She's one of the things I miss most about living in Camden.

It was a surprise birthday with lots of people I knew "back in the day." It gave me the opportunity catch up with a lot of people...except the guest of honor. So Pam and Jodina (another dear, dear woman and friend) went to breakfast with us before we left on Sunday morning. Since Camden didn't get to go to the party, I was glad to be able to give her some time with these great women.

Jodina made fast friends with Camden when she whipped out her Ipad with "Talking Tom" on it. We had never seen it before, but Camden took an immediate interest - especially when she learned you could press a button and make Tom fart. Apparently it's not just a boy thing. She giggled so much!

She and Rimere "fought" over who got to press the button. Good thing Jodina's such a pro with kids...

Snow and Cheesesteaks!

2011-11-03T07:30:00.000-04:00

It had only been raining when we entered the Franklin Institute, but there was snow on the ground when we left.

Despite the weather (and it was gross!), we knew we wanted to swing by the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Camden still won't remember it, but the boys will. We only went in the building with the bell and snapped a few pictures, but they can now put a location with these famous sites when they learn about them in school.

By the next morning, we had gotten some good snow coverage. At one of our stops, Camden got out and wanted to touch it. She couldn't believe how cold it was to pick up, but she enjoyed throwing some snowballs and stomping around in it.

Most of it had melted where traffic was flowing, but you can see the covered ground in the back of this picture.

We Pricelined our hotel and got a pretty good deal. Little did we know it had a huge waterpark inside. We hadn't brought our suits because we had so little time in our schedule (plus it was a little pricey). However, it was fun to go look at...and the arcade next door was a nice place to take a break in between activities. Next time we come out to NJ, we will plan a day here, though!

I also have to get a few of my East Coast food favs in whenever I visit. It was also great to introduce Camden to these Philadelphia traditions.

There is no pizza like a good Italian pie. It's New York style...and you can't explain how different and how good it is compared to other pizza you get across the country. We stopped at Fabrizio's which is right down the street from UP and where I had many a slices in my day.

We also had a cheesesteak. It wasn't as good as my favorite spot (Jim's on South Street in Philly), but it was still miles better than all the "imitation" cheesesteaks they try to sell everywhere else besides Philadelphia.

Finally, we got a cannoli at Gallo's Bakery. They do the best ones I've ever had. We got the chocolate covered shells with ricotta-chocolate chip filling. Camden got a small one that had sprinkles. I got a large one!

These three treats made the rainy/slushy/snowy day worth it!

Franklin Institute

2011-11-02T13:14:00.002-04:00

This trip corresponded with the big snow storm that hit the East Coast. The huge snow fall, fortunately, missed us, but we got freezing rain, slush, and COLD! It was pretty gross to get around in on Saturday. We had already decided to go to the Franklin Institute, the large science center, but the horrible weather sealed the deal. Both of us had passes through memberships at our local museums, so our admissions were free!

The exhibits were geared more to Salim and Rimere's ages, but Camden had fun none-the-less. There were plenty of buttons to push and wheels to turn that she was engaged. Plus she wasn't strapped into a car seat for 5+ hours...I think she was happy.

The Institute has had a heart exhibit since I was last there and it is great fun to climb in and walk through. Camden liked all the stairs, but the beating sound of the heart was a little scary for her. I had to carry her past the speakers a few times.

The large fighter plane was a top pick.

The sports themed room was my favorite for her. There were race cars, balls to kick and throw, things to jump on and spin in, and walls to climb.

I love that this picture makes it look like she threw a 70 mph fast ball. However, it was the guy just before her...her throw didn't even register!

We finally found a section that was geared for the under 7 crowd. Camden and I spent the most time in this area. She loved all the water and boat stuff.

Next was the train room.

There was a full size locomotive engine that you could "ride." Camden actually got to drive it. It moved about 2 feet backward and 2 feet forward again, but it was pretty cool to be able to work the various gears and levers.

We enjoyed our morning exploring...and out of the rain!

Camden Does Camden

2011-11-02T10:38:00.000-04:00

Camden and I made a long weekend trip to Camden, New Jersey. This is the city where I worked and lived for 15+ summers/years. We stopped in Pittsburgh to pick up my friend Elizabeth and her two boys, Salim and Rimere. It was two long days of driving. I appreciated having the extra hands to help with Camden...Rimere was particularly good at assisting his God-sister.

When we arrived at UrbanPromise Headquarters, the elementary school was just letting out. What a surprise when one of "my boys" stepped out of his car to pick up his daughter. Big Joe is a "kid" I've known since the 80's. He now is married and has a family of his own. He was thrilled to tell his daughter that I taught him to drive a car....he was only 14 at the time, but was always the size of a grown man. I have many, many interesting stories about Big Joe (including the time I had to literally stop him from killing one of the staff...oh my). He really is a gentle soul and I always try to see him when I come back to town.

Two of the teachers at the school are also former kids in my program. Tony (on the left) and Greg (right) were both boys in the afterschool program when they were like 7 or 8. They grew up attending all the programs and being StreetLeaders as teenagers. Tony went to Eastern College and Greg went to Azusa Pacific University on scholarships through UP. What success stories!

A few of my staff members are still at UP. I used to hold the record for length of time, but they have since surpassed my time. Brian (one of my directors) and his wife Sandy had us over for dinner. What a wonderful time with old friends. Camden especially liked their doggie!

Rimere and Salim loved all their toys and books!

I was thankful that they were willing to let Elizabeth and the kids stay a little while that evening so that I (and Sandy) could go to a funeral for the grandmother of two of the boys that I was closest to. Despite the circumstances, I was moved to be able to hug Jeremy (who now lives in Boston) and Jacob (who is the StreetLeader director - another success story). Jeremy has always called me "twin" since we share the same birthday. They were in my first afterschool program in 1990 and were boys that I spent one evening a week with for 12 years. They are my kids in a lot of ways.

We also stopped for a brief visit with another former staff worker, Michelle, her husband Andy (who is still with UP) and their three kids. Abria is just a week older than Camden.

Allette is a few years older and their foster daughter is in between (she was taking a nap). Camden was in hog-heaven with all the girl toys, books, and pets.

Trick-or-treat

2011-11-01T09:17:00.001-04:00

Details about Miss Octopus to follow...

Fire!

2011-10-29T08:06:00.000-04:00

The Crawfordsville Fire Department came to Camden's daycare on Wednesday. They brought the big fire truck and several firemen talked to the kids.

When I picked her up on Wednesday afternoon, her teacher was quick to tell me a story about our little girl.

The fireman were explaining about needing to talk to your mom and dad about what to do if there is a fire in your house. They gave them a few pointers, then asked the kids, "What do you do if there is a fire in your house?"

Camden immediately screamed out, "Make s'mores!"

Pumpkin "Treats"

2011-10-27T08:24:00.002-04:00

For Camden's treat for her friends at school this Halloween, she and GaGa made pumpkin faces.

Each of them have different hair and facial expressions. The boy pumpkins wear cowboy hats and the girls wear straw ones. Some have curly hair, some straw. Some have red hair, some are blond. Each of them have a sunflower.

All in all, they made 16 pumpkins - each of them unique!

Neighborhood Friends

2011-10-26T10:11:00.000-04:00

One of our neighbors is the manager at Kroger. This year, 3 large halloween display items have appeared on her lawn. I think they were last year's eye-catching features, but Camden is obsessed. Some days they are blown up and greeting us, other days they are deflated. Whenever they are up, Camden must go say, "hi" and touch the "niminim" guys (and the pumpkin with the rising/lowering ghost). We make several trips each evening.

Ronald

2011-10-25T09:52:00.000-04:00

We made one more trip to Riley to visit Preslee. Camden loved getting a parfait at the McDonald's in the hospital. She especially loved sitting on Ronald's lap (despite the scowl in this photo).

The good news is that Preslee got to come home yesterday! Mom, baby, and big sister Hali are doing good.

First Haircut

2011-10-24T10:33:00.002-04:00

Camden's hair has been a little out of control for a while. I've been hesitant to cut it, but it really needed a trim, especially around the bangs where she constantly blows them out of her eyes. I decided the girl who does my hair was the best choice. I trust that she does a good job, plus she has a young one at home. I knew she could handle a squirming worm and would understand my desire to just give a little shape to it.

Camden was excited to go to the beauty shop and hopped right up in the booster seat on the chair.

I had gotten my hair trimmed just before Camden and had it blow-dryed. Camden didn't want that noisy thing anywhere near her. So with some previous instruction from GaGa, the first thing she said when she sat down was, "I don't want blowdryer please."

She sat still and smiled the whole time!

We shaped the point off the very back and simply trimmed the bangs to angle out of her eyes. Haley tried to catch a few clippings to save in an envelope. They are very tiny and VERY blond, but we have them!

We pulled it up in a pony tail for the rest of the day. It looks so much more "neat and clean" than the straggles before.

The cutest thing was when we were walking out the door, Camden turned to me and said, "Mama, I just love her." Guess I picked the right stylist for the perfect first cut experience!

Hayride & Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-19T06:55:00.003-04:00

We stayed for several hours at the farm. We didn't end up ever going in the corn maze. It was quite warm and we were all getting tired. I've been to a corn maze three times now and have yet to actually do one!

We did enjoy a nice hayride around the property.

One of our last activities was the corn cannon. Despite the loud noise, Camden took her four shots. Kevin helped aim, but Camden launched the cobs.

This expression happened after each shot. She's pretty impressed with herself!

On our way out, we let Hali pick a pumpkin to take home. Always the helper, Camden took charge of the selection process.

I always like to select our pumpkins from a patch. So after we dropped Hali at home, we headed to a "pick your own" patch down the road from Waveland. Camden found her pumpkin, declared it "perfect" and we snipped it off the vine.

We selected four very nice ones and the patch owner insisted we get a picture to seal the deal.

Back home, Camden helped carry them to the porch to complete our fall decor.

Corn Maze & Farm

2011-10-18T13:20:00.001-04:00

A few weekends ago, Camden, Kevin and I picked up Hali and went for an excursion to a farm in Rockville.

There was a corn maze and pumpkins for sale, but there were also several other hands-on activities to play. The girls really liked the animals in the petting zoo.

Camden's favorite activity was the HUGE roller slide. She must have gone down 20 times and kept going back in between other options.

Hali really liked the water pumping duck races. Camden and Kevin were also big fans.

I thought the corn sandbox was pretty cool.

Kevin and I really liked the huge bouncing pillow (see it in the background of the first slide picture for perspective). Of course, Camden is not always thrilled with bouncy things, so we didn't play as long as the adults wanted. But I was glad Camden at least tried it...hopefully it will encourage her to try such things in the future.

The girls also "milked" a cow.

They attempted to ride in the corn train, but Hali was reluctant after it drove away from us.

Camden tried to comfort her, but we stopped the four wheeler and got Hali off.

Next, Camden ran ahead of us and climbed to the top of the wheel tower.

She also enjoyed swinging on the tire horse.

A Very Sick Preslee

2011-10-18T11:20:00.002-04:00

Our neice Amanda has had quite the month. She gave birth to Preslee Marie six weeks ago, had emergency gall bladder surgery 2 weeks ago, and Preslee has gotten very sick. So sick, in fact, that she has been in the hospital for the past week. She is currently at Riley and they still don't know for sure what is going on. She is not gaining weight and is not keeping fluids in her body. She is on constant feeding tube and fluids through IV, but she was excreting (vomit & diarrhea) more fluids than retaining. She is currently below her birth weight and they can't seem to ever get her weight above 6 lbs 5 oz.

Camden, GaGa and I went to Riley on Saturday to see her. She had taken a turn for the worse and looked pretty bad. Her color was grey, her eyes had purple rings, and she was just so frail. These pictures are bad, and they don't do it justice.

In the picture below, I was reacting to something Amanda was saying...and not to the baby. It's a horrible picture of me, but it really shows Preslee's condition. If you know how pale I am in general, than you can imagine Preslee's color.

Her head has also shrunken some and they have found some fluid on her kidneys and a hole in her heart that has not closed since birth (this is still within the realm of normal, but it needs to close in the next month or they may be more worried).

I returned on Monday afternoon and she was much improved. Her color was more normal, the rings were gone, and she was much more alert. She is no longer excreting as much, but still will not gain weight or stay hydrated. The troubling thing is they can't figure out why. Our family appreciates your thoughts and prayers for her. We really need some answers so this baby can get well!

On a brighter note, Camden found this dinosaur in some outdoor spot as we were leaving on Saturday and enjoyed a few minutes of play. She did a great job for the 4+ hours we were at the hospital...especially when we took turns taking her down to the family play room on the floor.

Misc. Vacation Pictures

2011-10-17T09:56:00.001-04:00

These are some last, random pictures. At several places on the island, we spotted this hurricane reminder. Definitely puts a Category 4 or 5 hurricane into perspective. Pretty astonishing!

A large pier juts out toward the middle of the island. It's mostly used for fishing. Not a very good picture, but the only one of the three of us and the ocean.

There was a very cool bridge in Savannah. We could see it from all directions when you approached the city and also from Tybee Island. We got this picture the day we visited the historic district in Savannah and walked along River Street.

Besides all the local seafood, our local treat of choice is definitely the Pralines. We had various samples throughout our visit. The ones at River Street Sweets melted in your mouth. Their bear claws were also top of the favorites list.

A view down one of the historic streets. Forsyth Park is to the left.

After taking the dolphin tour, we stopped at the welcome sign to get a self-portrait. It's a little dark and crooked (the camera was propped on the trunk of the car), but we wanted a family photo here.

As I mentioned before, I intended to take more pictures inside our condo, but didn't remember until the last day. Here is Camden enjoying the bunks.

Finally, on our drive home, we stayed the night in Knoxville, TN. We had the best barbeque at Sweet Peas and spent some time at a HUGE Bass Pro Shop where Camden selected a new ATV. She says she wants it in pink, though.

Fort Pulaski Grounds

2011-10-16T15:40:00.003-04:00

Our pass to the Fort was good for the week. There were other areas to explore on the grounds, so we returned later in the week to hike around.

In one direction, we headed to the river and saw another magazine and some via duct ruins that were built by Robert E. Lee when he was a young engineer.

Another historic event that happened at this location was the first sermon by John Welsey in America. He is the founder of the Methodist Church. His ship from England landed here and his first order of business was to preach. A monument commemorates that event.

We walked further down some paths and out to the Cockspur Light house. The tide was high and prevented us from making it to the actual light, but we got within 20 feet.

A view of our condo in the background.

An the hike back, we had some additional views of the fort again.

We also found another great climbing tree that Camden tried out.

The fort and the grounds were another highlight of the things we did on this trip. Both Kevin and I enjoyed these outings tremendously.

Fort Pulaski, Part II

2011-10-15T07:27:00.002-04:00

At each corner, you could climb up stairs to walk around the top of the fort.

There were some incredible views in all directions...hard to believe the fort was assaulted by canons over a mile away (some from the beach at our condo).

There was a reenactor who talked about life as a civil war soldier and showed us the clothes and gear that the men would have worn.

Camden is holding a utensil set that was passed around.

He then demonstrated a rifle. Four very loud booms!

We walked around the outside of the fort to see the damage from the battle. Amazingly, these holes are from cannon shots, not deterioration.

Fort Pulaski

2011-10-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

Just inland of our little island, was this Civil War fort. This is the view from the highway. That's a confederate flag flying today (apparantly they hoist different flags on different days).

The grounds of this national park were beautiful. Those are ruins of two water cisterns that were originally part of the system in use at the Fort.

The fort is surrounded by a moat, so of course, there is a drawbridge.

The interior of the fort had a nice grassy grounds surrounded on all sides by various sleeping quarters, a jail, and storage spaces (including the gun powder room/magazine).

Lots of cannons were on the grounds and in the fort. Some had remained at the fort and some were found locally and returned to the fort.

The fort was originally a confederate fort, but one day of heavy fighting by the Union army and it soon was taken over. Several prisioners of war were kept here, especially officers.

Ocean Fun

2011-10-14T16:00:00.001-04:00

We did make one day a beach day at Ocean with all the gear we needed to enjoy the waves and sand.

When we get our computer issues fixed, we will post videos of Camden in the waves. She was full of giggles and squeals.

Kevin also got some good time in the water, going out further than we would with Camden and getting pumpled by waves.

Of course, the requisite sand castle was built. A little 2-year old boy and his mom also joined us for most of the day and we enjoyed chatting with them and sharing our beach toys.

Dolphin Tour

2011-10-14T14:30:00.002-04:00

Our original plan was to go on a dolphin tour. After watching the dolphins from our hotel all week, we waffled on going. However, we both like to be out on the water and felt that even a nice boat ride would be enjoyable...plus we would be able to see the dolphins close up.

We left dock near where all the shrimp boats we would see depart every morning were located.

Those pesky dolphins are so hard to photograph! We did see TONS of them upclose. Our captain tried to get them to ride in our wake, but they decided they wanted to eat, not play. However, we had seen a few dophins do that earlier in the week from the shore. We saw a few babies, too.

We went on the sunset cruise and enjoyed a beautiful skyline on top of all the sea creatures.

The boat also went over close to a second, smaller lighthouse, called Cockspur Island Light. It was set beautifully against the pink glow of the setting sun. We were very pleased that we decided to take the tour.

Tybee Island Light Station and Museum

2011-10-14T13:00:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite excursions of the trip was to the Tybee Light. It was beautifully restored.

There were several buildings that made up this complex and each was interesting to explore. The family home had actual "artifacts" from various families that had kept the light. It was well preserved and we all liked seeing the rooms from eras gone by. Camden discovered a closet full of toys from 75+ years ago. She would have gladly played with the dolls, rocking horse, and various other items.

Then we climbed the 178 steps to the top of the light.

Camden did it on her own (at her very grumpy insistance - notice a theme?). It was nice that there were window inlets at every few turns, so that we could get nice views and take a short breather.

Once at the top, we looked out over the ocean and back toward the island. We spotted our hotel and other places we were familiar with. It was such a gorgeous day, which made the views even more wonderful.

The light itself was pretty interesting.

Next door to the light station was Fort Sevren. This fort was used to train troops (and stand guard) on Tybee through the Spanish American War, World War I, and World War II. It was also used as a deep sea diving training center by the military before it was closed and sold to the town of Tybee to be used as a history museum of the fort and town.

Oatland Island Wildlife Center

2011-10-14T11:45:00.001-04:00

We spent one morning at a nearby wildlife center. It's actually part of the school system in the area, so there are lots of educational programs. However, it's basically a zoo of animals found in Georgia. Natural habitats are set up throughout the park. You have to walk on trails through the woods and out into the marsh.

Camden was a grump this day. I think she was pretty worn out and just wanted to rest back at the hotel. However, when we came upon this fake nest, she perked up and wanted to climb on the eggs.

A trip back to a small river inlet with turtles and alligators was also a favorite location.

There were also 5 wolves that woke up as we came upon them. They were very cool to watch prowl their area.

It took about an hour or so to walk the whole trail through the park. Several animals were sleeping or hard to find, so we didn't stay long at each exhibit. We really liked the experience of seeing the animals in this environment, rather than a traditional zoo. As we were starting to leave the trail and head back to the main building/gift shop, we came upon a tree that overlooked the river and was perfect climbing. We took several variations of a family picture.

5 Years!

2011-10-14T09:28:00.008-04:00

Today is Kevin and my 5th anniversary (these are not the greatest pictures of that day, but the best ones I had on my hard drive at work). Hard to believe how quickly time has gone. It's been a pretty fun ride, though. Really couldn't ask for a better partner in this journey.

Plus, he's kinda cute!