Memories

 My brother, Melvin, and me with my first Christmas tree.

 With his horse, Goldie.

 On our farm in Fort Lupton

 On our way home from picking him up from basic training in San Diego

 A picnic at my house with his grandson on his lap and a great nephew on mine

 All five of us

 Teasing me as always

One of my favorite pictures - walking with my big brother.

My brother, Melvin, who I adored, who teased me until I cried when I was little, who would hold things far above my head and make me beg to get them back, who would let me stand on the floor board of his motor scooter and take me for wonderful rides (until Mom found out), who always had a twinkle in his eye, a smile, a hug passed away on Wednesday.  I will miss you.

Gratitude #20

Last week I picked Kaiden up from Sunday School and brought him home with me for a few hours.  We picked some of the last cucumbers and zucchini from the garden.  He helped me make pickles and bread.  He very carefully helped measure the spices and add them to the bread.  He also watched the measuring cup while I poured the vinegar for the pickles until it got to the amount we needed.  I am very grateful for having such a good helper and for how proud he was to take some pickles and bread home to MaMa and DaDa.

Gratitude #19

There is light at the end of the tunnel.  My budgets at work are very close to being ready to be sent to accounting for audit and then on to owners for approval.  Far from complete, but much closer to not working  10-12 hour days, 7 days a week.  And next week - vacation.

Sunday School

Sunday School started a week ago with their version of summer Olympics

Everyone received a medal and Kaiden chose to wear his over his arm.

He doesn't look it, but he had a great time and when I picked him up he told me all about what he did and about his teachers and of course his friends.  

Not A Good Idea

I have to write this down before I forget it.  Kaiden and I were looking through a 101 Dalmatians coloring book and came to the page with Cruella.  He wanted to know why she looked so mean.  I told him she wanted the puppies to make a coat.  He looked at me like it was the dumbest thing he had ever heard and said "that is not a good idea".  I have to agree.

Four Months

Trevin is 4 months old today.  He is getting so active, rolling over, grabbing and holding onto things, talking "Baby Trevin Talk" (Kaiden's name for it).

ATV

He sure loves riding his trike...through everything!

Gratitude #18

I am grateful that during this busy time at work through the magic of the Internet, I can access my work computer from home and work here instead of at the office and have to drive home late at night.  It makes a hectic stressful time easier.

Brotherly Love

Boy, this lovin can be exhausting!

Gratitude #17

Last week we were at a restaurant and there was a maze on the children's menu.  I explained to Kaiden how he needed to draw a line from the start to the finish without drawing over the lines in the maze.  When his father was little, he would study and study the maze before he began drawing.  He would almost always be able to draw the line without any false turns.  When I would do mazes and would get to a dead end, I would carefully backtrack over the same line.  Kaiden picked up the crayon and started to draw, as soon as he got to a dead end, he took the crayon off the page and "jumped" over the line.  I did tell him not to draw "over" the lines and he didn't.  Sometimes he is so much like his father and other times his own personality shines through.  I am grateful for those times, for the reminders that he isn't just like his father, or just like me, or just like anyone else, but he is Kaiden.  A wonderful little boy.