Hello! Ok, so it has been nearly a year since I've blogged and I have recently been inspired and encouraged (via her blog) by a mommy aquaintance of mine to blog the events of our family's lives. Apparently, you can have your blog published into a book at the end of the year. What a great idea! It's a scrapbook of sorts, without having to drag out all of my supplies and make yet another mess :) Because there's no way I can go back to the last blog and fill in from there (a LOT has happened over the past 11 months; life with a 2 year old is always changing, exciting, and there is never a dull moment!), I'll start present day. My goal is to blog twice a week in hopes of a beautiful year-end book that I can publish so that Kalvin will have it to look back on when he's 30, 50, 80, and 110. I don't know about you, but I think it would be really cool to know what my favorite activity was at any given age, what I liked to eat, and what was going on in the lives of my family. He may not fully appreciate it like I would, and that's ok, but at least it will be there if he does take after me in his zeal for the little things in life!

We are currently a family of 5, Kelsey(almost 32), Myself(just 28), Kalvin(2, eek- almost 3), Harper(9), and Macie Grace(almost 1). We live in a beautiful little house on 20+ acres and we have a great time taking hikes to look for animals, tracks, skat, and anything else that might catch the eye of our little guy! I would have to say along with the wildlife, and the room to run, one of Kal's favorite things about living here is the long driveway. With no one to blame but ourselves, we can not leave or return home without taking him out of his carseat, letting him climb into the front seat and either drive on our laps or open the sunroof and stick his head out for the journey down the driveway. I keep telling myself that not every kid has a driveway long enough to do this and that there are a lot worse things he could insist on doing. Just think of it... I'll be able to sit calmly in the passenger seat as he drives for the first time because he's already had so much experience, YEAH RIGHT!

Kalvin learned to use the pedals on his tricycle in February and, as promised, we provided him with a big boy bike. It may be used and borrowed but to Kalvin it is everything he's ever wanted and more! (I know that it won't last forever and I've heard that kids get more expensive as they get older, but for now, we have a brilliant convenience on our side. Kalvin is, so far, very easy to please and he literally loves the box that something comes in as much, sometimes more, than the novelty item itself). For months, he had covetously chased after bigger boys on these bikes during tot time at the Y. All these months of running after this bike and low and behold he was now sitting on it! Unfortunately, using these pedals proved to be a challenge and although he would climb on it and we would push him around - he never really rode it until today. ButTODAY HE DID IT!!! And... as any proud mom would do, I chased behind him with the video camera clapping and cheering him on! This only lasted a few minutes because he abruptly stopped his bike, turned around, and told me "No take me picture more!". I have to give myself some credit and tell you that although I was not done documenting this new accomplishment, I wisely chose to stave off an impending meltdown (when he's done being photographed, he's really done) and I put the camera into my pocket. Luckily, my vigilant efforts were rewarded with a couple of wonderful photographs and a few cute videos too :)

I'm sure that you can't tell, but I must say that I am SO PROUD of my big boy! I'm also delighted that we've just unleashed a whole new outdoor activity. When it is nice, over 40 degrees,under 100 degrees, and not pouring rain, we are outside. We eat breakfast, lunch, and sometimes dinner outside! Kalvin lives to be outside enjoying the fresh air and nature itself and there is little on earth that can deter him from doing so. Needless to say, another new activity will provide a little room to mix it up.