A fun afternoon with Brendan!

I know it might look to you as though Brendan is not enjoying being in this swing ... I just couldn't get a good picture of him swinging today. He really likes to go HIGH as he swings ... he's not one single bit afraid. 

Today was such a beautiful day ~ clear blue skies, a light breeze, and temps in the 70's! Wow! We've been waiting SO LONG for this in W. Michigan. Brendan loves to be outside where he can run and play. I love this little romper he is wearing. 

Brendan is a very good climber. He is very physically astute! He knows what his little body can and cannot do and he pushes himself to the limit! He did not want ANY help on this slide. I kept a close perameter around him, but he did NOT want me restraining his movement! See him telling me that very thing in the upper left picture?! Beneath that picture, he is poking some little flying ants that he found amusing, and then he turned around, stood up and climbed up the slide backwards ... he did not make it all the way to the top, however, because after all, he's only 15 months ... 

We went back to the swings and after I pushed Brendan and he was happy with it, I sat in the swing next to him and got going as high as I could! Brendan loved swinging side by side with me! 

Brendan knows how to rock himself in big rocker at my beach house ... without any help whatsoever. 

I'm so glad I got to spend a few hours with you today, Brendan! It looks like spring has actually arrived and might actually stay around for awhile!

Our very first library morning ...

Brendan and I visited the library together today for the very first time! We drove over to the E. Grand Rapids library because it's closest to where Brendan lives, and storytime for tiny kiddos was at 10:00! We had a lot of fun listening to the library lady (her name was Trisha) tell all kinds of stories for babies. She read poetry and played fun music and had the children really participating; well, at least the older ones! Brendan was pretty subdued during the formal group time, but then it was finished and we had lots of leftover time to play ...   

Brendan very briefly colored with a fish stencil ... but stencils are really for older kiddos ... he didn't care about that, he was having a good time anyway. See his great big smile?!

The E. Grand Rapids library has a real nice play area for children. We spent an entire hour going from play place to play place. Brendan enjoyed himself hugely. I missed taking a picture of the very cool plastic dinosaurs Brendan was playing with. He went straight for the big T-Rex, held it up and said, "Da-Da!" Yikes, Dylan. This T-Rex had very big teeth and was kind of scary-looking!  

Brendan makes a cute little fire-fighter, doesn't he? We tried on all kinds of hats today. Brendan especially liked it when I would wear one. 

Brendan played "peek-a-boo" with the construction hat, and I pretended that I could NOT find him when he had the hat over his face ... but then he would peek out and give me a big smile. 

We also visited with the fish and the turtles who live in a very nice tank in the play area. There were so many interesting things to see and do!

We even got to build with giant foamy blocks. Brendan played for quite awhile with these, building them up and then knocking them over. He is a very good builder and gets a lot of enjoyment out of physical activity like this ... but he played SO hard that he promptly fell asleep once he was back in the car ~ tired little sweetheart!

Don't you love his chubby little legs and these darling shoes?! Thanks for letting me play with you this morning, Brendan. It is such a JOY to be your grandma!

Look who is EIGHT today!

Matthew's new bike helmet ...
about one year ago actually

 It's Matthew's 8th birthday today! SIX YEARS AGO, he celebrated his second birthday right here in Grand Rapids! He probably doesn't remember that day at all!

Matthew has a very ready smile, doesn't he? He's a very interesting fellow who LOVES to play and do fun stuff.

 Matthew is wearing a pair of 3-D goggles I had gotten the kiddos to use with their sidewalk chalk last summer. He thought they were very cool. I think he looks quite spiffy in them too! :)

Matthew! You have such a great smile!

This is Matthew on one of our many walks around their neighborhood. Perhaps very soon, Matthew and I will be walking around MY neighborhood! I certainly hope so! 

Our very white-haired Matthew working on his art!

 I love this happy picture of Matthew! He is my only blue-eyed grandchild!

Matthew is very keen on LEGOS and is an expert builder, no help required. I love watching him build. 

This is Matthew flipping through the Bible storybook I had gotten him for Christmas. He was very pleased to receive it, as I was to give it! 

Sending you a bunch of LOVE on your birthday, Matthew! I hope it is happy in every way! Please come home to Michigan soon!

Lots and LOTS of Brendan pictures ...

Brendan's HAPPY smile on his 1st birthday!

I haven't posted any pictures of Brendan on this blog in quite awhile ~ actually, I haven't done anything at all on this blog for quite awhile. I have been very busy designing cards and I'm getting close to "launching" a card business ... but not quite yet! But back to Brendan ...

Baby Brendan had a really nice first birthday party. Lots and lots of friends came to celebrate Brendan's first year of life. What a GREAT first year! 

This is the baby doll I got for Brendan. It's actually NOT a baby, but a little toddler boy doll that reminded me a lot of Brendan! The doll's name is Michel. Brendan liked him very much. 

Kelly, reading Brendan the book I bought
him for his 1st birthday ...

Brendan enjoyed his party very much until ... we all gathered (about 30+ people) to sing "Happy Birthday" and present him his birthday cupcake. Everyone was SO excited to sing to him and as we started singing, Brendan's little face scrutinized everyone looking AT HIM and HE KNEW everyone was singing TO HIM and he did not like it ... not one little bit! He was so upset, his loving parents had to take him out of the high chair and comfort him. He never did eat his cupcake! :( 

Brendan's party outfit ... he was NOT QUITE walking that day,
but ALMOST!

The next few pictures were taken a week or so after Brendan's birthday. This is the beautiful blue sweater Brendan's Grandma Julie (from Winona, Minnesota) sent him (along with many other beautiful sweaters) for his birthday.  

Brendan, wearing his birthday sweater ...
look at his chunky little legs! Love him!

This is Brendan telling me stuff ... not sure WHAT ... but he was talking up a storm that day! 

Brendan, sitting in his high chair
watching the cars and buses go by down Eastern Avenue.

The above pictures were taken at my little beach house. It had been a few weeks since Brendan had been here and it was the first time he was actually walking around. He thoroughly explored each little room and enjoyed himself hugely. 

This is Brendan and Kelly opening up a belated birthday gift from our friend, Karen. His very own tambourine! 

Those are pretty big shoes to fill, Brendan! He was pretty intent to have Dylan's tennis shoes on his own little feet. So Kelly very patiently put them on him, quite a few times, until he finally realized he couldn't walk with them on! 

The sweetest face EVER!

I got to spend a few mornings with Brendan recently. Kelly had to be at the hospital for a rather long birth (she is the BEST doula in West Michigan!). So Brendan and I got to do a bunch of stuff together. 

It looks like Brendan is riding an invisible skateboard
in this picture!

 These next few pictures were taken last Sunday, on Easter!

Brendan Andrew! You have the sweetest expressions and the kindest little heart! 

Brendan really enjoyed my stuffed animals ... well, they ARE very soft and cuddly!

Brendan showing me his wonderful tools! He is a very mechanical little child! He did not inherit this trait from his grandma! 

Kelly, Brendan and his GREAT Grandma Ruth!
 Easter Sunday afternoon

Brendan is fascinated with the lights at my house! He just loves a very bright light and loves the pull chains that make the ceiling fans work. The other day I took him all around my house and we pulled every single chain that I had, to his very great delight! 

I love this picture of Brendan
and his very beautiful mama!

Brendan learned to stand a block up on end
without it falling back down ...

Brendan stacking blocks at my house

Well ... that's a lot of pictures of our little Brendan, all taken throughout the months of February and March. Hopefully I will be a little more regular posting pictures from here on out!