A Trip to Memory Lane (aka S Meridian Rd)

My brother recently posted some pictures of himself at the Fort Worth Water Gardens (What are the Water Gardens? Visit - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Worth_Water_Gardens) It was a nice childhood memory. So I went and took some pictures of a couple of other childhood memory locations. Since we were born in Bluffton, Indiana and I have office hours in Bluffton twice a week - these were not as hard to come by as Clay's trip to Texas. These locations weren't designed by any famous New York architects, but we had fun with them anyway.


Growing up Clay and I had a thing about finding ways to go underground. The above shot is one of a drainage pipe that we went in several times. I believe that if you went half a mile back in there you would find our names inscribed on the tunnel ceiling. This began a tradition of hanging out in drainage pipe that spanned two other states (Texas and Michigan). We also had lots of fun in caves in Tennessee.


This is the location that actually sparked my memory to stop and take the pictures. You may not be able to tell now, but this is the former site of the Terhune Boys' Dam. It made a nice swimming hole as we backed the creek up for quite a ways. The project was abandoned after too many leeches showed up to swim in our swimming hole. I have a very vivid memory of climbing out of the water and trying to pull this strange thing off my leg and then seeing blood. Then a wild scream dance ensued. Well, that's all for my 3 minute trip down Memory Lane - I couldn't stay much longer because it was only 11 degrees outside and my face was going to freeze off!

Name that baby!

Upwards Basketball

Our church has started the Upwards sports program in our new building. Rachel is playing basketball and loving it. Unfortunately, her jersey disappeared shortly after we received it, so just look for the only girl without an actual Upwards jersey and that's Rachel! We have one now, so Saturday she'll blend in. (Her team is the gold team.)
Rachel has also lost another tooth. Now she looks like Aunt Kim's second grade picture - missing four teeth across the top. She's also missing two on the bottom. Eating is a bit difficult now. :)

She how she grows...

Sarah is 6 months old now - I can hardly believe it! She's just about ready to sit up unassisted. (Her cousin already is, but of course, you wouldn't know that, because her uncle never posts anything about her cousin!) I'm trying to get all the pictures with the bear on this post, but blogger is experiencing an error. If they're all there, from 1 month through six, except for month 4, then blogger let me do it! If not, then I'll try tomorrow.

What a sweet big brother...
Pictures are such fun, and Daniel is very funny.
Five months
Three months
Two monthsOne month

My little helper

This is for Kevin - he's the one who introduced me to the term "wife beater." Here's Daniel wearing one. :)

For all the nursing Moms out there...

This is what happens when it's just too quiet. Of course, he used my good Creative Memories pens, which are permanent. He did decide to draw on the wall that isn't painted yet, so I should be able to paint over it with Kilz and then our good paint! He said something about a flower and I asked him if that was a flower. He said, "No. Marker. Naughty."

The second time during the same day that it was too quiet, this is what he was doing. This book has lots of flaps AND it's a Thomas book!

Daniel's Busy Life

Daniel is a very busy 2 year old boy, not unlike most, I'm sure. Here he is helping Daddy put the new computer armoire together. (He also insists on helping me with tasks like feeding Sarah, much to Sarah's dismay.) By the way, Kevin, this "helping" photo is definitely for you. My brother Kevin walked through this house telling his bride Tara how he helped Dad remodel the house, and in some cases, how Kevin did it all himself. I wanted you to know, dear brother, that THIS is how you helped Dad. :) (Dad actually said that Kevin did help when he was older, and Kevin made a BEAUTFIUL crib for my precious nephew! Check it out on his blog.)

Here is Daniel sorting all of Daddy's tools and nails. He had such a good time until I found him. :(
Daniel LOVES the dulcimer that Daddy brought home. His uncle made this one and his grandparents gave it to him. Daniel told me to "sit and listen." He was rather upset when I didn't immediately comply. He is learning to talk so quickly that I'm still not used to understanding a command! So, I sat and listened. It was beautiful. He had to come over and look at the picture every time I took one - then he would go over and complete his concert. He laughed at this photo and said, "Foot. Up." Then he giggled some more - toddler humor :)

These next pictures were all taken TODAY. I'm posting these next two pictures in honor of Keetha, who saw two posts with very similar pictures the other day. If you'll look closely on the toilet seat, you'll see a pile of toddler wipes that are to be used in the potty room. I guess it's more fun to pull all the wipes out than to actually sit on the potty.
We stuffed them all back into the container together.

I went into the other room to change Sarah, forgetting that my laptop and Daniel were in the kitchen, unsupervised. I didn't think to take a picture of it until Brad was mostly done with the repair job, but I think you can get the idea. Daniel was sitting in the second time-out of his life when I took these photos.

So, while Rachel and Daddy were at the school for her piano lesson and Sarah was napping, I gave up doing anything "productive" and helped Daniel set up his trains. We both had a great time playing together - OK, we were each playing by ourselves in the same space, but it was fun! Daniel is modeling his "CHEESE" smile, while Jack wonders why I made him sit there, poor dog. (Note to Amy - I'll buy him a new bone next time I'm at Picture Perfect - that will be his belated Christmas gift.)

All I want for Easter is...

OK, so I'm a little behind in posting pictures of Christmas and I decided to just skip to Easter. Not really, but since I didn't get a picture posted about Rachel wanting her three front teeth, here's one about needing 5 teeth for Easter. She just lost the lastest one a few minutes ago, after much twisting and blood. Yuck.

Here is Sarah's 5 month picture with the bear. Unfortunately, I missed the four month shot - maybe I'll have to stick with odd numbers from now on. She's modeling the lovely sweater that Aunt Carol got her for Christmas. It was so cute!

Sarah's favorite toy - her feet. She discovered them sometime after Thanksgiving and has enjoyed them ever since! She's really trying to get them into her mouth, but I think that tummy is making it difficult. :)

When we (Kari and the kids - Brad was skiing with teens) went to Cincy for our Martin family Christmas, we picked up our Thanksgiving craft. We had gone to Cracked Pots and painted pottery and then they had to fire it. Here's my finished product with Sarah's darling feet!