Round round get around I get around

Orson has now gotten to the point where he will play on his own but it has to be in his walker where he can't get into so much trouble. I can't believe how fast he gets around in this thing. I didn't catch it on video but when he gets by the stove and turns around to come back he looks like he's a race car driver or something. He also has a new thing... he rams into the dogs and giggles and does it again until we either move him or the dogs. Naughty boy.

Magic Shoes

These might not look like special shoes but to Orson they are Magic Shoes. We bought these shoes yesterday so I could take Orson outside and play at parks and stuff. Today I brought him outside to walk around holding on to my fingers and I wanted to see if he would stand up with these and this was the result.



Look no hands!

And he just stood and stood and stood there!


Next step walking!

Pondering

There was something that happened when we first got here that I've been pondering about and honestly, I didn't know cows acted this way. Dan's grandma and grandpa have a herd of cows and they have been having calves the last couple weeks. The day before we got here there was a snowstorm and the ditch filled with water. One of the calves fell in the ditch and drown and the mother, Posey, wandered around for the next couple days looking for her little calf. There was another cow that had a calf the morning after we got here and Posey would always go check to see if that was her calf. Dan, Orson and I went out to look at the chickens and horses and stuff around their place and I looked out in the field and saw something that touched my heart. This black cow with the new calf was over next to Posey licking her side and nugging her. Posey's head was down and defeated and here was this other cow comforting her and doing her "visiting teaching" as Dan called it. It makes me tear up even thinking about it now. I didn't know cows even acted like that. It made me ponder about what I would do in that situation as a human being. I would think that someone who has gone through something so painful wouldn't want someone around to tell them how sorry they were. But these cows didn't need words and didn't act awkward about it. After seeing this, I would hope that I could just be the person that could stand next to them and comfort them, no words just actions. I know this is kind of deep for a blog but it really opened my eyes to be a little more loving and have the charity to love with actions rather than words.

Virden Playground

Dan has been learning to use Grandpa's metal detector. There is an old school in Virden and behind it is a field and a playground. While Dan was practicing with the detector, I took Orson to play at the playground. It wasn't much but he did learn to go down the slide.




He just needed help on the one part. He learns so fast.

Stick 'em up

We went shooting with a couple of Dan's old friends from down here. Porter and his wife, Jessica, Ford and Eddie, Porter's brothers. We got to shoot a lot of different guns. It was fun for Dan to be able to shoot our guns and some big guns too. Orson had fun with his muffs too.

Everyone setting up


Look at that cutie pie. The muffs kind of mushed his face so he looks super chubby :) At least they fit though


They had some big guns that made you feel like Rambo

Ford giving me some pointers. He teaches concealed weapons classes.


Me shooting my gun. It's actually the family gun but Dan calls it mine. That's Porter in the back.

Ford showing Dan how to shoot.


This was the most fun all day for me. I got to shoot two .22s. This is me as Lara Croft. WAY FUN!

Pollyanna! Let's Go Fishin'

Dan ha been wanting to go to the pond to fish ever since we got down here. He just happened to choose the windy day to go. It was cold and windy the whole time and we didn't catch anything. Then, when it got too cold for Orson and me Dan took us back to the house and went back out. He caught a big catfish like 10 minutes later :( I must be bad luck or something. Maybe next time...

Here's me and Orson snuggling to keep warm.

She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy

We went to Home Depot to pick up some things and Orson loved those riding lawn mowers. We had him sit in one and he thought it was the coolest thing ever.


Driving his mower... "man, I'm cool"

New Things

Orson's new thing is opening every cupboard in reach. When we got here he went right to Grandma Kilby's cupboards to investigate. He looks so innocent but when your not looking he starts his reign of terror.

New Mexico

Well, we're in New Mexico for a few weeks for Dan to work a little with his grandpa Kilby. This is his favorite place ever. It was about a 12 hour drive that took us about 15 because we stopped for lunch to get Orson (and ourselves) a little break. We like to travel so it wasn't bad and Orson did so good in the car until the last half hour. Now we're here and since I don't have much to do during the days I've been taking pictures and will be blogging quite a bit of our adventures here. Stay tuned...

10 Months

10 Months down and still growing well and fast. Orson is such a happy boy. He likes being in his walker, he tries a new solid food every three days and loves to eat! He says mom, dada, nana (which I think means food), and he's said Hi once when he was flirting with a girl in the mall. He opens all cupboard doors he can get to. He's about 18 lbs and filling out great! Look at my cute boy :)

Rags to Riches

Through all our hard work we have a (somewhat) working house. In the next couple months I'll be posting before and after pictures. Here is the kitchen and dining room.



Before

After


Before

After

Oh, to be 24

Dan is an amazing husband! His birthday was completely butchered this year even through all the effort. I was really sick, Orson was really sick, my sister's car wouldn't start so her and my brother couldn't come to do a murder mystery. He had a really good dinner thanks to Melinda. By far the worst birthday I've ever done for him and I felt super bad. But he seemed to do tons for my birthday. It was a special day and I'm grateful that he put in so much effort.

For breakfast we went to IHOP and there was a guy doing balloon animals and everything else. He made Orson a t-rex and Dan had him make me a birthday balloon.


After breakfast we went to Hammond's candies again to go through the tour with Dan's family. Then we went shopping and found the most amazing store! It's called Charming Charlie. I got 3 necklaces for $15 and I could have spent forever in there. They have jewelry, shoes, purses, hats... etc. Neat store!

Dan also got me my favorite birthday cake! Dairy Queen ice cream cake, yum yum!



Dan and I ate at the Old Spaghetti Factory for my birthday dinner while Orson stayed with Grandma Bridenstine and it was the first time I had eaten there. My brother Jeran recommended it and he said to request sitting in the boxcar. So Dan pulled some strings and we ate in the boxcar :) It is really good food and good prices!
Dan asked the waiter if they did anything embarrassing for birthdays and there was a lady there doing balloons as well. (are we seeing a pattern?) She made me a birthday hat and said that I didn't get to pick what it looked like... so here it is :) I kept smacking Dan with the horn in front.

It was a good birthday and I'm now 24 and loving life!