Boys in the Neighborhood

This is Cullen's friend Nathan, who lives down the street. I have been meaning to get a photo of them together for awhile now. Nathan and his mom came over for lunch last week, and I finally took the opportunity. More appropriate would be a photo of them in their strollers though, because Nathan and his mom have been our walking buddies since last November. (Ken actually met them first, while he was out with the dogs one day.)

It is fairly mild here in the winter, so we were able to walk a few times most weeks all winter long. We live in a great neighborhood for walking too. The way it's laid out, you can easily go for over an hour without retracing your steps or being super far from home (this being especially handy when you are strolling a baby). Nathan is 6 months older than Cullen and is a firstborn also, so his mom and I have enjoyed comparing notes, trading coupons and recipes (wow this sounds so domestic but it's true!), and watching these two grow up side by side in their strollers.

These past couple months it has frequently been too hot to walk together, especially since Nathan's mom is pregnant! Due on Christmas eve, and it is another boy :-)

Sightseeing in California

A selection of photos from our travels in Mountain View, Palo Alto, Sausalito, and Los Gatos. One day we took a drive down Highway 1 from Los Gatos to Half Moon Bay, which in my opinion was probably the best scenery of the day trips we did, really beautiful, however we have no photos of it... Cullen was taking his nap in the car and we did not stop for fear of him waking up.

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

Cullen finally had a vacation this summer, a chance to get away from the normal daily grind of playing, sleeping, growing, and learning. Here's a few pictures of what he did...

He learned how to swim, thanks to Mommy (chief organizer), Aunt Lisa and Uncle Norm (pool crew and owners), and Daddy...


He also finally obtained his "hoop dreams." Thanks to the Oglesbys, he now can play his favorite sport (also Daddy's favorite). And it looks like he's even able to dunk!


Another thing Cullen has in common with Daddy and Mommy... lots of airline miles!


Of course, he did much more too... stay tuned!

Wedding Slideshow

We are home from all of our travels now and we have tons of photos. I thought I would experiment with some slideshows in order to efficiently share lots of them. Here is the first. If you have a favorite slideshow application please share!

Happy Birthday, Cullen!

Cullen celebrates his first birthday today!


There was a great party for Cullen in Michigan yesterday -- Cheryl will give a full report soon. But as you can tell, Cullen really, really, really enjoyed his birthday cake. The cake - actually, cakes (plural) - were made by cousin Hilarie:




Even more amazing in real life, as Cullen can attest.

If you're eager for more pictures, there are several other Cullen correspondents following us on this world tour... check here and here and here!

Here's Lisa!

Sister Lisa now has a blog! Click the picture below to visit!

Jeff's Wedding

The big day is over and here are some quick photos. We are in MI now visiting Ken's family, and there are so many photos of our time in CA so I am just going to do this small post for now to show some of the wedding festivities.

Jeff and I the evening of the dessert reception (yes new sundress)...my mom and Cullen same night...Jeff and Hilary right after the ceremony...Cullen and my Uncle Don (Cullen was fascinated with his mustache)...a few reception photos.

The wedding was at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga...a former governor's mansion donated to the state for use in furthering the arts. It was a beautiful setting and a fun evening. I shot more with my father's camera actually, as ours is getting tricky to use...so when I get those I will post a few more and hopefully there will be some from the rehearsal dinner as well (for those who won't sleep tonight wondering, the black and white print dress won out for that night).

Middle Age

While relaxing at a nice hotel in Mountain View, California, I read in USA Today that the median age in the United States is now 37.9 years old.

It so happens that I'm 37.9 years old! This means I am precisely the "middle age."

Does this mean that when I turn 38 I am over the hill, my father-in-law was happy to ask.

The way I look at it, no. You see, the story in USA Today pointed out that the median age has risen to 37.9. I can only assume it will continue to rise incrementally, leaving me on the median indefinitely.

You see, I'm not growing older -- I'm "living on the edge."

What's Left?

"What's left" of this year is less than two weeks before Cullen turns the big 01!

Can that possibly be right? This is August, isn't it? Yeah, seems right.

"What's left" for Cullen in his first year is more exciting than he realizes - a trip to see both sides of the family. Hopefully it's not more exciting than we realize!