We start way back with our trip to Colorado at the start of September. Once again Cade was a great traveler (with a minor exception, which I'll describe right now). On the way out we had settled into our seats and the plane was just about to take off when Susie, who was holding Cade, looked at me with a look of trepidation and said those fateful words, "Cade's pooping." We asked the flight attendant if we could change him and were informed that everyone needed to remain in their seats or we'd lose our place in line for takeoff. Uh oh. As if it couldn't get worse, Susie looked at me again and said, "His diaper is leaking." We had some plastic that we put between Cade's booty and Susie's lap and held on hoping for the best. During takeoff Cade miraculously fell asleep so the diaper change was put off for another hour. (We aren't always super smart, but we have learned to not wake him up unless absolutely necessary.) When Cade woke up Daddy was spared by the fact that airplane bathrooms now measure approximately 18" x 20" including toilet, so Susie made the impossible possible and changed Cade at 30,000 feet. Just before landing Susie looked at me again and said, "I'd better go change him again." Wow. Some days we don't get one set of poopy pants and he just decided it would be fun to drop two deuces in one plane trip. I know he's more aware of what's going than we fully comprehend. But overall he really was an excellent plane rider, so we let him off easy. :)
Once we got to Colorado Springs we spent some time out at the park with some ducks and geese. It was pretty windy.
We also stopped at Petsmart to see the rescue dogs and cats for adoption. It's so sad to see these animals that have been abused and abandoned. Just hearing their stories makes you want to take them all home. Cade loves to hang out with the animals. I hope he doesn't have a bad experience with a dog at some point because he just makes a beeline for any canine at every opportunity at this point. His love is usually returned many times over.
An interesting fact about our family: my mom and I share a birthday on September 11th and my dad's birthday is on September 12th. That was part of the reason we chose that weekend to visit. It was my 30th, so we had a good time celebrating birthdays. It's kind of like a mini-Christmas, but slightly better because we include an ice cream cake.
The other reason we chose that weekend is because my mom and sister head up to the mountains to ride horses with some other ladies and Susie has been able to go with them a few times now. So she took off with the ladies and we had a guys' weekend back at the house in Monument. We got to watch football, play a lot, and do other things we won't tell the ladies about, right Cade? :) Here's a picture of Cade trying to contain his excitement right after Uncle Paul filled him in on just exactly what does happen on guys' weekends.
I found a pair of mittens that I wore when I was a little guy. Cade thought they were the coolest and wanted to wear them for a while.
My dad's glasses were just blowing Cade's mind. He would look at Grandpa straight in the eye and then would slide his head around to look at his eyes from the side view as seen in this picture. This entertained Cade (and us) for quite some time.
The other reason we chose that weekend is because my mom and sister head up to the mountains to ride horses with some other ladies and Susie has been able to go with them a few times now. So she took off with the ladies and we had a guys' weekend back at the house in Monument. We got to watch football, play a lot, and do other things we won't tell the ladies about, right Cade? :) Here's a picture of Cade trying to contain his excitement right after Uncle Paul filled him in on just exactly what does happen on guys' weekends.I found a pair of mittens that I wore when I was a little guy. Cade thought they were the coolest and wanted to wear them for a while.My dad's glasses were just blowing Cade's mind. He would look at Grandpa straight in the eye and then would slide his head around to look at his eyes from the side view as seen in this picture. This entertained Cade (and us) for quite some time.
Here's part of the ladies' crew up at Lost Valley Ranch.
After the weekend we left Cade in Colorado with Nana and Grandpa for a week away. It was extremely helpful for us because that was the week Susie needed to use to prepare for her dossier review. So it was great for Cade, Nana, and Grandpa in Colorado, and it was time well utilized by Susie in preparation for that Friday. Susie did very well in her review, so it was worth the time away. We sure missed him though. It just felt weird not having him around with both of us together. Here's a picture of Cade after a bath. Nana has the coolest doggie towel that he gets wrapped up in after bath time. You can see his head goes in the dog head so the big black nose is on Cade's forehead and the big brown ears flop down the sides of his head. You can't tell by this picture, but the corners are four big paws that hug him to dry him.
As a doggie lover, Cade enjoyed getting to hang out with Maggie. He just can't hide his excitement at the opportunity to give Maggie a treat.
My Aunt Deb (my mom's sister) and Uncle Bill are building a house not far away from my parents' house. It will be great to have them around more often when we're in Colorado. Cade and Bill hit it off great.
Cade enjoyed playing out in the backyard with Nana and Grandpa. He really liked chilling in the hammock.
When my mom flew back with Cade she spent the day in Bloomington with us. Her flight went out of Indianapolis so we went up to the Indy Zoo. Cade absolutely loved seeing the different animals. The first thing we saw were sea lions and he immediately said "doggie!" which is understandable given their dog-like faces and his strong affinity for pooches. He correctly identified the bears as well. This zoo has an underwater dolphin viewing tank, and Cade got a kick out of watching the dolphins swim around us.
Susie and I went to see Ben Folds in at the IU Auditorium with one of her housemates, Craig. Ben Folds is one of the most talented musicians I've had the pleasure of seeing live and also one of the best showmen. We were fortunate enough to have third row seats! It was just him and his piano; it's just incredible how much sound he gets from one instrument. If you haven't seen him live and you enjoy his music, I'd recommend you take any opportunity you get to see him. This was my fourth time seeing him. Each time the arrangement has been different (we once saw him with the Louisville Orchestra) and each time has been unbelievable.
The weather has been great lately, so we've taken the chance to go to the park and play a number of times. Cade LOVES to swing, but that doesn't even compare to his love of sliding. Here are a couple pictures of pure joy.
Last week I had the opportunity to see one of my favorite authors, Don Miller, speak in Evansville. It was a great night listening to him as well as Susan Isaacs, and I even got to chat with him for a few minutes afterwards. If you haven't read anything by Don, I'd recommend picking up any of his books. They are all outstanding. He's very humble, is very wise, and is a master of conveying ideas and breaking theological ideas down into palatable information. He's one of those writers that makes you feel like you know them well after reading their work. His books have helped me make sense of some of the random thoughts about life floating around my head.
Last Saturday was the event that my friend Jared and I had been training for for quite a while. We ran a half marathon in Indianapolis; it was my first and Jared's second. I beat my goal time by about five minutes and Jared improved on the time from his last half marathon. The course went through a state park and the trees were beautiful in their fall colors. It was 34 degrees at the start, but once we got going the cool weather was energizing. It was a great experience for my first one. I'm looking forward to doing another one in the spring.
When I got back to Bloomington Cade wanted to wear my finisher's medal (Daddy's nowhere near fast enough to actually WIN a medal, but we won't tell Cade that yet). He looks very proud of himself.
Chili's really been coming around with Cade. He seems to really like him now, and doesn't mind Cade crawling all over him as much. Cade thinks Chili's soft fur is the coolest and loves to cuddle with him.
Do you think it might be time for another haircut?
As I write this I'm listening to the internet broadcast of the Broncos' Monday night matchup with the Chargers. The Broncos just scored to go up 27-23: great game so far; hope they can hold the lead! We don't have a TV up here in Bloomington, so I'm glad I can get the game on KOA's website. Cade wore a super stylish shirt today for game day. This is a shirt I had as a little guy. Amazing how some things just never go out of fashion.
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