Today I’m sharing a little bonus photo from my trip back in time to 2014!
Yes, it’s Henry at age THREE- uninhibited as always and expressing his joy in the moment as he dances to the music at the rodeo. He is still a sweet, open-hearted, full of life (and love) boy at age nine!
Happy Birthday to our favorite TWO year old, Caleb!
This youngest grandson is such a treat for us- we have loved watching our son become a father. As you can see, Caleb is the apple of his eye!
The little family!
Caleb’s latest thing is stacking cups- they go with him everywhere!
Grandma and Caleb!
I took the photo below last summer at the beautiful Anchorage Museum- I just loved the graphic elements on the wall and the line of bean bag chairs, with the pattern broken by my grandson Miles. I brought it to my photo class yesterday for our assignment on Patterns.
I love hanging out with these good-looking guys! Here is a 3 generation photo from Father’s Day-
We have just returned from an intense 2 weeks in Southern California, where we made a long planned trip to help out our son, Matt after his ACL replacement surgery. It will be at least a month before he can drive or lift 1 year old, 25 pound baby Caleb, so we volunteered to stay as long as we were needed (our daughter-in-law has a demanding job as a pharmacist with little time off). As the date of the trip grew closer, we began to get a little nervous, because Grandpa had pneumonia that just wouldn’t go away. After several doctor office visits and two trips to the ER, he was pronounced all well. But, in the mean time, my seasonal allergy symptoms were developing quickly into something more. By the time we got to SoCal, it was obvious I shouldn’t be anywhere near our son’s family. So the day of the surgery, I was quarantined to our hotel room until Lonnie could get away to take me to an Urgent Care (where I got antibiotics for bronchitis, sinusitis and conjunctivitis). Until my antibiotic had done its job, I stayed at the hotel, and Lonnie was the solo nurse. By the weekend, I was well (and no longer contagious) and able to help out. All was fine until Caleb, who had had a little cough all week, developed a fever and was diagnosed with bronchitis- and then pneumonia. Because he was sick, he obviously couldn’t go to daycare, so we got to be with him all day long all week. Not that I’m happy he was sick, but it was wonderful to have so much time with our grandbaby! I taught him every song and fingerplay I know, and it was so fun to see him soak it all up like a sponge! He is a very happy, bright, and active little boy- a joy to be with! And, of course, every day we were beyond exhausted.
Baby naptime is precious- and rocking him to sleep even more so! My arms feel empty! I took a nap yesterday and dreamed that I was pregnant- and then suddenly wasn’t- a very primal dream about motherhood and grandmotherhood! Both Lonnie and I mourn the loss of our grandchildren (and children) when our visits are over. When you start a family, no one prepares you for how much you will love your children- and then your grandchildren. And then you think about your own parents and realize how much they loved you too.
By the way, I hardly took any cell phone photos and didn’t take out my Nikon even once- the longest I’ve gone without taking photos. No time!
Here’s a cute baby to start the week!
They’re gone.
We’ve had a wonderfully busy couple weeks- Christmas with our Alaska family, then a last minute snowy New Year’s visit by our son’s family so the cousins could meet again, and finally a stay in Scottsdale before the midnight flight back to Alaska. And I hardly took any photos! But we have lots of great memories!
A few favorite moments:
The house seems so empty. It’s back to to-do lists and adjusting to the reality that it is 2019.
Happy New Year!
Here’s another family photo- 3 Anderson guys!
Last month I did take some family photos- here is my favorite of Caleb and his mommy and daddy.
It’s Caleb! I didn’t take too many photos with the Nikon (we were only there for a day and a half), but I do have some more from my iPhone I will upload in a day or two. I had big hopes of a family photo with the Santa hats, but it didn’t happen. No matter- he is cute in all his outfits! And the visit was not about taking photos anyway.
Caleb is on the verge of crawling- on the late side like his Daddy and his cousin Miles. He pushes up and then starts “swimming”- kicking his feet like crazy. He does get around with a modified army crawl. He doesn’t yet have the idea of going onto his knees except when going from sitting to scooting. He is interested in everything and is a happy, smiling boy who likes everyone. A grandparent delight!
Another photo with my Nikon- the beginning of the Santa hat photo shoot that didn’t quite happen.
I don’t know if this was THE Big One, but Friday’s earthquake in Anchorage was certainly A Big One. The boys and their mom were at the school where she teaches and they are in second and fifth grade. Miles, the fifth grader was at his before school bell chime class, and Henry was playing in his mom’s classroom before school started. Their mom, Caitlin, was down the hall in another teacher’s room when the earthquake started. She remembers getting under the door frame and having trouble standing as she was bounced up and down by the quake. Ceiling tiles and other things were flying around, as her teacher friend dove under her desk. Caitlin remembers yelling down the hall to Henry to get under a table. The lights went out and the shaking continued. When it stopped, she found Henry under a table piled with debris in her classroom- and they all headed to the gym. Their emergency team sprung into action, gathering children and staff and accounting for everyone- but then a huge aftershock made everyone realize this was an ongoing event. The school was evacuated when a gas leak was discovered and the children were taken by bus to a street in the neighborhood- and eventually to another school in the area. Caitlin and the kids drove home to find a very scared Penny, the golden retriever, in a house filled with open cupboards, tipped over furniture, and broken glass and debris everywhere. The big screen TV was broken on the floor, and the wood stove had been moved forward out of the fireplace. Soon afterwards, Justin came home from his job in Anchorage. There was no power for several hours, and the boiler which heats the house was broken.
The children were pretty traumatized as the aftershocks continued and stayed close to their parents as they cleaned up and assessed damage. Eventually the power came back on, dinner was prepared, and the family bedded down (in their clothes and with backpacks full of emergency supplies)in the office downstairs close to the door for a quick escape if necessary. No one slept much.
Aftershocks are ongoing, but the boiler has been repaired, and the family was able to get some actual sleep last night. There will be no school for at least a few days, and life will slowly return to normal. Or a new normal.
And we grandparents are beginning to calm down as well- and are so grateful that everyone is unhurt!
We’ve just returned from a wonderful 10 day trip to Alaska! The highlight was spending time with our daughter’s family in Eagle River. Here are the boys at the Alaska Botanical Gardens in Anchorage- they are growing up so fast!
Summer in Alaska is endless daylight, intensely green trees, flowers everywhere, tall peaks, and glaciers! Photos from this trip will be dominating my blog for the foreseeable future!
I’ve had a request for more baby photos! I’m happy to oblige- so here is Caleb, chilling in his favorite baby seat.
I didn’t do any formal baby portraits- he was either fussy, asleep, or we were on our way somewhere. But here are some fun shots I managed to get over the weekend.
Who does he look like? From straight on, I see some Matt- but in general, I think he favors his mommy!
We have just returned from a quick trip to Southern California where we spent a few days with our son and daughter-in-law and two and a half month old Baby Caleb!
Our hearts just melted seeing our boy with HIS boy. Such sweet moments!
Coming from a small family, I’ve always wanted MORE PEOPLE (hence my passion for genealogy and family history). This new baby, when we were already content with the adorable grandsons we have, is such an unexpected joy to have in our lives. We are so happy for Matt! And so I am thrilled to present this photo of our descendants!
melinda anderson photography 