John's 4th birthday party, Mark and his
baptism, Genny's new dress, and Grandma's Winter fun
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There were a LOT of people
at John's big 4th birthday party! Not all of those in attendance
were caught on camera here. |
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John's chosen theme was
fire trucks. I decided to give him the full treatment then, and
delivered his birthday cake in my full turnout gear, which he was not
expecting. |
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Wendi was ready with the
camera as I walked into the Dining Room. John's smile is pure
magical surprise. You can kind of see what I looked like to him by
looking in the mirror on the back wall. Smiles like this one are
priceless. |
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Probably John's favorite
gift here. He has always loved playing with umbrellas but never had
one all his own. Wendi spotted this while we were shopping for his
birthday, after we had purchased some other things for his big day, but it
was too perfect to pass up. This bumblebee umbrella came complete with
wings that stand up on top. You look at this picture and tell me if
you think he liked it. |
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Speaking of John, here is
an old photo slated for posting that somehow got passed over. This
is John visiting Grandpa Heiss during a visit to Tacoma back in the Summer
of 2001. |
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OK, I'm betting you came
back looking for pictures of baby Mark, too. OK, here's a couple for
you. |
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Mark's godparents, Chris
and Liz Phelan, were not able to attend his baptism due to family illness
which made it difficult for them to drive up from Minneapolis. We
were honored, then, that Scott and Kelly Kmiecik granted our request to
have them serve as proxy godparents for the baptism ceremony. |
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Genny received a beautiful
new dress from her Grandma Patterson. Here she is in the dress,
shortly before she and I departed to spend the evening on the town at a
Fathers and Daughters Ball. |
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While Wendi's mom (Grandma
Patterson) was visiting us just after Mark was born, she got a taste of some
authentic Minnesota Winter playing time. Check out the blurry spots
in the photos for telltale signs of snowballs being thrown! This is saying something,
since she lives in Simi Valley, California.
I have to comment
that the snow in these photos does not do justice to current conditions.
The pile of snow off the driveway in the first picture
was only a couple of feet when taken. This same pile today is not
quite six feet high. We cannot see traffic when trying to pull out,
but it's the same for everyone in the area. Despite a few days of
melting temperatures, the snow is still around three feet deep
in most places where plows and snowthrowers haven't piled it, and much
deeper where they have. |
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OK, OK, more Mark, I
know. Here's another picture of Mark, sound asleep in his
sling. I love it. Don't you wish you had a 12' giant to carry
you around when you want to sleep? |
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Parting shot: Grandma
does backyard sledding! Whee-ha! |
