What once was lost, now is found!

A long time ago - 2 phones ago - I lost around 800 pictures.  I was devastated.  These were pictures of my little boy - pictures I could never get back.  Fun times we had together, moments in time I had thought I would have forever.  And they were gone.  Poof.  What is worse, is that it happened when I was trying to back them up...

I moved on, moved forward.  Until last weekend. As I played around with the iPad I discovered a folder of pictures... and suddenly there they were.  All these memories returned to me.  And so now I am sharing some of them with you. These are in reverse chronological order :D

This is the first time I held Bean.

The kid wonder enjoying his favorite birthday present of that year - a second hand coffee maker which was perfect for pretending to be a mixer.

He still remembers that party well, and the chocolate tools that were on his cake.

These pictures mean a lot to me because they chronicle much of Forrest's time in Monticello.  The position I had there was never my favorite.  I struggled to be happy in my career in Monticello.  The sorrow of seeing a town you held on a pedestal brought low by the realities of rural medicine and controlled substance addiction was hard on me.  But for Forrest and Mandi Monticello was a wonderful place to live.  It is where they discovered Montessori education together.  It was safe, open, and a great place for Forrest to be a kid.

First trip to the Pumpkin Patch!

Time at the Spruce Hill Farm picking apples, a Gilbraith family tradition :D

Kids books?!  No, he'd rather have a Mixer recipe/instruction manual.

That Monticello DQ is the best!

Meeting Grandma Polly in Decatur at the Mall to ride the train was a fun time.

And riding the real train was fun too!

Many an evening spent like this, snuggled on the couch.

Oh the foxes.  And now Bean has picked up that habit too :P

More play time, and Forrest just being a kid.

Our best family vacation to date.  We packed it up and flew to Englewood FL to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa.  This is one of the last times that we got to spend meaningful time with Grandpa before he passed.  I love that Forrest got to absorb his presence.  He still remembers him.

Dinner on the water.

Forrest loved the beach, he can't wait to go back!

Grandma Polly was always a sucker for treats :P

This was one of the windiest days we ever went to the Park - but this kid's spirit couldn't be stopped.

The play-doh passion begins.

And the always fun diversionary trip to Wal-Mart... you know, to look at the mixers. And he always preferred to go with me, because I would let him touch/play with them.

Thats all for now,

Stay Healthy!

May 2017

Wow!  Spring has sprung.  The past five weeks have flown by.  From busy weeks at work to busy weekends it has zipped by at a breakneck speed.  Here are some of the highlights:

This is one I didn't add previously and I am not sure why. When Grandma Rosemary and Grandpa Forrest were visiting the Kid Wonder had a chance to play "Play-doh" with his namesake.  I managed to capture a picture of them both hard at work.

Oh Letty Bean!  She discovered toilet paper.  Its just so much fun how it picks apart and keeps going... and going... and going.

While not her first Easter, it was her first egg hunt in which she was able to participate :D  Courtesy of Grandma Rosemary, Grandma Forrest, Aunt Emily and Aunt Sissy.

Forrest managed to snag most of the eggs.  His legs are longer - and he's not a toddler so he had the edge.

Our spring has been notable for Forrest's love of walking and seeing all that is new. The kid loves to explore, take detours, and walk the unknown path.  I like to believe it is his inner sense of adventure - or maybe his need to create internal maps of places.  I don't know.  But we've been taking advantage of the nice weather and hoofing it wherever our feet will take us (last walk they took us to Steak and Shake).

The family went to visit Grandma Polly in Springfield.  It was a nice day and a nice trip.  Jack was working so we missed him, which is a shame as he hasn't gotten to meet little Letty Bean just yet.

Forrest still loves his TeePee.  It is a great place to make a home for all of his stuffed foxes, or camp out for a nap (though really it was Mandi who used it for the nap).

I never thought I would be that guy who loved to do his little girl's hair.  But its hilarious, and fun.  Letty's hair is a bit of a mess thanks to her double-crown in the back.  So I just comb it forward in what I call "the Donald Trump".  Mandi hates it.  Bean seems to be okay wiht it.

The four of us had an adventure to Bass Pro Shop.  That place never gets old.  The kids like the fish, I like the boats.  And we managed to pick up some life jackets on sale.

Here's some big news (for those who hadn't heard yet) - Our family is growing even bigger.  Here you can see our first photo of little Bruce Wayne.  The name is a work in progress according to Mandi.  I'm pretty settled on it though.

Of course a Spring Recap wouldn't be complete without some photos of opening weekend. This year Kep, Tim, and my buddy Mike from Milwaukee joined me.  We did some serious work unpacking, felling some dead trees that threatened property, and getting the boat in the water (and reconstructed).  Thats right!  Pontoon boooooooooooat!

That's it for now.  A few quiet weeks ahead of us and then Mandi and I are planning a getaway to Chicago!