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!

2017 Rolls Along

2017 continues at a breathtaking pace.  I have probably said this before, and I am sure I will say it again - but WOW time goes fast.  I look at both of my children and wonder where the last four years have gone.  Forrest is already closer to 5 than he is to 4.  Where does it go?  And to top it all off Mandi and I are expecting our third kiddo in September.  HOLY COW!

We've been having a ton of fun. For those of you who follow Chinchy's blog already know the when and where of our adventures, but here are a few from my perspective :)

My uncle Buck had a retirement party in February.  He is finished with the Police Force, and the family came together to celebrate.  I got to see some of my favorite people who I don't see enough of these days.  Including my aunt Aimee... Amos Maximus! (pictured above).  What a joy.  

Speaking of joy - here I am with my Grandfather and Aunt Boots.  Aunt Boots is an absolutely wonderful woman who I wish I saw more.  Life seems to always get in the way.  I was heartbroken that I left Chinch and the kiddos behind.  Boots would have loved to have seen the Kid Wonder.  Still glad to give her a hug and remind her that we think of her often.

Mandi and I managed to get a night out at Publik House in Peoria Heights.  It is one of our favorite spots - parmesean Truffle Fries for the win!  Look at that gorgeous lady.  I still wonder how I got so lucky.

We had some great weather in February.  March, not so much.  But we loved it while it was here.  The Kid Wonder and I have been out on some adventures, the photo above is our trip to the outdoor mall to check out some of the play areas.

Kid Wonder and LL Bean were enjoying the water table on the nicest day.  Fun that they can both enjoy an activity together and get some sun at the same time.  I love the look of wonder and curiosity on Bean's face.

Here we are in our Mini-Van for the first family vacation to the Wisconsin Dells.  This was courtesy of Poppi and Gigi who paid our way as a Christmas present.  It was a tough car ride, even in our van, but we had a ton of fun at the Great Wolf Lodge.  Lots to do for Kids, and Spotted Cow on tap.  Hard to complain ;)

Everyone got in on the fun.  The Kid Wonder loved the giant bucket. Bean wasn't too sure about that.

AND soft pretzels?  Are we in heaven?

The cousins had some play time as well.  To the right is Mandi's sister and her son.  Everyone loving those pools.  The Kid Wonder was a pro with his life jacket.  I give credit to plenty of time in the lake every summer.

This was another one of our father-son adventures.  This time we stopped off at a local hotel that displays many national flags.  The Boy is really into geography right now.  He knows all 50 states and capitals, as well as most countries and capitals.  It was a thrill for him to get to see all of the flags hanging up.  Capped off our adventure with a couple of milkshakes.  A big hit for sure.

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit!  LL Bean was a big fan of Grandma's sparkles and the new book.  Grandma is always so thoughtful - she always brings a book.  She knows how important it is to us that our children value and enjoy reading.  Thank you Grandma Rosemary, we love you so much!

This last one is from this past weekend.  I had the pleasure of taking the Kid Wonder to a birthday party of one of his classmates.  He had a blast.  Monkey Joe's was insanely busy, and pure chaos.  But the kids seemed to have a great time.  I was glad to get to be there.

More to come soon.   In the upcoming month we will be opening the cabin, and continuing our prep for #3!

My Boy - the Kid Wonder

So today I am going to write a tribute post to my best boy, the Kid Wonder, the Boy Genius.  Oh Forrest.  You're too smart for your own good :)  He's a boy who knows the states and their capitals, who knows the streets of Peoria (that he's seen anyway) better than I do.  He can read and write, and enjoys doing so.  He's my kid who when offered the chance to watch something fun (Pokemon) he looked at us like we were asking him if he wanted a root canal.

But first and foremost you were my little buddy.  I feel bad often - like I didn't do enough.  Didn't spend enough time with you.  Or maybe I wasn't as present as I should have been.  Either way I look back at these pictures in wonder and can't figure out where all the time went.  I sure do love you little man.

This picture always cracked me up.  You were suspicious from the very beginning - I think its because you're so darn smart.  It wasn't too much longer after this that you started saying my name.  I know that its cheesy, as most children say "Daddy" first - but you whispered Da-da almost in reverence.  Always cracked me up.

Turtle Sandbox yay!  Summer days in Mandi's oasis were always fun.  I loved coming home for lunch was always a treat to see you covered in sand and thrilled to be you.

This was shortly after you got your Strider bike, for what I think was your 2nd birthday.  The Appletree neighborhood was the best for zipping around on that thing - so flat with all the side walks.  You took to it like a pro.

Oh how you loved the little carts.  And the customers at County Market in Monticello learned to fear for their ankles that day!

I think this takes my top spot for favorite picture of my biggest boy.  We were on the polar express.  Forrest was anxiously awaiting the festivities.  In this moment it was late, you were tired, but you were excited.  And so full of wonder.  And as you watched out the window of your first train ride I just swelled with love for you buddy.

You're the best kid.

~Dad

January 2017

Wow, 2016 has come and gone, 2017 is here for a while.  My last post was pretty heavy on the Kid Wonder - this one is going to have a little more of Letty Bean I think.

Charlotte snuggles are simply the friggin' best.  She is definitely my little buddy.  Unfortunately she was a bit under the weather for a good chunk of December and over the New Year.  Nothing serious, just the snots and coughs.  She's perked back up, but while it lasted this snuggle bean was even snugglier - probably because sleeping laying on Daddy provided some relief from her congestion.  I suffered through it okay ;)

Had a great gathering with the Sawlaw's over Thanksgiving.  It was great to have all the Sawlaw Siblings under one roof.  From left to right we have Monkey, Bey, Chip, Sol, and myself.  Man - they really carry the team in the looks department.  I'll settle for being the brains of that operation.

More Holiday fun.  Letty Bean was practicing her walking in her Christmas attire.  Her and Tia Tot matched!  And they didn't even call each other before the event.  

There were some great Christmas gifts.  Mandi got me an awesome beverage serving cart - meant to be used during D&D night.  Also got this SWEET DM's sweatshirt.  A way to remind my players that its my world, my rules.  Muwhahaha.  The hoodie was courtesy of Suzanna, one of my players.

I had to share this - the Kid Wonder drew a map of our neighborhood.  Even signed his artwork.  It is now displayed proudly in my office :)

Definitely my most surprising surprise of the past month occurred last weekend.  The Kid Wonder was staying with GiGi at her place up north, so Chinch, Letty Bean, and I took a trip to Monticello.  While there we stopped at our favorite pizza joint in the world: Filippo's Pizza.  While there I bumped into my Stepdad.  He gets Filippo's on occasion when he drives by Monticello on his way home from work - he loves to send me pictures of it to make me jealous.  Well not this time G!  I beat him there by about 30 seconds :)  It was great to give him a hug before he headed home.