So glad it's spring!

C-A-LLLL-E-B!

One of Caleb's favorite tricks is spelling his name. He has actually been able to do it for a few months, but it took us a while to get a good video.

He also knows his shapes & colors. We're so proud of our boy!

spring-time fun

Just a few fun pics...

Fireman Caleb & Firedog Toby

When we ask Caleb if he wants to go to the park, he says "wheeeee"; we've yet to find a slide that he's afraid of, even after several rough landings.

admiring the Texas bluebonnets. Caleb thinks they're purple & I think he might be right.

note which Burdick is most excited ;)

our new best friend

A few weeks ago we welcomed a pet into our home (well, our yard & 2 rooms of our house). I (Courtney) had a beagle growing up and have tried to persuade the hubs of my need for another one since we got married. In recent years I have conceded that we probably don't need another mess-maker or mouth to feed. BUT, then we happened upon this guy:

A wise friend who knows I have a bit of an affinity for order suggested that it might be better for us to get an adult dog. I didn't like the idea at first (who wants to miss out on the cute puppy thing?), but I started checking the humane society website periodically. When I saw his picture and read that he is "pretty laid back for a beagle," I decided to pitch the idea again. To my surprise, Joseph was pretty interested. A few days later, we brought him home and named him Toby.

Toby means "God is good." The opportunity to adopt him has refreshed my belief that God wants to give us things that delight our heart. Toby is just right for our family. He's tough enough to evict the stray cats from our yard, but tolerant of all the social lessons Caleb is learning at his expense ("Caleb, it hurts Toby when you poke him with sticks", "Caleb, don't pull the dog's ears. Pet the dog"...). Although I think puppies - especially Beagle puppies - are adorable, I'm lovin' the skip the puppy phase thing. We didn't have to house train him and he doesn't chew things up. His biggest behavior problem is that he whines when left alone (guess that means he likes us!)

Here are some pics of fun with Toby:

"Hey dog, I like having you around, but I'M the king of this castle."

Both of my boys, just after a nap (no, they do not take naps together)


Enjoying life as a family of 4!

We're thankful for...

As we look back over 2009, we have so many things to be thankful for. Here are a few:

the joy of discovery!

the joy of serving (Joseph in Uganda)

grandparents! (Mi-Mi & Pa-Pa, left & Grammie & Pop, right)

a great team to cheer for

our freedom (Caleb & daddy floating by the statue of liberty)

a God who listens to our prayers (do you think he's praying for Him to multiply his cheerios?)

a great church (our 10-year anniversary outdoor celebration service)

generosity - from hand-me-downs to gobs of gifts, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of family and friends (Caleb in the box that delivered one of the many packages he received this year)

friends to celebrate with (Caleb's 1st birthday party)

the chance to get away (Vestring family vacation)

a happy, healthy little boy (Caleb with the Teton mountains - WY)

balloons - this one is on Caleb's behalf - he just loves 'em!

What are you thankful for? Happy Thanksgiving!

we tried!

On Saturday we attempted a photo shoot for our Christmas cards using a tripod. This shot describes the experience quite well:

Fortunately, although we got about 100 bad shots, we did get a few good ones of Caleb and at least one decent pic of all 3 of us that we're going to send out with our Christmas letters. Oh, the joys and challenges of parenting!

kum.pins

When Caleb says "pumpkin" he reverses the lead consonants in the 2 syllables. The result: "kum.pin." For all you developmental gurus out there, don't worry, I continue to pronounce it correctly for him. But, I must admit that I secretly find his version much cuter. We took him to a pumpkin patch on Tuesday night and he had a grand 'ol time. We came home with one large pumpkin and a mini one. He is very affectionate towards the large one (probably because it's heavy enough that all he can do is pet it and pat it). But, oh, the poor little "kum.pin". I guess he thinks it's a ball because he throws it and chases it all around the house. I'm not sure how long it will be with us.

I also thought his grandparents would enjoy this picture of his handsome outfit. He's sporting a shirt and boots from his MiMi and corduroy pants from his Grammie.

















In other news, our city received its first round of swine flu vaccines yesterday. We did our duty and waited in line for an hour and a half to receive ours. I know, I know, it's been much worse in other cities. And Caleb did GREAT, so I have much to be thankful for. I asked before getting in line if they knew how many were left, because I didn't want to be one of those poor people on the news who stood in line for hours only to find out after finally making it to the front that they just ran out. But, as I suspected, they did "not know." So, in line we stood. Thankfully our nurse was a champ shot-giver. I barely felt mine and Caleb cried for less than a minute as though he had been offended (not hurt). The verdict is still out on whether it will be worth it. If I understand correctly he will get a booster vaccine in 1 month if it is available, and then 1 month later (2 months from now) he might be immune. Hmmm... at least we can say we tried!