Family - Relay for Life 2009

Relay for Life this year was great fun (6/26/09-6/27/09). Our booth ("Beautiful Feet: Rock Around the Clock") was decorated in a 1950s theme and the family wore costumes to match. (Austin donned cute jean shorts and tshirt with slick hair - I couldn't figure out how to roll his pacifier in his sleeve, though.) The entire event raised $62,000. with our team rasing around $1,000 (estimate). Austin and I stayed at the event for the entire 24-hour duration (plus set-up and clean-up) with Grammy, Grampy, Uncle Nick and Uncle Jared, and with Daddy coming to visit us for a few hours late Friday night.

Austin - 10 weeks

I was able to cancel, for work-related and strategic business reasons, a work trip that was planned for this week to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. However, that meant that I had to be involved in all of the pre-planned all-day meetings remotely from Michigan. At the point that I had to head home for the child care switch, I grabbed a company cell phone and dialed back in on the road and at home. While at home, Austin was able to enjoy observing mommy working and even piped in a few times. Luckily everybody had a sense of humor about it.

Austin - 4 weeks

Austin has displayed the dimple in his left cheek (to match Daddy's) as he smiled for the first time today. Actually, he has smiled a few times today. So far, his smile is only brought on by Mommy laughing (and he can tell the difference between a fake laugh and a real laugh).

Austin - 29 days

We decided to take a trip to visit Austin's Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Dykhouse today. Great Grandpa has not been feeling well and, therefore, was unable to make it to the hospital or to the house to visit. Grammy and Uncle Jared went with us and "Auntie Een" (Austin's Great Aunt Ileen) met us there.

This was also the same day as the Lowell High School Prom. Uncle Nick's prom date (Calla) is from another town and had to travel a ways to get to the house, so she planned to get ready at the house. We went over there early so that there was some adult supervision until Grammy could get out of work. We also took a bunch of pictures. After all of the prom-goers left, that is when we made the trip to Grant.

Austin - 28 days

My cousin Laurie came to meet Austin and visit for the first time. Austin definitely liked cuddling up with Laurie.