MORNING FUN WITH KATY

AND THE GIRLS!

This morning we met TT Katy and the girls at a park and played!
Owen "cool guy" got his turn on the horsey too!
Then he tried to eat wood chips...
and laughed hysterically when I said, "no, no" and took the wood chip away.
He tried so hard to climb up the tunnel, but slid back down every time...hmpff!

I've taken Owen to daycare two or three times this summer for a reason or two. Number one, then I can make appointments and get some things done. The other reasons include him having fun with the kids there and maintaining his love and trust for Carrie. Yesterday he got to tie-dye with the kids and Carrie! He brought this cute little number home with him and I had to share it with y'all. It is a bit big and kind of wife-beaterish, but cute, hey? :-) I think it looks like he got a little sun too! I don't think he is as fair (or pink, for that matter) as his dad and me, but I still put sunscreen (spf 50) on him regularly!

So I think it's cute...Owen's taken about four steps on his own, but he still chooses to crawl where he wants to go. When he crawls over to my legs, he pulls himself up and tries to walk through. I've seen other kids do this, but never have I seen the endearment until now. :-) Here I am taking his picture as he tries to walk through...hence, the upside-down view. Heehee!

Owen's newest interest is sunglasses: they bend in fun ways, you can take them off and put them on, and it makes people laugh! Owen is becoming more and more of a character. He realizes what makes people laugh and does it over and over again...he laughs right along with you too. He even kept sucking on a lemon when he realized how much it made TT Julie laugh when he screwed up his lips in a sour face. Too funny!

Owen and Roger's first trip to UNCLE FRED'S CABIN!

Roger and I took our small group from church up to Uncle Fred's cabin for the weekend. Everyone brought tents and Owen brought his pack-n-play. We had a lot of fun: campfires, 500with the frizbee off the dock, fishin' for sunnies, pudgy-pies and s'mores at night, walks on South Shore Road, and naps in the afternoon!
Owen stayed happy and kept on schedule. He took naps...
hung out by the fire...
even ate around the fire like the rest of us!...
Then was so tuckered out by the time we left...he zonked out before we crossed the bridge and dam. Great times and fun memories...to remember! :-)

Our latest adventure: visit to Auntie Julie and Uncle Todd's home in Colorado!
Dinner time in the Olsen home...Yep, Todd makes a mean dirty bird (a.k.a. chicken)!
Early mornings with Owen...beautiful sunrises over the mountains...
These are two views...I took them through two separate windows in their home as Owen ate breakfast.

Owen's birthday came and went and the summer has officially begun! I have loved being done with the school year, but I sure know how to fill the time. After a week of play and party-planning, Owen and I headed to Colorado to see TT Julie. Owen says, "TT" which means Auntie. He started that with Auntie Emmy, but he caught on to calling Julie TT as well. Here we are at the airport in MN waiting to check our bags on the curb. Thanks for the ride, Gramma Mama! Thanks for letting us go, Daddy! Thanks for having us Aunie Julie and Uncle Todd! All I have to say is keeping a baby on schedule is tough enough when you are busy, but try a one-hour time difference! Whew! He was up at 5:30 every morning and don't remind me about when we missed snack time! We did lots in Colorado! We watched TT Julie work her horse, we went to the Hot Springs (there are baby pools!), and we played around the house with the doggy and kitty. We took a ride on a bike with a burly on back...that picture will have to come later.

Owen was so cute with Caleb...that's the big doggy in the picture. I think Caleb is big, but Todd insists on calling him "Tiny Einstein." When Caleb was not jealous, he was protective. Dogs are funny that way. The most memorable moment at the hot springs was when Owen started pinching his own belly. Julie and I died laughing!

The day we went for the bike ride, Owen wanted nothing but to crawl around the bike shop. I let him, but man! He got so dirty! I don't know if you can tell, but these little feet (3 1/2 double-wide) got black with bike-shop grime. Hmmm, bathtime!

The party was so much fun that I still remember it as fun. I did not sit down the entire day so my feet were very sore, but Owen was in good spirits! He sure knew how to turn one! :-)

BIRTHDAY BOY! ! !
Eating Ice Cream!!!! He cried when it was all gone :-(
Here's our little home that held near 50 guests that afternoon--inside and out!
The weather was perfect and all the work I did in the garage was thoroghly appreciated!
The food was a big hit too! Man, I love parties! Why we don't have more...I don't know!

Here is the link to the complete slideshow of Owen's pictures for his first birthday. Turn up the sound and enjoy! :-) http://www.lisaslotsvephotography.com/owenr/index.html

I'm going to have to hold y'all in suspence about how FUN and GREAT Owen's party was...unless you came, that is! :-) Here is Owen playing on Mama and Daddy's bed the morning before the party. He loves our soft and squishy comforter. Owen and I are on our way to Colorado to see Auntie Julie today so we will have to upload party pictures when we get back! Sorry! But it will be fun to look back and remember good times. Thank you to everyone who came, gave their blessings, and enjoyed themselves in our home. Thank you, also, to all those who contributed time, food, tables, coolers, arms to hold Owen or lift heavy objects. :-) We have one very happy one-year-old!

Owen got his first birthday pictures taken last Monday. We had a sweet gal named lisa slotsve come out to our house for the occasion. Owen was so good and was a "photographer's dream," as lisa said. She loved how he looked right at the camera, smiled on cue, and played for the most part. Here is a sneak peak at two pictures that she put on her blog. A slideshow of all his pictures are coming by next week! Yippee! http://lisaslotsvephotography.blogspot.com/

Life is ever-changing and bad things happen...but good things happen too! The good things give us hope; the bad things make us grow. We cling to the good things during the bad times; that is why good things are so precious. Owen is a good thing. He is precious. He is a blessing. I have grown so much this year, but I am so full of hope. I can't hold out for the future when there is so much to enjoy in the present. I have been challenged this year to not take time for granted: be healthy TODAY, be happy TODAY, enjoy the small things...yes, even running errands and cleaning my house. Owen, I promise to sing to you, dance with you, skip every once in awhile, and do cartwheels for as long as my body will let me. I hope I never wish time away because look how fast this one year went! Happy Birthday, little boy! I love you sooooooo much!

Summertime fun at Auntie Kate's! Kate made us lunch and let us splash in the pool with Emmi and Cali. I hesitate to say Owen likes the water, but he sure doesn't mind it! He played and splashed and let me dump water over his head. He exhausted himself, but made it home for his nap. I can't stop saying how much fun I have with my little boy...

Can I say, "too cute"? All he has to do is learn to say "howdy"! :-)

We've continued celebration of Owen's birthday! On Friday we joined our church in the Father Hennepin parade. Owen got his fill of excitement and then slept the majority of the mile and a half walk along West River Road in Champlin. Memories are made even when we don't remember them! I'm sure Owen won't remember this, but it is an experience to hold in a picture and placed on a blog.

Owen eating bananas! At daycare it began as a necessity, but now he is fine...even when the banana gets a bit gooey! :-)
He picked up and ate his whole breakfast this morning! Next? to say "all done mom!"

My two boys...playing before bedtime. It's a whole process just getting jammies on. We often double-team Owen: one of us holding him up and the other putting the legs through the holes. Owen is trying a stint of temper-tantrums. I think he is figuring out who answers to his every call...hmmmmmmm

Happy Birthday...WEEK! Yep, the Reger's celebrate birthdays for a week! On Monday Owen got new shoes! Special walkin' shoes from granny nanny and a stuffed horsey from Auntie Julie! In this picture he's standin' tall, but hesitates to take that step without a grip on something or someone. Soon enough, soon enough. :-)

I'm so happy to report that Owen is chewing! He already has a bad habit of stuffing his mouth as full as it will get...of course, only when I'm not looking! I put a few pieces in front of him and he continues shoving...and then asks for more! Man, he's got lots to learn. For example, one bite at a time, chew each piece 20 times, etc...He is good about chewing with his mouth closed. I'm sure that is because he doesn't want any to fall out! :-)

Owen was up early this morning so everything today has been happening sooner than usual. He did get a short nap this morning because I left for church...an hour early! I left early because I knew he wouldn't get enough of a nap at home so we drove around: got gas, looked at different neighborhood houses, stopped for coffee, etc. During this time, Owen slept for about 45 minutes. It was just enough to have a fun time playing in the nursery, but then we came home and someone was still a little short on sleep. He ate lunch at 11:30 and was down for the count by 12:15.
Owen's most recent signal of being tired is resting his head...wherever he may be! He stops in the middle of crawling and rests on the floor. Or he stops in the middle of playing and rests his head on my leg, shoulder, or whatever is closest to him at the time.
I may be over-eager, but I think he is trying some words out. Is it too early? He sees a picture of a baby and says, "baby." Yesterday he heard the door open and close downstairs and said, "da-da." It was Roger coming home. I'm not saying he will be spitting out sentences or multisyllabic words, but I really think he's trying! :-)

"Happy Birthday Daddy!" Owen gave daddy a good birthday hug on Wednesday before we had to leave in the morning. I believe Roger celebrated well for his 26th birthday. Yep...he's finally on his way to 30! :-) He was supposed to grow up last year, at 25, but I don't know if boys ever grow up. Oh well! I guess we just love them all the same!

Hmmmm, pineaple! This little contraption is supposed to get Owen used to solid food, but I don't see how that will help...he just sucked all the juice out of the pineapple! He loved it and he got sticky...needless to say, bathtime came soon after! He's doing better about chewing...he chewed a piece of sweet potato the other day and this morning actually ate a chunk of banana! Auntie Emmy--maybe he will eat sandwiches this summer! :-)

When Grampa Phil was over last weekend he and Owen played a bit and banged on toys together. They were having such a good time...then...





Grampa laughed his jolly belly laugh and showed his big teeth. Owen didn't know what to think...he didn't know he could make grampa laugh so hard! Too cute...