Spencer Brother's Weekend 2009

We had our 2nd annual Spencer Brother's trip, and we all took it to College Station to Kyle and Shanna's house for a perfect weekend! We got there Friday afternoon and got to just hang out and do a little shopping while we waitted for Shane and Crystal!

On Saturday, we took it to Ren Fest where sights like the one below were par for the course....or tame for the course......It was GREAT people watching, and Caden loved it!

We got to see a real live joust. We were France and cheered for our knight, Sir Philippe.

This was our French maiden who told us when to cheer and when to boo

She left her mark on Caden's virgin cheek.

Uncle Kyle carried Caden around A LOT and gave him a break from the stroller.

Caden started to wear out after a few hours, but he was quite the trooper.

Seeing the elephants perked him right up!

Yes...that's a real gnome behind Caden

Chilling with Aunt Crystal. Caden really has two of the best Aunts ever!

Checking out the video of him dancing. He's studying hard to see which moves he can improve.

And this is where Adam and I are now! We're taking a little recharge trip, and Caden is having the time of his life with Grandmother and Grandaddy. That's all the posts for now....promise. :)

some recent pictures. :)

Well, my computer finally bit the dust. I've been without my trusty (ok...not so trusty) HP for almost a month now. Forgive all the catch up pictures, but I've gotta get them up while I can! :)

Kathy got us some Mums for around our fountain in place of the fake ones previous left. They looked great...until they died or Caden sniffed them to death.

He rarely walks now...preferring to trot/bound instead.

Grandaddy (paw paw) and Grandmother's (baw baw) house is a treasure trove of wonders for Caden. There's a garden, chicken, pigs...enough to ruin a boy for playing at home with his same old toys.

Caden was scowling at me until Eric drove up behind me and got him to laugh.

For Halloween, we delighted the neighborhood kids with candy AND toothbrushes! I think the bowl was just as full when we came home that night.

I made my first costume this year, and Caden was a mummy. Thanks Jaymie for the GREAT idea! You'll see some cousin mummies here in a bit.

notice the special ghoulish effect we carried around with us the entire night. I think, it added a little something extra.

Leaving Uncle Mike and Aunt Debbie's with his first treats of the night.....

which he gave away at Grandmommie and Paw Paw's house. He's a very generous mummy.

And then to Uncle Ty and Aunt Nell's to top off the night.

He has some special toys at their house, and his favorites are the keyboard and the harpsichord....at least i think that's what it is...

Kissing cousins. Caden is 1/2 Tennessee after all.

Caden and Kanyon have many more Halloweens together for sure.

That's all for now!

Everyone needs a little Mexican Fiesta

For Adam and Katie's birthday, we wanted to think of a truly memorable way to celebrate. It was then that the idea of a Mexican Fiesta began to take shape. I think it was worth it, if only to see Caden, in a diaper, with a sombrero and a screw driver.

Ty and Janelle took it to the next level with car decals. We all voted and decided they should leave them. I'm sad to report that last time I saw that beauty of a car, it was missing its name.

For the record (you know you were wondering) the mustache is not real.

Luke truly was a Mexican. In fact, Luke wasn't there at all. Instead, he was taken over by the spirit of Jorge.

Jorge and Rosalinda

Caden loves Uncle Ty...even when he wears a shirt dress and looks nasty.

beauty....sheer beauty

We were going to give Caden a matching mustache, but unfortunately his runny nose prevented proper adhesion

I don't think the one below even needs an explanation

The whole group. For those of you wondering, I was a taco.

Rachel is our "special" friend

We waited a bit late for the pinata, so it was dark. That would have made it even more perfect for my original idea to fill the pinata with bees. More of an element of surprise.

All the September birthdays minus Lane! We missed ya'll!

A parting family portrait

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My Baby Can Read

You've seen it on TV. Well, it's true.....my baby really can read.....

We're still alive...and.....

PREGNANT! Just wanted to get that out there before we got into the pictures from the past weeks. :) We're expecting in early May, so it's still pretty early, but I've never been good at waiting to tell people. :)

We've gotten all settled into our new house and are slowly putting away all the things we stacked in corners and along walls. It's starting to feel like a home. Caden has LOVED all the room he has to explore and walk and just not be in the same room 24 hours a day.

Adam has finished a little over a full week at work and is settling in well! Here are his first day of work picturs. He was nice enough to let Caden be in them with him.

For Memorial Day weekend, we headed to Paris and just had the best time! Other than my real home (Nashville) this is one of the only other places I feel truly at home. Thanks Jay and Gay for a WONDERFUL weekend!!

Caden and Landry were just the right size to pal around together. There were lots of rocks to inspect.

Last year, Caden and Ayelan posed for us, but this year we were unsuccessful. Maybe in a few months.

We asked who tooted. Caden was quick to point the finger.

Then he felt bad for ratting her out.

Caden will have to learn how to watch a girl's backside without really looking. This might get him slapped someday.

Stare off.

Jay's big catch!

We had a fantastic game of spoons Saturday night before bed. Battles were won, troops were injured, and sadly.....I did not come out victorious but had to suffer the humiliation of the spanking machine. Church cousins, you remember that, right?

I'll try to be better about posting more often now that we're getting more settled!

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The land of the little people

Mom, Janelle, and I got back from Ireland this past Wednesday, and we were all a little disappointed not to see any leprechauns, but it was a good trip nevertheless. One of mom's main concerns was keeping/working the international blackberry that we rented. We had lessons every day...sometimes the same lesson...sometimes multiple times a day...but she got better. ;)

We flew into Dublin after being awake for for e ver and headed to our hotel. We checked in and decided to get some lunch....

Before eating my first Irish Stew. Delicious.

We took one of the tour busses around the city and got off at the Kilmainham Gaol. It was a good tour..a little long for our tired bones, but good.

We got up the next morning and took a bus to Ennis. The trip started off well with a good breakfast.....

but quickly went downhill after Patches decided he/she didn't much like taking public transportation. What a snob. Janelle managed to throw up in the above pictured bag, but it burst as she stood up to leave. Pretty gross....pretty funny. I mean...that's a lot of throw up.

Ennis was pretty small, but it had this ruined abbey that was neat.

Here we are in front of our hostel in Ennis. I had accidentally booked a 4 person mixed dorm, and the guys were SO nice when we checked in. They blocked the 4th bed so we didn't have a strange man sleeping in there with us.

This was our only day of TERRIBLE weather. We took a bus to the Cliffs of Moher which were unbelievable, but we had a hard time enjoying them because of the driving wind and rain pelting us. Janelle got some

Cashel was our next stop and my favorite town. We had to change busses in Cahir, and Cahir Castle was right in front of the stop, so we got to look at it while we waited.

Our hostel in Cashel was situated in between Hore Abbey (I know...great name for a bunch of nuns, right?) and the Rock of Cashel which was my favorite thing that we saw. That's Hore Abbey behind us.

And the Rock of Cashel...a ruined monestary.....So NEAT!

The legend is that if you can get your arms all the way around this thing and have them touch on the other side, you'll never have any dental problems. I fell way short. Good thing there are a lot of dentists in the family.

That little white building is our hostel. GREAT location and GREAT owners.

We went to a traditional Irish music/dance show and it was WONDERFUL!

After Cashel, we headed back to Dublin and took day tours from there to a couple of places. The first was Glendalough, a monastic settlement in a valley that had some georgeous lakes.

We didn't quite make it up to this waterfall due to time constraints, but we did wonder what it might look like.

We saw Riverdance one night in this theatre.

Our 2nd day trip form Dublin was to see Newgrange, a passage tomb...about 500 years older than the Pyramids. Janelle had climbed atop one of the mounds here and is about to break into a traditional Irish jig.

not a Hobbit Hole

The tour was also supposed to go to Trim Castle...used in Braveheart, but it only stopped outside of it...we didnt' actually get to go in .

Our last night, we strolled the Temple Bar area where is apparently where all the night life happens. We just wanted to people watch, and this was PERFECT for it. These performers were pretty amazing....and equally amazing where the homeless ladies who danced to a beat that only they could hear.

This homeless lady looked quite cheerful despite the fact that she's surrounded by garbage.

All in all, it was a wonderful trip with lots of laughing....mostly at our stupidity, and GREAT memories with my mom and sister.

Open for Business

Ok...I've been open for a bit, but I've just neglected to post about it! :) For those of you who don't know, I've begun a little photography business....you might have noticed the occasional non-Caden pictures. My website is junebugphotography.smugmug.com, and I'd love for you to check it out and let me know what you think! I'd love it even more if you wanted me to take your pictures! :) For those of you looking for something to brighten up your walls, there are some art/landscape photos too. Thanks for looking....that is....if you look. :0)