Caden is walking!

Caden took his first real steps to Jake at the park on Saturday July 26th. Over the past week he has been taking more and more steps as he gains confidence. Today he finally started walking and he is so excited! Jake shot a short video of Caden walking in his play room tonight so you all could see him walking!

Beach Trip!

Caden and I spent a wonderful week in Perdido Key, Fl with my family. It was Caden's first trip to the beach and he did pretty well. He wasn't too sure about the sand and the ocean, but he still had a great time. He was happy playing in the sand with his cousins as long as he had his rake! The ocean was filled with jelly fish the whole time we were there so we didn't get to swim much, but we spent plenty of time swimming in the pool. All of the kids preferred the pool to the beach. Caden's cousins are little fish that could swim all day. Caden preferred to climb up and down the pool stairs and to crawl around on the pool deck like a bear. He had a lot of fun playing around the pool and watching his cousins swim. He did swim some and even went surfing in the pool with his Grandpa! It was so nice to spend a week with my parents, sisters, niece and nephew. We treasure the time we get to spend with them. Caden really enjoyed playing with his cousins and I know he is missing them already.

Cousins in their matching swim suits.

My little surfer boy!

Caden the bear!

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Surfing in the pool with Grandpa.

Sweet boy

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Jenni, Michael, Brennen, and Emma - We miss you!!

Mom and Dad.

Go Dawgs!

Sisters! I love you girls!

Best Grandparents!

Family time at the lake!

Jake, Caden, and I spent the week of the 4th of July at the lake with the Fox family. We had so much fun visiting with our family and friends. Caden was a little unsure about swimming in the lake. He wasn't afraid of the water, but he really didn't like wearing a life jacket. He did enjoy digging in the sand with his rake and going on boat rides. Dan and Kim bought a new pontoon boat and Caden loved crawling all over it and helping his Grandpa drive. Jake and I really enjoyed a week at the lake relaxing, visiting with family, shopping and eating American food! We don't get home often enough and we really miss spending time with family. Caden loved his Oma, Grandpa, Aunt April and Uncle Eric. He had a great time playing with them and being the center of attention all week! He spent the whole week laughing, smiling, and climbing up the stairs. We took him to the park a couple of times and he loved the playground with the big slides to climb up! Hopefully it wont be too long before we can make it back for another visit. Thank you to Dan and Kim for making it such a wonderful week! We miss you and love you lots!!

Caden helping his Grandpa drive the boat.

Me and Caden on a 4th of July boat ride.

Caden loves his Oma!

Caden crawling up the slide with his Aunt April.

Caden having fun with his Uncle Eric.

Family Picture!

Caden's 1st Birthday!

Saturday, June 21st was Caden's first birthday! We had a small party with a few of our friends at our house. I made Caden a puppy cake and he loved it! He had a great time smashing the cake and squishing it through his fingers. He did eat some, but he had more fun playing in it. His favorite new toy is a Tonka truck his Oma and Grandpa sent from the states. He has a great time pushing all the buttons on the steering wheel! Thank you for all the birthday wishes!

The first year went by so fast. He started out so small and sick and we are so thankful for the healthy boy he is growing up to be. Caden has blessed our lives in so many ways and we are overjoyed with his bright smile and his continuous laughter. God continues to bless our family every day.

This picture was taken the day Caden was born.

Caden with his daddy!

Caden's puppy cake.

While Caden is distracted by his hat, Dixie is sneaking some cake.

He loved his cake!

Happy Father's Day!

Today is Jake's first Father's Day! He is a wonderful dad and I am so thankful for the way he loves and cares for Caden. When Jake gets home from work, Caden crawls over to see him as fast as he can and can't wait until Jake picks him up. Even though Jake is tired after a long day, he plays with Caden all evening and even puts him to bed most nights. I love to watch them play and listen to them laugh. Jake always has Caden smiling and giggling. He is amazing and Caden and I are so lucky to have him!

I also want to wish my dad and father-in-law a happy father's day! We can't wait to come home and see you next week! We love you and miss you!

Grandma!

Jake had last Saturday off and we took my mom on a Rhine River cruise. We left from the city of Rudesheim and we cruised down to St. Goar. We got off the boat, walked around a little, and ate lunch at a little cafe. Then we cruised back to Rudesheim. The castles along the river were beautiful and we all really enjoyed it.







My mom left yesterday and we were all sad to see her go! We can't wait to come home next month and see everyone!

Water Table!

Grandma is here to visit and we are so excited! Caden loves playing with her and has been keeping her busy the last two days. Caden played in his new water table for the first time today and he loved it. He was soaking wet and very happy when he was finished. We are looking forward to many days splashing in the water together!

Dogs and Dentist!

Last weekend we babysat our friend's dog Tristan. He is a big beagle puppy with lots of energy and love! He and Dixie played all weekend outside enjoying the warm spring weather. Caden loved his big floppy ears and laughed every time he gave him a kiss!

Caden took his first trip to the dentist on Saturday. He has 6 teeth and the 7th is almost here. The dentist checked his teeth, brushed them, and put on a little flouride. Caden was pretty good and the dentist said his teeth look great!

Caden's first trip to the dentist!

Caden's new playroom!

Caden is crawling fast and very curious. He wants to get into everything! We decided to make him a playroom in the big room upstairs. We bought him some foam mats and a new rug and moved some of his toys up. He can crawl around up there and we don't have to worry about him getting into trouble. He and Dixie both really seem to like playing up there!

Jake, Caden and Dixie in the new playroom!

Caden cralwing around!

Kaiserslautern Zoo

On Sunday we took a family trip to the Kaiserslautern Zoo. We saw lions, tigers, monkeys and a whole lot more. We bought animal food at the entrance and Caden helped me feed llamas, cows, and donkeys! He thought it really tickled when the animals ate out of his hand. The donkey was very soft and that was his favorite animal to pet. One of the great things about living in Germany is that you can bring your dogs everywhere. We brought Dixie to the zoo with us and she had a great time! She loved looking at all the different animals and listening to the lion roar. I think we will be taking many trips back to the zoo!


Caden liked feeding the donkeys!

Jake and Dixie in front of the Tiger Cage.



The zoo was exhausting!

Oma and Grandpa Visit!

Jake's parents, Kim and Dan came to visit us for a week! They flew into Paris Saturday morning and we drove to meet them there. We toured Paris all day Saturday and half of Sunday. We did a hop-on, hop-off bus tour and we saw all of the major sights; Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, Louvre, Opera House. Saturday night we went out to dinner at a little Cafe along the Seine River. After dinner we took a boat cruise and saw Paris lit up at night. It was beautiful! We got up early Sunday morning and went to the Louvre. We were very lucky and did not have to wait in line or pay to get in! We saw the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and a whole lot more! It was amazing and overwhelming. We could have spent days there without seeing it all. We loved Paris!

Arc de Triumphe.

Eiffel Tower at night.

Louvre

Notre Dame Cathedral at night.

Sunday afternoon we left Paris and headed for Reims, a city in the Champagne region of France. We went to the Surrender Room Museum. This museum is the location Eisenhower and the Allies received the surrender from the Germans. We visited the Notre Dame Cathedral which is where the French used to crown their Kings and Queens. Monday morning we ended our visit to Reims with a tour of the Pommery Champagne Caves. The caves were dug out of chalk mines by the Romans and have been converted into champagne cellars, holding 20 million bottles! They were very impressive and the champagne was delicious.

Map in the Surrender Room

Notre Dame Cathedral, Reims.

Entrance to the Pommery Champagne Cave.

On Tuesday Jake took us all over to his squadron for a tour. He showed us his plane, the C-21, and we all got to get inside. Caden really liked his Daddy's plane!

Jake with his plane.

Caden, Andi and Kim inside the C-21.

On Wednesday, we went to Rudesheim, a town on the Rhein. We had to take a car ferry across the river to get there. We ate lunch at a great restaurant overlooking the Rhein. After lunch, Jake, Dan, Caden and I took a cable car ride up the side of the mountain. The ride took us over the vineyards. It was cold, but pretty. We also went to a Castle that has been converted into a wine museum. It was cold and rainy, but we still had a good time!

Rudesheim

Thursday we took Dan and Kim to Kaiserslautern. We walked through downtown and then ate lunch at our favorite restaurant, The Brau Haus. We had great food and Caden had a good time making a mess!

After a busy and very fun week, Kim and Dan left Saturday to go back to Georgia. We can't wait to see them again this summer!

Caden with his Oma and Grandpa!