AJ’s First Birthday

Yesterday we celebrated AJ’s first birthday at Becca’s parents house. Great Grandpa Wood was there for a couple of hours with Beth and I before he had to leave for Cassidy’s recital. Cori showed up later after taking lunch to Justin while he was working. Many of Becca’s family and friends came to the party. After eating we sang happy birthday to AJ and he enjoyed eating some of his cake. Then he took a short power nap and was ready to go the rest of the evening. We played cards and had one ear listening to the radio as the Detroit Redwings won the first game of the Stanley Cup Final.

Cutting Grass

It has finally stopped raining around here. Yesterday I started to cut our grass, for the first time this spring, since the yard was dry enough. The back yard has to be 8” tall and the mushrooms are growing. The result of a few weeks of many inches of rain. We’ve had AJ for the last 2 days. He is getting bigger every time we see him and you can see him understanding things when you talk to him. He is a very happy baby. Becca has sure done something good with him. John is still unemployed since he lost his truck driving job back in January. We pray everyday for him to find another trucking driving job. Since his company was out of Nebraska he has to get unemployment through that state. He still hasn’t received his first check. You’d think the unemployment office would have more compassion for people who lost their jobs and get the checks out as soon as possible. They are really starting to struggle. We just ask everyone to pray for them.

AJ Spending the Night

Last night Beth picked up AJ after work to spend the night with us. John’s home and this gives Becca & him some quiet time together. He is almost ready to start crawling. He’ll get up on all four and start moving forward. Just a little bit more strength and he’ll be mobile. Right now he does a lot of rolling to get places. Also, he has his first tooth. So now you have to be careful when he grabs your finger and sticks it in his mouth. We are stuck in a deep freeze. Today’s high only around 11 degrees and tomorrow only 9 degrees with the night time temperatures below zero. These temperatures should stick around until the weekend before it gets closer to the normal for this time of the year. I even had a big surprise last night when I got home. Our drive way, side walks and deck were completely shoveled after the previous night’s snow. Cori’s boyfriend Justin came over and shoveled for us. I really appreciate this since I didn’t have to go out and do it after getting home from work. Thanks Justin!

Christmas 2008

It was a white Christmas here in Michigan and a beautiful time to celebrate our Lord’s birth. John, Becca, AJ and Cori were here on Christmas day for dinner. We opened gifts and watched AJ play with his toys.

We recieved around 18-20 inches of snow with in a week before Christmas. Then the Saturday after Christmas the temperature hit near 60 degrees with rain and most of the snow melted. So now it looks like spring after most of the snow melts but we know there is still 3 months of winter to go.

John got home on the 23rd and was able to stay until the 28th. He wanted to stay home longer but with the economy his company couldn’t guarantee he would get his dedicated route back. He did spend some quality time with Becca and AJ. He even added insulation in the attic of his house.

Andrew James spent the next afternoon with us while John and Becca took care of some work around the house. AJ is getting close to crawling. He gets up on his hands and knees but not quite the strength to move forward. He does a lot of rolling around but he can cover some ground this way. You have to keep an eye on him or he’ll roll into trouble.

Check out the photos from Christmas and the day after by clicking on the family photos link. Have a Happy New Year.

Becca and AJ Visit

Becca and AJ stopped by a few days ago for a visit before their trip out of town. They are heading to North Carolina to visit Becca’s aunt. They will be back before Thanksgiving. John should be home before Thanksgiving if all goes well on the road. Check out the lastest photos by clicking on the family photos link on the right.

Jamie’s Visit Day 2

Day 2 of Jamie’s visit we had a cook out. Roasted some corn on the cob in the grill then we did the steaks. Cori, Becca and AJ came over to have dinner with us. It was nice to have our nephew over for a few days and we talked about all the things he has been doing between working and finishing up his degree. He left this morning to head back home to West Virginia. He has a lot to do this week getting registered for his last semester of college then head to Maryland where he’ll be getting married next weekend. Here’s a picture of Jamie holding AJ.

AJ Spent the Night

John came home on Wednesday after 3 long weeks out on the road. So on Friday night we watched AJ all night so John and Becca could have some free time together. He is really growing more and his neck muscles are getting stronger. He sure was interested in our ceiling fans in the living room. Grandma Beth enjoyed this time getting AJ to laugh and talk back to her. Not sure what he was saying but he had a lot to say.

 

Becca and John came on Saturday afternoon and picked him up. Then a few hours later John was back on the road. The life of a truck driver, home for a few days and gone for weeks.

John Back on the Road

Yesterday John headed back out on the road truckdriving. He spent the last 1.5 weeks with Becca and AJ in West Virginia and a few days at their home. He really bonded with AJ who he only saw a few days prior to this time off. I talked to him this morning and he is missing AJ. This is the life of a truck driver. All we can do is pray that a route opens up in his company which will get him home more often.

Watoga State Park 2008

Just back from a week in West Virginia visiting Beth’s family. We enjoyed our time at Watoga State Park for the 5th year in a row. It was a fun and relaxing time being with family. No cell phones, TV or internet just family, love and conversation. Every night we gathered after dinner for some devotional time, singing and glorifying God. John spent the whole week bonding with AJ since he never had the chance because of his job. You could see his love growing for his son everyday. We met our great niece Audrey for the first time. It was very special to have both great grandchildren with Beth’s parents. Below is our family photo missing Dave, Jamie, Mathew, Brittany & Nathan which couldn’t make the trip and Cori who left the previous day. Check out the family photos for more pictures from the week.

Another visit from Becca and AJ

A couple of nights ago we had another visit from Becca and AJ. Boy, our grandson is really growing. He is starting to smile and getting alert about his surroundings. You can see him look when his mother enters the room. His eyes light up everytime Becca speaks. It is enjoyable and beautiful to watch them interact with each other. John is missing out on a beautiful time of AJ’s life. That is the life of a truck driver, out on the road for weeks at a time. He is getting ready to start a 1.5 week vacation to relax and be with his family. This will be a good time for the 3 of them. Here’s a picture of AJ with a big smile. Click on the family photos link to see more pictures of their visit.