Calvin's Birthday

We celebrated Calvin's birthday a little while ago. He had been in San Francisco for the ASA conference.  This is 5 days of anesthesia refresher courses.  It makes for long days, but I think he enjoys them.  I opted not to go with him this year, mostly because I have been gone so much recently.  I just wanted to stay home for a little while.  But I did meet up with him in Sonoma after the conference.  We didn't have a big agenda, we just relaxed for a couple of days.  On Wednesday we celebrated his birthday by going to the beach for the day. We planned on going to Bodega Bay, but along the road we saw a turn off to Dillon beach.  Calvin was sure that he had been to Dillon beach as a child, so we went there instead.  Once we got there he didn't remember it at all, but it was a great location.  The weather was perfect. We had a picnic lunch on the beach. The water was too cold for swimming, but it was great for a walk along the beach.

Happy Birthday Honey!

Alice on her blessing day

The last weekend in September we got to have a partial family gathering for Alice's blessing.  We had all arrived by Saturday and because the weather was spectacular we had a fun beach day.  Butch, Peter and Rosie did a little surfing in the morning while the rest of us admired their skill from the beach.  Rosie and Peter had wet suits, but Butch braved the water without one! After surfing we went to another beach and joined Tim, Ann and Jesse Wright for a picnic lunch on the beach. 

After a great afternoon we met up at Rosie and Jay's house for dinner and archery.  The archery contest is getting more elaborate.  Let us just say that Jay was the winner and some of us, or at least one of us, ended up with negative scores.

Sunday morning we met at the church where Alice had a sweet, but short blessing, and after church we had session of picture taking to commemorate the event on the beautiful Santa Barbara chapel grounds.

Calvin and I didn't have our big camera, but we got right in the action with our phone cameras.  Here are a few of the highlights.

I'm sure there are better pictures of Rosie and Jay, but this was all about Alice.

Here are three generations of Roehr, Smith and Wright women.

And lucky Alice has both of her grandmothers around to love her.

Mother and daughter

Father and daughter

Alice's cute little feet

Peter and Roque looking adorable in a lovely setting.

After pictures we all met again at Rosie and Jays' home for a terrific lunch and more archery.  And then before the Colorado bunch left we had another brief time on the beach. I didn't have my camera, but in my mind's eye I remember them gathered together on the beach for a picture.  It was one of those moments you remember for a long time.  What a great family I have.

Garrett Smith Bordelon ... and a little bit of Clare

Garrett Smith Bordelon arrived Monday morning September 23, 2013.  I got to be in Alexandria a few days before he arrived and a few days after.  It is never long enough, but I did get to have a lot of fun with Clare while I was there.  Clare is a child with a great imagination and it is fun to see the way she thinks.  She was on a winter kick while I was there and dressed up in winter clothes consisting of two winter hats, mittens, a fluffy pink skirt, striped tights and snow boots.  After she was dressed she would announce to all "Winter's coming."

Here are a few more Clare pictures

Here are Sarah and Clare at the park the day before Garrett was born or Sarah's last day of pregnancy.

And here is little Garrett through the nursery windows just a few hours after birth, relaxed and enjoying life.

He likes to stretch out.  Here he is at home, still relaxed and happy, sleeping through a diaper change.

And he is welcomed by family members.

And the Bordelon Family through a smudged lens.

Welcome Garrett.  You have come to a wonderful family.  We are so glad you finally arrived.