Table Rock Lake 2014

We were thankfully able to go to Table Rock this year to get in a little vacation before baby #2 comes along.  It is a 7 hour car ride- we weren't too sure how Caden would feel about that!

Beginning of the car ride!- Turns out, he slept through most of it and did great!

First night on the boat with Aunt Katie

More boating with Aunt Katie

Caden's favorite thing to do was drive the boat with "Poppa"

Fell asleep at the wheel a few times

Hanging out with Grandma

Tuckered out after a long few days on vacation

Going down the water slide

Splashing in the pool with Dad

Trip to Bass Pro

Last night at the lake

Swinging with Aunt Katie

Last night relaxing with Poppa

Family picture

Caden's picnic outside

In Poppa's boat

In all of his beach gear!

Floating on the lake with Mom, Aunt Katie, and Lainey!

Driving Poppa's boat

Niabi Zoo! First trip to the Zoo

This past weekend (July 13, 2014), we decided to go to the Niabi Zoo near Moline, Illinois.  Uncle Robert, Aunt Brenda, and Gabe came along with Aunt Katie and us.  I wasn't sure how Caden would react- turns out, he loved it!  It is great for kids.  He got to feed a giraffe, feed goats, pigs, cows, fish, and watch Aunt Katie feed a Lorikeet!  

Aunt Katie and Caden with the giraffes

Giraffes ready to eat

Caden (with his bump on his forehead) and the giraffe

Caden feeding the giraffe some lettuce!

Aunt Katie and Caden

Gabe and Caden

Caden and the cow

Feeding the Sheep oats

Feeding the Goat

(We may have found some left over oats in Caden's mouth when we left the petting zoo!)

Another close up of the giraffe feeding

Caden and Gabe (15 months)

The end of the zoo!

Happy Birthday Caden (3 months later!)

We celebrated Caden's first birthday in Des Moines so that all of our family could join.  We were lucky that there were cousins in town as well!  Since he has a Monster room and all the accessories, we decided to stick with the theme for his birthday.  The cake and cupcakes turned out so cute and daddy did a great job carving a Monster watermelon!

We started the big day with birthday pancakes!! 

Caden's Monster Smash Cake

Caden's Truck he got from Grandma and Grandpa

Balloons!

More decorations

Tired birthday boy in his birthday shirt

We made frozen lemonade slushies!

Daddy's Monster Watermelon fruit bowl!

All the food!

Caden with Aunt Katie

Close up of the cupcakes and decorations

Caden's cake

Happy boy ready to eat some cake!

The frosting was a hit!  (Thanks for the crown Coelle!)

Almost gone!

Oh no!  Blue is everywhere!

Birthday boy!

So Big!!

Wow! In the last month Caden has started to do so many new things!! He talks so much, he crawls, he pulls himself up to stand, he can sit from crawling, and he eats table food with us!! 

Also, in the beginning of January we took him to his first wrestling meet!! 

Here is Matt and Caden at the front of Carver.

We also started putting him in a bigger, blow up tub.  After a rough first time, he loves it!  He splashes and crawls all over it!  Daddy has a hard time getting the bath done with this funny guy!

Mr. Independent loves feeding himself little bits of whatever we are having.  His favorites are mashed potatoes, venison, and daddy's scrambled eggs! 

Here is our little man crawling!! He started to take a few steps one day and the next he was zooming around the house- even the slippery floors couldn't stop him!  As Aunt Katie says, he goes in turbo speed!!

This also means he can get to places and get into things pretty fast! 

Loves his hats :)