Caleb sure is having a social week! After Alex's birthday on Saturday, we had Rina, Carl, and Mattias over for a bbq on Sunday evening. We hadn't seen them since their moving day, so it was really nice to catch up. The two boys hadn't seen each other in ages since Mattias was with his grandma on the day that they moved. Caleb was so excited that he didn't eat his dinner very well because he just wanted to play. Since he's normally such a good eater, we weren't too worried about it! We barbecued hamburgers (Caleb later loved his!) and Rina and Carl brought over a delicious salad and dessert. After dinner Caleb and Mattias played for a bit longer before Caleb had his bath and was off to bed. There are photos of the boys in the August folder. We were able to finally see Rina's photos from Greece - I definitely want to go one day - and we heard all about their rental house in Nanaimo. They have a fantastic flyer outlining all the features and showing great photos. It is such a cute little house; they'll have no problem renting it out.
Caleb is growing so fast! I know that I've probably neglected updating you all on his progress over the past little while. He's stands on his own for quite a while now and we're pretty sure he'll be walking soon; he walks all over the house with his walker and is getting really fast at it. His 'vocabulary' has expanded greatly and he really enjoys singing along with us; he also learned to scream after being around all the kids at Alex's party (great!). For mealtimes he's eating more and more of what we are having and he really enjoys the independence of feeding himself (with his hands). His newest skills include clapping and using sign language to indicate when he wants milk, daddy, or mommy. He also points at everything wanting to know what it is called and is in the routine of giving good-night kisses to all his toys (and mommy and daddy). I can't believe that he'll be a year-old soon - I'm already planning his party!

Half-Way Point

Well, we're half-way through summer and, for the most part, it's been great. The Bard-B-Q was fantastic. We saw Taming of the Shrew and it was hilarious. They used a Western theme for the play and, although still in Shakespearean English, they spoke with southern drawls. It was amazing! In the intermission we had a great salmon bbq and following the play we were directed to a private seating area where we had coffee and dessert while watching the Celebration of Light Fireworks (Canada performed). The next morning we helped Rina and Carl move to their new place (closer to us!). On Tuesday, we had the great news that Kris and Claudine welcomed their newest addition, Amelie, into the world. We went to see them in the hospital on Wednesday and everyone was doing great. That evening, we went to Jessica's to see China's fireworks show. She has the perfect roof-top balcony to view the fireworks as she looks right out onto English Bay.
The following weekend, I set off for a surf weekend with the girls. We left on Friday and it was pretty difficult for me as it was the first time I've been away from Caleb. Although I knew he was in Charles's capable hands, it was still pretty tough for me to say goodbye (even though it was only for three nights!) Mandy, Cori and I drove to the ferry together where we met up with Kelly and Christina. Cristi, Laura, and Suzanne caught an early morning ferry and were already at the house in Ucluelet when we got there. We had surf lessons through Bruhwiler Surf School on Saturday and Sunday mornings for about three hours. By the end of day two, we were all very comfortable with and somewhat addicted to surfing! I can't wait to do it again (perhaps in a warmer climate next time!). We were provided with wet suits which kept us warm and the weather remained dry throughout the weekend; the afternoons were actually quite sunny. We headed home on Monday afternoon and, despite having our ferry break down, driving to a different terminal, waiting in line for hours, barely getting on the 4:30 ferry, and redocking once we reached Horseshoe Bay due to a broken ramp, we eventually made it home.
Since then we've been kind of laying low. I was so happy to see my little family again that I just wanted them to myself for a while! We did go to Kris and Claudine's for an impromptu bbq a couple of days ago. Amelie alternated between eating and sleeping while we were there and Caleb had a great time playing with Alex and his toys.
Last night we received the sad news that Grandpa Larson passed away. He had been in the hospital for about a week and was apparently rested and peaceful when he died. Cindy had gone in to see him that morning, shaved him, and put on some music for him to listen to. After a full life of 100 years, he was ready to go. We all love and will miss him greatly. Will Yogi Yorgensen ever sound the same again?
Today we're getting ready to celebrate Alex's second birthday and Rina, Carl, and Mattias are coming over for dinner tomorrow. After that, who knows...?