Water Boy

We loved our trip to Iowa but it's always good to return home and revert to a normal routine...oh, and I suppose it's okay to see Brian too! He won't be on travel for a while (YAY) but is still busy as usual. Currently, he's enrolled in Staff Academy, which is a 6-week course designed to help Staff Sergeants learn how to be good NCO's. It's a step back in time for him since they have group formations, rooms in the barracks, and regular inspections. He's studying for a big test tomorrow in his barracks room right now. Barracks...how funny. Two weeks down, four to go.

One of Cade's favorite books (About trucks, of course)


Caden had his 18-month appointment today and his development is on track. He has said a few more words, including "bapa" for Grandpa. That made Grandpa Bob feel on top of the world. His nap schedule is completely out of whack so I hope that remedies itself soon. I'm not ready for my 19-month-old to forgo naps.

As for the title of this blog, we've been spending a lot of time at the pool and he's becoming a fish. He learned how to blow bubbles and charges in waist deep, no fear. When he jumps into the "big" water, he prefers that I get out of his way. Um, you're not quite THAT good yet, buddy. He plays a game where he lines up, says "Ee, ee, go," and then races into the water. Michael Phelps, here we come.



Catching some rays and maybe some hot babes

Grandma Bernitta gives Caden a run for his money

Good thing we have a Dyson.

He insisted on wearing his JD hat to bed...?!

Abby and Jason Carlin flew out here last week for a DC vacation, Geraghty style. It was a jam-packed week and I tagged along and played tourist too, hitting all the monuments, the Holocaust Museum, and Mount Vernon. We watched the Olympics every night and ate our weight in ice cream. I think the funniest part of the week was when the MP at the gate mistook Jason for a Marine and said "Ooorah Staff Sergeant." Jason was confused, to the say the least.

Perfect tourist picture of Staff Sergeant and Abby

Cademonster enjoys the World War II Memorial

What a gorgeous day

Me, Ab, and Abe

Summer Vacation

We're still in Iowa but the trip is quickly coming to a close. What a nice vacation. The only downer happened the night I wrote the last blog...I caught the flu. The nasty bug delayed our departure to Cedar Rapids but at least Caden didn't catch it. On a positive note, we got to see my dear friend Emily from England as we passed through Des Moines, which is a rare opportunity. Yay!

I could describe our week in Cedar Rapids best with one word: WEDDING. Shannon and Dane's wedding is fast approaching and we spent the week making her invitations, organizing her address list, and selecting decorations. I never thought I'd see the day that Pat would sit and assemble wedding invites. Tedious work and late nights, but we had a lot of laughs.

Don't crush the kitty, LOVE the kitty...


Uncle Dane says nothing runs like a Deere


Happy Hour at the Hasleys complete with drinks and bar stools


Heather and I hosted Shannon's bridal shower on the 19th (Pat & Pam's 39th wedding anniversary). Pam watched all five kids (God bless her) while Heather and I went shopping Wednesday to gather the remaining supplies. Cooking for 30+ people with five kids running around...EXHAUSTING. But Heather is a delight to work with and Allie and Gabrielle are willing helpers.

The hard work paid off as the shower went beautifully. City Hall proved to be an ideal location as nobody saw the disaster we left at Heather's, ha! My face ached by the end of the day from smiling. I think the best part was quizzing Shannon about Dane. We'll say she passed, even though she didn't know how many points are on his buck on the wall. Whoops.

Shannon got a few gifts


Yay sisters! (Heather, Shannon, Me)

Aunt Sheila, Shannon, and Grandma Geraghty

We asked Caden to give Aunt Cindy and Bella hugs...so he hugged the cement instead.


After the shower, Caden and I zipped back to Avoca and have been on the go ever since, including Klindt family pictures, a few days with my sister, tons of dinners and visits with friends and family, and a trip to the zoo.

Grandma and Grandpa Klindt with all the greats

Be my friend, goat? Not on your life, kid.


Found the ONLY puddle at the entire zoo

Kicking back in his sweet ride

Waiting for the zoo train

Caden handled the traveling well, with just a few sleepless nights. He talks a lot now and his favorite words are currently baby and please ("peees!"). He has a truck book that he makes us read about 10 times a day, which is not an exaggeration. He would ride the tractor, the Honda, and the lawnmower all day if he could and he voices his opinion when we stop. He likes to play in the water hose and is already a runner in training. He makes up his own starting line, says ready-set-go ("eee...eee...go!"), and then races to an arbitrary location, generally diving into a down comforter.

Homeless?


Teasing Great Grandma Klindt

Grandma Goettsch's standard flower tour via golf cart


Survived Aunt Cindy's haircut, and Kenna approves

Shucking 15 dozen ears of sweet corn makes Grandpa Bob crazy

That's mine, Grandma Pam! (Brian does this too)

Brian is anxious to see Caden's new tricks. His 2 weeks in Fort Huachuca were stressful, but he did enjoy one weekend in Flagstaff and was pleasantly surprised at how much he liked it there. He competed in the Mountain Man Triathlon and placed 10th overall and 2nd in his age group, which ranks as his best placing yet in a big race.

Thank to everyone that hosted us for meals or overnight stays. I regret that even with all the running around we've done, there are still people we've missed. We'll be in Iowa again soon so perhaps we'll catch some of those people then.

Iowa Farm Boy

Caden and I arrived in Iowa last Saturday. I was nervous flying by myself with him but we took some advice from friends and stocked up on new toys, snacks, and lollipops. The second we sat down, he kicked the seat in front of as hard as he could (yep, he was the annoying kid on the plane) but I did my best to keep him corralled. He was a very good boy but it's still a lot of work keeping a toddler entertained for TWO "church services" in a row.

Wow, it's GREAT to be home. Caden had no problem going to my parents and has adjusted to the new environment seamlessly. It helps that my parents stocked up on toys, a new slide, and swings. I miss having SPACE. Caden runs to his little hearts content. It's quite apparent that he's a farm boy at heart. He found Uncle Jeff's old pedal tractor immediately and requires rides on the Honda daily. Grandpa finally had the opportunity to give him a ride in his tractor. Now every time he starts it up, Caden comes running, arms outstretched, wanting a ride.

Go fast, Mom


BIG ride


Right at home


My Dad wanted to take him to the fair so we hit up the Shelby County Fair in Harlan last night. Caden ran from one tractor to another and wanted to hitch things together. (I'm not sure what his fascination is with that? He constantly insists that we hitch wagons and trailers to his little trucks.) We didn't do any rides but he splashed in the duck pond. Then we watched a long parade with a ridiculous amount of candy. Every time I turned around, Grandma was unwrapping a piece for him. He didn't understand the concept at first and threw the candy back at the floats. He liked the noisy fire trucks best.

Oooo a hitch


Proud Grandma and Grandpa with their farm boy

We need a leash for this kid

Caden, how many suckers have you had? 2? 3?!

Brian has a very busy week at work preparing for his program's annual review, so he admitted that it was a good time for us to be out of town. He is flying to Fort Huachuca this morning and will be there for a couple weeks. He has planned two triathlons, including one on base tomorrow and a road trip to Flagstaff next weekend. I'm not terribly disappointed about missing races in the Arizona heat.

We hope you had a nice Fourth of July. Ours was low-key as Brian had to work duty at the celebration and it rained. We BBQed with our friends the Altizers. Caden wasn't enchanted with the sparklers and mostly wanted to play in the mud instead. Maybe next year.

We're off to Cedar Rapids tomorrow and will spend the week with the Hasley's and the Geraghty's. I mentioned the floods in my last blog. Pat's business is rebuilding amazingly fast. Regarding the flooded apartments, they've decided to hold off on doing anything for now, so we'll see what the future holds.

Hope to see you before we leave August 6!

Floods and More Races

I'm sure by now everyone knows about the flooding that has overtaken much of Iowa. Several out-of-state people have inquired as to how our families are doing back home. We appreciate the inquiries.

Brian's family in Cedar Rapids are battling the aftermath of the severe flooding. His parents own some apartments in the downtown Cedar Rapids area that they rent out. The flood destroyed virtually everything on the first floor. Pat's company was also submerged. He has been spending every day there cleaning up and then heading to the apartments at night. The school Pam teaches at escaped serious damage, but all the homes of the teachers and students were not so fortunate. Over 38,000 people are homeless. They have had help from volunteers, the National Guard, and local residents. With their hard work, they were able to save one city well and the hospital. Needless to say, there is a lot of work left and it will take years to recover.

Pat and Pam own that green house in the background


Pat and Pam and Heather and Matt are at a crossroads in determining what to do. Board up the apartments? Take out another loan and rebuild? It's a tough decision and financially it's a complete loss either way. They're tired and stressed, but also refreshingly hopeful and forward-thinking. Their faith has obviously played a huge part in acceptance. Please keep them in their prayers, as well as all the other residents affected by the floods throughout the Midwest.

As for us, we're doing just fine. Caden entertains us with his creative modes of play. Last night, he ran between rooms and one-by-one, stacked matchbox cars on our ottoman. Why...we have no idea. He drinks from a cup easily and far prefers that, even if it does mean pouring milk down his shirt. He has learned how to give Daddy "knuckles" and he says a new word, "outside." He points at things constantly and repeatedly asks "is that?" I think he just likes to hear us respond. He also hoards his pacifiers and switches them out.



I'm not sure about this pool business...


...but give me a rain puddle any day!


Father/son moment


Brian competed in the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon on Sunday. It was a last minute decision but we're glad we went. It is one of the biggest triathlons in North America with approximately 4,000 triathletes (including pros) and thousands of spectators to cheer them on. Brian placed 4th in his age group and 26th overall out of ~1,900 male amateurs with a time of 2:06:15. His top-five placing qualified him for the USA Triathlon National Age Group Championship in Portland this September. Wow. For the most part, the race went smoothly, although he almost fell in the bike transition area and he was furious with his run performance. Every race is another learning experience and another step closer to his goals.





The race took place in the heart of Philadelphia. It was my first time there and I enjoyed seeing some new sights. We ate at a unique diner at the Reading Terminal Market and viewed the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Caden was incredibly overstimulated by the end of the long day, but he survived and so did we. Honestly, I would not exactly volunteer for those road trips every weekend but it was fun to watch Brian compete in such a big race. (I just didn't enjoy navigating by myself in an unfamiliar city, fighting thousands of bystanders with a hyper toddler!)

That darn bell is still cracked


As for me, I ride my road bike twice a week and recently purchased clipless pedals and bike shoes. It's almost like I'm a real cyclist now! I tried them out this morning and half fell only once. It was one of those moments where you right yourself and then look around sheepishly to see if anyone was watching.

I ran the 5K "Run Amuck" here on base with Angel and Brandee last Saturday. The race course included obstacles like tires, pipes, hay bales, fake barbed wire, some nasty steep hills, and a mud pit. It's a good thing the three of us grew up in the country and don't mind a little dirt. I think my favorite part was making the t-shirts beforehand. We spent two days making them and the resulting product was glorious.

Whew, that's DEEP

Chicks from the Stix Dig Mud

Angel's misspelling is not helping the "back country" stereotypes for Missouri folks

Caden is waking up from his LONG afternoon nap. I think he is still recuperating from our Philly trip this weekend. Take care and maybe I'll see some of you soon. We fly out in less than 2 weeks. Call my Mom if you need an exact countdown!