:: Funny Faces with Brogan ::

So I was attempting to reupholster a chair this past weekend and to keep Brogan safe, I put him in the pack 'n play. I don't think he really wanted to be in there and he started making these faces with his mouth smushed way up against the netting. I had to grab my camera and start snapping pictures and this video... i hope you all laugh as hard as I did!!!!

When babies look beyond you and giggle, maybe they're seeing angels.
~Eileen Elias Freeman, 1994

:: Uncle Calebs 1st Varsity Football Game ::

Well its football season again!! The air is getting crisp and cool, and the leaves will soon begin to change! THIS IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE time of the year! We made it to Caleb's 1st varsity football game against Grand Ledge. It was fun! Since Buddy is all done with College ball now, mom has to find someone else to cheer loud for, even if they are bulldogs....... ;) (had to put that in there! Red and black for life! GO FALCONS!) We couldn't stay till the end because Brogan was getting cranky but here are some pictures while we were at the game!

There's Caleb number 45

Having a stare down between grandpa and "the bean"

Always Smiles!!!!

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. ~Albert Camus

: Hudsonville Fair ::

Buddy's Grandpa Kooiker is on the fair board in Hudsonville! So when fair time comes around we get to hang out there all week! Its really neat! Buddy's cousins raise pigs and auction them off in the pig auction, and there is good food, carnival rides, off road and demolition derby's and Dirtbike racing!

Here's some pictures of us throughout the week!

::Brogan and Elizabeth::

Showing off his new standing trick!

Favorite quote of the fair: Elizabeth after trying to hold Brogan on the chair "Wheww he's just too strong for me" (Elizabeth 2 1/2 Born January 14th almost exactly 2 years apart!)

Mom' even got daring and let Dad take Brogan on the Carosel- He wasn't too sure of everything and neither was I haha. Here's some pictures and a video!

They also had a lot of other animals at the fair, pigs, horses- all kinds, cows, lambs, and these cute little goats! Just Brogan's size!
Our favorite part of the week was the motocross races! Brogan was just consumed with them!( as you can see in all of the pictures he didn't want to look at anything else) He loved them! He liked to watch them go around and around and over the jumps, those guys got pretty high!

Just Look at those Baby BLUES!!

What a great week to have before Buddy headed back to school on Sunday!

"You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at their parents every time around-- and why her parents will ALWAYS wave back "

-William D Tammeus

:: "Big, Tall, and full of Brains " ::

Sorry I haven't posted in a while for those of you that follow this! We took Brogan to his 6 month appointment 2 weeks or 3 weeks ago now :( didn't think i was that far behind! oops! And anyways we finally got Brogan's growth chart for percentiles!

Head 46 cm- off the charts HAHAHAHA awe shoot we love our big bald headed boy!
Weight 20.0 lbs- 95%tile
Length 27 1/2 in- 90%

SO all in all he, in the word's of Dr. J'Amiee is "Big, Tall, and full of Brains "

we love him!! He's doing so well lately! He's been waving a little bit and moving all over the place! He loves walking while holding your hands and just giggles and laughs the whole time. Its a full bodied full belly HAHA too! We have been blessed with the cutest, most content, beautiful baby boy! Now i'm just being the bragging mother, BUT ITS TRUE! I don't know how we got so lucky!

"I don't know why they say ' You have a baby!' , The Baby has you!- Gallagher

:: First Trip to the Zoo::

On Sunday we went to John Ball Zoo! I have spent so many years coming to the zoo now its fun to take Brogan! He was a lot more interested than i thought he was going to be. It was a perfect day for it. The first Animal that Brogan really noticed was the Chimpanzee's. They were close to the glass so they were easy for him to see and notice the movements. He also enjoyed the "Walk with the Wallabies" where the wallabies could actually come down and walk around by you!

Brogan also LOVED the petting Corral.. he got to touch a cow, and goats, and pygmy goats! Here's some pictures and a video!

The zoo has gone through quite a few renovations in the past couple years, and it is awesome now! They have a little pool with sting rays in it that you can touch and feed! And they just opened the new LION exhibit! Though they do have the same 'ole favorites like the waterfall!

******************What to NEXT******************

All in all it was a great day and enjoyed by everyone!!! And before we left we had to take a group picture at the Statue!!!

:: Kooiker Family Reunion ::

Saturday was another busy day for us! We had the Kooiker family reunion!! That's Buddy's Mom's side of the family! It was held at Buddy's cousin Erica's House which was BEAUTIFUL! They had so many activities for everyone there! There was a very large pond with a raft and paddle boats for swimming and riding on, Horses, bags, dirt bikes, and of course lots of FOOD! AND THE WONDERFUL CORN :) Everyone made fun of how much i ate :) IT WAS REALLY GOOD! haha

All the guys playing a Horseshoe tournament

Brogan and Cousin Elizabeth swimming in the pond

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Now this next set of pictures was SO funny...

Buddy being nervous that the horse is going to bite Brogan's hand while trying to take a picture of the three of us

Brogan not looking....

The Horse trying to eat my hair and me laughing hysterically because its breath was tickling me, again Buddy Nervous

Finally a good picture of the "4" of us

::My Cowboy::

My little cowboy

Brogan playing with the girls, he ran right into them in his walker!

Saying Goodbye to baby Jude

It was a very FUN but long day, with more to come tmr....!