It's official - our family is legal!!

We had our second parent adoption today and now Owen has two 'official' parents. As I said to Jen, "Congratulations....it's a bouncing baby boy....26 pounds, 30 inches long!" From the beginning, Jen has been the best mother ever and no piece of paper makes that any stronger but it is nice to have things legalized. It's sad that we have to go through all the extra hoops and expense but it is a great sense of achievement for us. I love my family. :) Here he is looking out the skyway at all the cars driving by.Owen, our little Bear, had his first go at Trick-or-Treating! We think he enjoyed it. Next year will be the better test. I don't know about you....but this is the cutest bear I've ever seen. RRROOOAAARRR!!!!!!!

He has no fear.

New design but nothing else is changing.....it will still be a good length of time between postings. :)

This is Owen at an indoor park today because it's been so rainy lately. I have to say he is completely fearless. The quality of the videos are not great because I took them on my phone. If you play them twice...it's better the second time. Still not good....but you'll get the idea:

It's been a while.....

Here are some new(er) photos for you. We've been super busy lately with not a lot of free time. Any free time we do have, is spent together in our daily routine.
Owen is getting big....fast! It breaks my heart! He is saying so much, understanding more and walking around like he owns the place.
Thanks to everyone who made Owen's first birthday so special! The thought put into all his gifts is amazing....like this fire truck from Cousin Ava. It is so Owen! I'm not sure who loves it more....me or Owen. :)

Owen turned ONE today!!!

Here is a video diary of Owen's first birhtday! September 3, 2007:

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO ON YOU TUBE...IT'S MUCH BETTER THAN WATCHING IT BELOW!

Thank god he's part country boy......

Hello! Thanks for being so patient with me. My laptop died so it's been more difficult making the time to update the blog. Normally I update while sitting in the living room watching the news or something but now, I have to actually sit at a computer which I do at work all day and don't feel like doing it when I get home.

We've been extra busy lately with summer activities. I'll start you off with some photos from our trip to Missouri to see the family. Owen LOVED the country. He got to ride a four wheeler, a horse, a golfcart and chase a cat around.He got to see his first real cow too on Grandpa Western's farm. Moooo (he's good at saying that). Here is a great shot of dad and Owen. At one point there were a ton of cows behind them but by the time we could get Owen to look at the camera only one and a half cows were left. Owen had lots of fun.

Grandma Bowers got Owen and Rigo their very own minature horse. Her name is Baby and she is little. You can tell just how small she is in the photo with Jen and Grandpa Bowers. Owen hasn't been on her because she will not be broken to lead until next summer. Should be fun for the boys.



Owen has been having the best first summer ever. Not only did he get to stomp the grounds that I used to when I was little but here in the city, he's been



going on walks,












trips to the park,

picnics,
and putting out fires.....






















These pictures were taken at Slice of Shoreview by Auntie Em and Uncle Boots. They took him to see goats, turtles and a sick baby kangaroo. He had lots of fun with them...as always and can't wait to see them again soon for a swim party!

Here are some current Owen facts:

-He pulls himself up to everything - one morning I was laying in bed and I heard him saying 'shoes' 'shoes' 'shoes'. So, I go into his room and he is standing up in his crib! Turkey! At that point and time, he thought his feet were shoes. He knows the difference now.

-He walks when you hold his hands...sometimes, he runs.

-He is saying so many words (not always on command though): hi, bye, balls, cars, shoes, shirt, tree

-Today, he picked up a picture of his cousin Caleb when he was just born. He pointed at him and said 'baby'.

-He tries to say everything you say including 'damn it' - no joke.

-He points to things and wants to know what they are called.

-He has 10 teeth, his eye lashes are getting longer and his eyes are getting bigger and more blue.

-It is less than one month before he is ONE YEAR OLD!!! I can't believe it.

-He LOVES his Grandma Pat's famous cheesecake (don't we all). I leave you with this evidence.........

Don't forget - you can double click on any of the pictures to enlarge them!

Owen, circa 1975?

If you are wondering...the sweatband says 'dodgeball'. I hope you get that it's supposed to resemble a Polaroid picture. I love this pic of him...it makes me laugh everytime. I know..I know...it's been entirely too long (over a month since I last posted). I just relocated to a new office that has a gallery space, workroom for our Committees and then my office. Not only that....I had a conference in South Beach for 4 days and then Jen flew down and we had a little vacation for 3 more days. Needless to say, it's been chaotic lately...leaving no blog time. Now on to the good stuff: Owen, his cousins and his new friends.

Since the last post, we've had a lot of summer fun with friends and family.

Brian and Nikki were in town for a wedding so, we got to spend an entire Saturday with our sweet little niece Ava. It was a nice treat for us all. Look at her dimply smile...too cute!





Look at the love...how sweet. Not only cousins but they are still best friends!

The following weekend my mom, Terra and nephew Rigo all came up from Missouri to hang out with Owen. Kris had a couple days off so they kept Owen during the day. I ended up taking some time off to spend with them while they were here. It kind of defeated the purpose but........


how could I resist this?



What a sweetheart. I wish that he lived closer so that him and Owen could grow up together. They had a lot of fun together even though Owen always wanted whatever Rigo was playing with at the time. Click on this photo of them playing to enlarge it...it is pretty funny.








Here is a pic of Owen hanging out in a hammock with his big cousin Kiana. Owen is excited because Kiana and her sister Kayla are coming over tomorrow to go swimming and to stay all night!

Enough with family business. Owen has a new little friend named Giancarlo! So sweet! Owen is really excited to see Giancarlo again soon.















Important Owen facts:

-While I was in Florida, Owen started pulling up
-While I was in Florida, Owen started crawling (sort of...he army crawls everywhere and fast)
-Tooth count: 8 and more on the way
-He says 'ka' when we watch the cars go by
-He looks up to the sky when you ask him where the airplanes are or when he hears one
-He holds his toy airplane up in the air and makes a motor noise (he does this only when I do it a million times first but he still does it!! He's a genius.)
-9 month check up: 23 pounds and 31 inches long
-He likes potatoes
-He's been swimming tons of times and LOVES it
-He will be 10 months old on Tuesday
-He is cute, sweet and laid back (perfect, really)

Owen, circa 1935?

I'm not sure they had 'I Love My Moms' t-shirts in 1935...but I think this is my all time favorite photo of the sweet boy (well, at least for this week). I took this photo not realizing that I had accidentally knocked my exposure off a couple of stops....it is completely overexpose but I wanted to take advantage of it. So I messed around in Photoshop and ended up with this older looking photo. Owen is sitting in a really cool antique bouncy seat that was a gift from Lisa in Missouri. Thanks Lisa - it fits Owen perfectly...in more ways than one!!

Look at these big blues (and no...I didn't enhance them in Photoshop...they are natural).

It's been a while since I've updated the blog....as usual. There has been lots going on lately with both work and in Owenville. Seems the days just fly by and there's always something that you wanted to do but didn't have time....like update the blog. Thanks Grandma for being so patient but........
we've had a lot of playing to do........and
...........playing to do.

Owen has been sitting up on his own for quite a while now. He only tips on occassion but if he is really focused on a toy, it doesn't even phase him. He's been doing the best thing lately - after a bath when we have him on his changing table...he pulls his towel over his face and waits for us to start the whole "where's Owen? has anyone seen Owen?" game. When the timing is just perfect (some times we have to ask the question at least 5 times), he jerks the towel down and giggles. He'll then do it again and again and again and again and again.........

We had the perfect weekend day yesterday. We all hung out, Owen took his nap, we played outside on a blanket and then Owen got to wear his new helmet and ride in his new bike seat. At first, he wasn't a fan of the helmet but after some adjustments and us explaining that we all have to wear helmets when we ride bikes, he was finally OK with it. It was a nice warm sunny day...we rode the bikes to the park and did a little swinging. It was a good day.

Not only did Owen get a new helmet and bike seat but he moved up to a big-boy car seat!! No more facing the back of the car....he sits tall and faces forward. He LOVES it! Sorry no pictures of him in his big-boy seat.

After Grandma Cindy left, Owen got really sick...the first time. He eventually got an ear infection and had to go to the doctor. That's ok because at almost 9 months old, that's not bad. Most kids battle a ton of different things during their first 9 months. Even when he's feeling miserable, he still tries to smile and be happy. It is so sweet. He's back in business now....happy and giggly all the time, eating tons and working on his vowel sounds (and sometimes 'esssss' not Y).

Today, I walked in the Minnesota AIDS Walk. It was cooooollllldddd and a little rainy but overall it was a great day! Our team, AIGA Minnesota, raised $5,685.00 (mostly thanks to Jay and Jim) and I personally raised $615.00, which made me third highest. A big THANK YOU to everyone who donated!! Your tax-deductible pledge will help support HIV education, advocacy and outreach efforts throughout Minnesota. We were #7 on the top 10 teams that raised the most money (there were only 7 of us total. Some companies had in excess of 50 team members and didn't raise as much as we did). Can't wait 'till next year....perhaps you could join us! Here's a picture of the AIGA Minnesota team (please excuse my ugly hat...but it was raining).










Happy Birthday today, Eric.

I miss you.

Hang Ten, Baby.....

Surf's Up.....here is the sweet boy modeling his new suimsuit that Grandma Cindy bought him. We can't wait to put it to use at the beach this summer. We hope he loves the beach as much as he loves to take a bath. Is he looking tall to you? He had a dr appointment the other day and weighed in at 22 pounds and was 29.75 inches long. He is in the 95th percentile and up for all categories. As a matter of fact the doctor said that based on his chart....if Owen continues at the rate he is going now, he will grow to 6 feet 2 inches. Only 44.25 inches to go....but I'm not counting because I want to keep him at 29.75 inches as long as possible. He's the perfect size for cuddling.




Here are a couple weekend shots:
waiting patiently for breakfast



and
on our way to a brunch with other families like Owen's.

Some Owen news:

Owen spent his first night away from his mommies! A couple Saturday nights ago, Owen stayed over night with his Auntie Em and Uncle Boots while we went out for sushi and to a musical. Guess who's asking to keep him again!

Grandma Cindy came into town last Thursday and has been hanging out with Owen. I think they are both LOVING each other's company. He lights up when he sees her...it's super cute. He's going to be sad when she leaves this coming Thursday. Actually, I'm not sure who is going to be more sad...him or Grandma.

Owen's new past time is swinging at the park.

Owen turns 8 months old this Wednesday. Hard to believe.

Happy Spring to everyone!

April Snow Showers Bring May Flowers?

Eventhough they are forecasting snow for tomorrow, Spring is officially here. We are looking forward to being outside with Owen.....walks around the lakes, picnics and smelling the flowers. We can't wait! One of his favorite things lately is watching all of the activity out our front window. He watches the trucks, cars, buses, motorcycles, airplanes, squirrels, birds and the occassional puppy. He loves it.

A couple weeks ago we had a super warm day. So, we decided to take Owen on another great outdoor adventure. We pulled out all the summer clothes, tried them on, packed our bags, grabbed a blanket and headed out. We hiked all the way out our front door, down three stairs to our front yard. :) A very big trip for a 7 month old. Anyway.... Owen became very excited when he felt the grass on his feet. It was so sweet. It will be so fun living only a couple blocks from two different swimming beaches. We are really looking forward to it.

We hope everyone had a nice Easter weekend. We certainly did! Uncle Tyler and his friend Jackie came up to visit. It was nice to just hang out with him. On Easter Sunday, we went to Jean and Terry's house for brunch. As usual, the food was incredible and the afternoon was enjoyable with the family. Owen was a hit....he was his charming self for everyone. It was a lot of fun!

Here is the sweet picture of Tess and Owen with the Easter Bunny. Thanks to Kris for taking them to meet Peter Cottontail and for giving us a 5x7 of this photo...it's going into his baby book for safe keeping once Spring is over.

Last weekend, Brian, Nikki and cousin Ava came into town. We all stayed at Grandma Pats and hung out. Ava and Owen are getting so big....they both played in the living room all by themselves! Ava is so sweet and likes to share toys with Owen....all the toys she can possibly share at once. Luckily, Owen loves to play with lots of toys all at once. Owen? Has anyone seen Owen?

While they were here, Ava took her first full crawl. She had been kind of crawling for a while now but she really put in motion at Grandma Pat's house. It was fun to see. Luckily, we caught it on video!

Eventhough we got to see Ava that weekend, we would have liked to celebrate her first birthday with her this past weekend. HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY to Ava Elizabeth Trudeau!

We would also like to say CONGRATULATIONS to Uncle Ty, Uncle Mike, Sophie and Ava on their new cabin on Shoal Lake in Wisconsin! We are so happy for you and can't wait to see Owen's new vacation home....I mean...your new cabin.

A couple Owen updates: 6 teeth and two more on the way; he is very close to sitting all by himself...getting stronger everyday.

I'll leave you with this sweet picture of Jen and Owen. It's dreamy. I could stare at it forever.

Stuntman's Mom Wins Design Award!!

Hello from one tired family! Owen is working on two more teeth (center upper). They are big and they are hurting him. He has been so whiney the past few days and not sleeping at all the past few nights....this means that we are all three up at all hours in the night.
We are hoping that those things break through some time soon so he has some relief. Even when he is in pain and discomfort, he is always trying to smile and be happy. That's my Owen! So sweet.

There has been lots going on lately. The most exciting lately is that Jen won a design award through the AIGA Minnesota's Annual Design Show of Excellence, which highlights the most exceptional design work being produced in the upper Midwest and showcases the power of design in today's culture.Seems fishy that it is my organization's competition and she just so happens to win? Well, the winners are selected by independent leading design professionals from across the country...I have nothing to do with it. It is strictly her talent!
Here are some screen shots of her winning designs. The link in the upper right of this page will be working soon.
I am so very proud of her......it really is a great honor in the local design community.

ROPE POWER WITH SOPHIE T.
Last night, Jen, Owen and I joined Uncles Mike & Ty and Ava to watch Sophie in a jump rope competition. Different schools compete against each other in all these neat jump rope activities. I know you might ask yourself, what the? but it was the coolest thing ever! These kids were so talented...especially Sophie! She was one of three kids from her school chosen to the double under...she was great!! Not only that, she was jumping rope on her knees. Very talented I tell you. We had a great time!

We hope that Owen is on the Rope Power team for his school. If not that, then we hope he is at least President of the Stunt Club because.......

he does all of his own stunts, you know.

Here is a sweet picture that I took of Uncle Ty and Owen at the Rope Power competition. He loves his Uncle Ty!


OK LADIES....HOLD YOURSELVES BACK because Owen is your man.














One quick story before I call it quits. Dennis sent me an email the other day that said he took Kiana and Kayla to the St. Patrick's Day Parade. On the way, 3-year old Kayla kept telling Dennis to put his seat belt on. Finally she told him that if he didn't put the seat belt on, that she was going to call 111 on him. I thought that was pretty funny! Until next time.....

Love to you all!