Alex Goes to Michigan

Our trip to Michigan was a wonderful and much-needed time of rest, relaxation, and special moments with family. We arrived late Christmas Eve, tired from our trip and from all of the excitement of the past few days.

The next morning, we opened stockings and presents around the tree. Alex got some new books, a set of blocks, clothes, a ball, and a really cool riding truck!

But one of the most special gifts, and one that he will cherish for years to come, was a stocking lovingly made by his Nyanya.

My Aunt Cindy and her family joined us for Christmas dinner later that day.

Alex was worn out from all the excitement!

Alex enjoyed meeting more of his relatives during our trip -- including Great Grandmother and Great Grandaddy Clutter...

...Uncle Matt...

...and Great Grandma and Great Grandpa "B" (honorary great-grandparents).

He also enjoyed playing the piano...

...going to see the elaborate electric train at the Henry Ford Museum...

...pulling pens out of Babu's pocket...

...and going with Babu up to the front for Kids Time at church on Sunday morning.

Rusty and I enjoyed taking advantage of the free babysitting and actually went on a date -- out to dinner and to see a movie ("We Are Marshall" -- highly recommend it!). We were, of course, thoroughly spoiled by Mom's delicious home cooking, and the cookie trays that seemed to magically appear at the end of every meal!

It was hard to say goodbye, but we look forward to the next time we can all be together, whenever that may be!

Christmas in Portland

We had a nice Christmas in Portland with Ronda, Robbie, and Johnny. We celebrated on Dec. 23rd because Rusty, Alex, and I had to leave for Michigan on the 24th. Good thing Santa makes special early deliveries! The weeks leading up to Christmas were full of all kinds of special experiences for Alex...

...like helping pick out the Christmas tree...

...and meeting Santa Claus! He wasn't too sure about the stranger in the red suit with the long, white beard, which is why Rusty is in the picture too!

Christmas morning was a special time. Alex was a little too young to be Santa's helper and pass out presents this year, but he did let us take his picture wearing a Santa hat. He got lots of cool new toys, and a HUGE stocking (as in, he could have crawled inside it!) stuffed with all kinds of goodies. But he seemed more interested in the paper and bows! It is truly magical experiencing Christmas through the eyes of a child.

Nine Months Old

Alex was nine months old on November 28th. Where does the time go? He is crawling like a champ, pulling up on anything vertical (furniture, lamps, pant legs), and cruising. He has developed a fascination with shoes. Seriously -- put the kid in a room with a bunch of really cool toys and a pair of old dirty shoes, and he will go for the shoes every single time! I've decided I'm not going to spend any money on toys for this child since he's just as happy to play with my sneakers. What are grandparents for anyway?

Since this month was really busy with Thanksgiving and my parents' visit, I didn't get around to doing a photo shoot with Alex. So, just enjoy the photo montage below (courtesy of my Dad, who took all of these pics)!

Nyanya and Babu Visit Portland

My Nyanya and Babu came to visit me in Portland for two weeks in November. It was great to see them again after so many months. This time, I could actually play and interact with them. We had a lot of fun together. Here are some pictures from their time in Portland.

Nyanya and I read books. . .

. . . and played the piano together.

Babu let me try on his really cool Indiana Jones hat!

We played on the floor together.

On day, we went to OMSI to see the special "Star Wars" exhibition. Daddy and I had our picture taken with Chewy. He's really tall and hairy. Chewy, I mean.

And Babu posed next to Darth Vader.

And Nyanya, Mommy, and me posed with Princess Leia, R2-D2, and C-3PO.

I was fascinated with the huge marble run.

Also, while Nyanya and Babu were in Portland, we celebrated my first Thanksgiving. We had a big family dinner in the fellowship hall at the Eastside church with relatives from both Mommy's and Daddy's sides of the family. I tried turkey and pumpkin pie for the first time, and I also ate lots of mashed potatoes and gravy and Mommy's rockin' sweet potato casserole!

My great-grandma Nadine celebrated her 80th birthday while Nyanya and Babu were here. We had a big birthday bash at the Metro church. Here's a picture of four generations that was taken at her party.

Stay tuned for pictures from my trip to Michigan in December!

Mirror Image

Oh, the fascination a simple mirror provides!

Eight Months Old

I turned eight months old on October 28th. Since my 8-month birthday was so close to Halloween, my mommy decided to do my photo shoot in my Superman costume. Aren't I cute? I wore my costume to the Harvest Party at church, and then on Halloween, I got dressed up in it again and went trick-or-treating with my mommy and daddy. Only I didn't get to eat the candy I got this year. I didn't think that was very fair, but I enjoyed chewing on my cape.

This month, I finally learned to crawl! Now I can go places and explore and get into all sorts of trouble! I also started pulling up to a standing position. The view is great from up high. I am doing better at feeding myself, too. I like munching on rice crackers and picking up cereal with my fingers. This month, I also had my first shots, and I was so brave -- I hardly cried at all.

Alex Meets an "Old" Friend

Last week, Roxanna and Baby Sophie came to Portland to visit. It was fun getting Alex and Sophie together again after so many months. The picture below was taken at Holiday Fair at Cascade. They also went to the Harvest Party at Metro Church sporting their darling Halloween costumes. Click here to visit Roxanna's blog and see more pictures of the two of them together!

Alex Pulls Up!

So proud of himself!

Pumpkin Carving

We carved our pumpkins last Friday afternoon after school. Jessica, a classmate of Robbie and Johnny's, held Alex so I could take a few pictures.

Rusty thought his pumpkin had great acoustical qualities!

Ronda asked us to get her the weirdest looking pumpkin we could find. So we got one that was covered with warts!

The finished product. The big one is Rusty's, the medium-sized one is mine, and the little one is Alex's. Note the single tooth carved into the smile!

From the top: Robbie's, Ronda's, and Johnny's. Johnny actually carved his name into his pumpkin. Quite an intricate design.

Alex Visits the Pumpkin Patch

We went to the Pumpkin Patch hosted by the Vancouver Church of Christ to pick out our Halloween pumpkins. It was a perfect fall day, warm and sunny. Alex helped us choose a pumpkin for each member of the family, including a small one for himself! But I think Mama will have to help him carve it! He loved sitting on the hay bales and playing with the bright orange pumpkins.

Alex also tried hay for the first time! After much deliberation, he determined that he would leave the hay to the horses and stick to foods like sweet potatoes and applesauce. But it sure was fun to play in.

I love fall! And I love watching my baby explore and learn about the world around him!

Mary E. Campbell

Mary E. Campbell, born September 17th, 1942 of Aaron B. Stanes and Luella M. Falk, went to Heaven at 12:37 a.m. in her home, Oct. 3, 2006. With her son, daughter, three grandchildren, and daughter-in-law at her side, she went peacefully after suffering from a glioblastoma multiforme brain tumor found June 28, 2006.

Mary's passion, besides her family and her faith, was teaching. She became part of the Portland public school system in 1981. She was a well-known substitute teacher in many school districts throughout Oregon. She touched the lives of many children, especially those with special needs or those that just needed a hug. She was always willing to help in any way she could, whether with food, money, clothing, shelter, or spiritual uplifting.

Mary was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Johnny R. Campbell. She is survived by her daughter, Ronda Stefan; her son, Rusty Campbell and daughter-in-law, Laura Campbell; and her three grandsons, Robbie Stefan, Johnny Stefan and Alexander Campbell, all of Portland. She is also survived by four brothers, Ronald Starnes of Lewiston, Idaho; Kenneth Starnes of Manson, Manitoba; Lyle Starnes of Dechard, Tenn.; and Willis Starnes of Irving, Texas.

Services were held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, 2006 in the Eastside Church of Christ, 9030 N.E. Glisan Street, Portland.

Donations in Mary's honor should be made to Columbia Christian Academy or the Johnny and Mary Campbell Endowment Fund for Handicapped Students at Cascade College.

(The above obituary was written by Ronda and appeared in the Oregonian on Friday, October 6th.)

Seven Months Old

I am seven months old and just as cute as can be. I weigh 20.5 pounds (nearly triple my birth weight) and am 27 inches long. I am in the 95th percentile for weight and the 75th percentile for height. My mommy and daddy can't believe how big I am getting. Our shipment with my 6-9 month size clothes got here just in time. I was about to bust out the seams on all my 3-6 month clothes!

I love trying new foods, playing with my rubber duckies in the bath, watching "Sesame Street," and cheering for my cousins at their soccer games. They are the star players on their team. I want to be just like Robbie and Johnny when I get big. I can push up into a crawling position now, and I know I am supposed to be able to go places on my hands and knees, but I am having a hard time figuring out how to coordinate everything. Sometimes I get really frustrated, so I just start yelling. Then my mommy or daddy comes and rescues me.

Alex Meets Miss Earline

This dear lady, from the church Rusty used to work for in Mississippi, was in Oregon recently visiting her cousin who lives in the area. We met up for lunch one day at Beaches, a restaurant on the Columbia River. Earline enjoyed the distinctive honor of being the first person from "down South" to hold and play with our little munchkin. So good to see you, Earline!