Madeline got to celebrate her first birthday 2 times — first in Nebraska with grandma Cheryl, grandpa Bernie, and aunt Taylor — and then again the next week in Austin with grandma Sue, grandpa Ralph, grandma Michele, and grandpa Mike.

Madeline exited for her birthday party in Nebraska!

Madeline’s first experience playing dolls

Madeline with Grandpa Bernie

Aunt Taylor made chocolate & white cupcakes

Madeline with Jen’s cousin Barbie

Madeline with her great-aunt Shirley

Al & Ev Armstrong

Maddie’s bath water was chocolate flavored

Mustachioed in preparation for the Beard & Mustache contest

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You know what is great about having a kid? Unconditional love – sure. No, the BEST part is getting to expose your child to all the highlights you remember from your own childhood. At least, that’s my take on it.

Maddie is most definitely a summer baby. She absolutely loves being outdoors, playing in any body of water and popsicles.

Oh, the popsicles! Where have you been all my life!

Don’t ever take a popsicle away from a baby, dad!

As mentioned, Maddie takes to water with ease. Mommy and Maddie visited one of the splashpads around town. A splashpad is a concrete pad with built-in sprinkler-like apparati. Mads had THE best time and really enjoyed being around other little kids. She crawled around so much, her little knees were red. Poor girl. I don’t think she minded, though.

Water baby!

It’s a little sick how much I do enjoy getting Maddie to mimic me. I guess I still equate her ability (her brilliant, brilliant ability) to that of an abnormally smart beagle. No, I didn’t just say my daughter is a dog – although she does eat food off the floor if she finds it – I mean to say it delights me when she shows me that she is learning how to be a human. (Awww…she thinks she’s people!)

To date, she’s registered her disgust with something by making that “ucch!”sound in the back of her throat (something I didn’t realize I did that often until I heard it parroted back to me by a 10 month-old. She’s not shy about giving us all a “ta-da!” after crawling through her Ikea tunnel. However, my favorite to-date is how she gives a big, satisfied, “Ahhh,” after taking a drink – real or pretend. Here’s yet another adorable video:

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For her big number one birthday, Maddie received the cutest red and white Ybike from Grandma and Grandpa Kinney. If you’re like me and have no idea what a Ybike is, it’s a little trike…in a sort of “y” shape. It’s much cooler than that description. The most important thing is that Maddie is enamored of it and is just itching to get on that thing and ride, ride, ride! She has the whole swinging her leg over the saddle thing down pat and even knows she needs to push herself along with her feet…if only her feet reached the ground. Since she’s just a wee, little thing, she’s missing a couple of inches of height until she can really make use of the Ybike. No matter, she has her own way of enjoying this cute toy. Just see for yourself:

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Rock County, Nebraska is celebrating its Quasquicentennial (125 years) June 13-16, 2013. One of the highlights of the festivities was the “125 Years of Sandhills Heritage” parade on Saturday.

The parade was started by an flyover by a local cropduster. Word on the street was that he was applying an arial topdressing of superphosphate mixed with a medium 25-47 dose of mosquito repellant. Whatever the actual concoction, it seemed to work well: the parade immediately showed more hardy vigor and had a brighter sheen.

Cub Scouts & Boy Scouts serving as color guard

There were numerous floats, including a number for the classes celebrating reunions at the event. Here is Al Armstrong who went on to win audience favorite at the mustache and beard-growing contest. Note Al’s duck dynasty t-shirt, which is actually a self-portrait.

Teresa & Jacie B.

This float won “most creative” by a huge margin in audience voting.

Following their appearance in the parade, the “Class of 83” broke ranks and re-entered the parade as the “Class of 38”. Following this appearance, they broke ranks again only to re-enter the route again, this time as the “Ass of 38”.

Chris B.

Jen, Cheryl and Bernie decorated one of the American Broadband (nee Huntel) trucks with several cable spools made up to look like a birthday cake.

Madeline got to ride in the parade with Grandpa Bernie and Jen. She had a ball seeing all the parade watchers and handing out candy.

Madeline with Aunt Taylor

Grandpa Bernie & his sister Shirley B.

Maddie, Grandma Cheryl, & Jen

Madeline says “Happy Father’s Day” to all the daddies!

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Madeline on a saddle while helping buy feed for grandpa Kinney at the co-op.

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Video montage of Madeline at Grandma & Grandpa Kinney’s

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Maddie wishes everyone a happy and safe Memorial Day!

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Video of Maddie in the pool

Video of Maddie climbing the coffee table

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