MIA

I know I have not updated the blog in a good long while... longer than I have ever gone before without an update for sure.  However, most of you already know that we have gone through yet another difficult time and I have not had a lot of motivation to sit down and keep track with everything that is going on with Maxwell.  I am sure sorry to have missed a few weeks, but hopefully I will keep on track moving forward.

So with that in mind there will be a smattering of pictures and videos that have been backlogged for quite a while and more than likely they will be all out of order.  I will try to add commentary so that we have some sort of a record of each moment.  Thanks for the patience... let's pray that bad times are behind us!

Kite Flying

Our last morning in Galveston over Thanksgiving weekend was finally windy enough to let Max fly his first kite!

June Visitors

We had some visitors late in June.  Lisa, Bo, Sadie and Papa came for a week (a very HOT week), and Bo attended tennis camp for the week.  Sadie and Max had fun playing while I had to finish us my summer class.  Next week we are headed to Idaho for some Quigley fun time.  Stay tuned for photos and updates from up north.  We were hoping for a break in the heat, but they are having record setting temps there.  Sigh!  Maybe Alaska next year!

Bo's first night of tennis camp.  He sure looks good in Baylor gear!

Sadie was such a good babysitter this week.  Maybe a little too literal...

Max will have his revenge!!!

The Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar

This video is kind of long at 2 and a half minutes, but it is precious!  I hope you enjoy it.

Jumping!

Swimming!

Max and his daddy have been hitting the pool quite a bit lately (not me, I have to read and do homework for my summer class) but I do get over to watch for a little while.  Last year Max refused to wear any type of life preserver so whoever was in the pool with him had to be on high alert!  This year though he will wear one so he has a lot more freedom and we have a lot more relaxation in the pool.  Maybe next year we can start some swim lessons!

Swimming with his fish named Gulpa. 

Owl Banding

So anyone who has come to visit us here in Texas has probably met Fred and Nancy.  They are friends, neighbors, advisors and fellow admirers of Max.  In other words all around good people!  They have been conducting studies on the nesting eastern screech owl population for many years now and always use the chick banding as an opportunity to educate people about these wonderful birds.  The nice thing about having an "in" with Fred and Nancy is that we get priority when it comes to owl banding.  Max and I "helped" one afternoon and were rewarded with Max holding one of the nestlings.  Please don't worry... he did this under expert supervision and the chicks tend to play dead even though they are perfectly fine.  Max had a great day!

First hatchling of the day.  It did not play dead but instead watched us warily and clicked it's beak at us!  We generally have nothing to fear from the babies as long as you stay away from the talons which are quite sharp for such tiny birds!  Oh, and you have to keep looking up for Mama!

Fred helping Max hold one of the babies.  We wanted to make sure it didn't get it's talons on Max and that Max didn't drop it!

This chick went for playing dead as a defense but it helped Max hold on to it carefully.