High Noon at the Park

You've met your match little dude...
proceed with caution...

OBX

The family took a little weekend trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Michelle found a great rental house online, right on the ocean and although we had a day of rain it shaped up to be a great weekend. We toured the Wright Brothers memorial (site of the first powered airplane flights in 1903). Other than that...just a lot of kite flying, bike riding and general goofing off on the beach.

Happy Birthday

Dylan Turns one, I can not believe that he is already one, where has the time gone. We enjoyed a quite celebration together with some Birthday cupcakes and a celebratory drink of choice. We are looking forward to Les coming back so we can have a true family celebration.

Happy Birthday Dylan!

Today our little man turns one year old.  We couldn't be happier with how this past year has gone: he's as happy as the photos depict (most of the time) and each day is filled with new surprises as he continues to explore his surroundings.  While we're excited to see what he'll be like as an older child, teenager and young man we'd be just as willing to freeze time so he never changes - he's that cool.  But, of course, so much of that is beyond our control.  All we can do is our best as parents and enjoy the ride. 

To that end, a few words on the subject written in 1923 by a Lebanese-American poet:

On Children

by Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
Which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them,
But seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as he loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.


Happy first Birthday cool little dude!
Dad da misses you!

Happy Birthday Mummy!

Please join us in wishing Michelle a very Happy Birthday today! Although I’m currently at sea and can’t be with her I’ve given Dylan special instructions to be extra good today and give Mummy lots of hugs and kisses. It was (almost) a year ago that she gave birth to Dylan and made our family complete. We love her dearly and hope she has a great day. And when I get back we’ll have a slightly belated Birthday celebration!

Dylan's first Haircut

I decided it was time for Dylan to get a haircut, while I loved his crazy Einstein hair (see the before photo and you will know what I mean), it was getting tougher to get all that yogurt and avocado out after dinner. Also as Les would say it was not a regulation hair cut. Dylan was great at the hairdressers, never cried and sat still most of the time. Afterward we went to meet a friend to show off his new hair style

Was able to get out and enjoy the sunshine today. I took Dylan to a local play ground and he had lots of fun. He was holding his own amongst the bigger kids.

Dylan

Well we havn't been doing anything quite as exciting as high speed turns in a carrier, but we are having fun at home and getting up to mischief, Dylan that is. These are a couple of recent photo's of Dylan at Play. I guess he is excited about trying out some new recipes or he is starting to get interested in wine? He is also starting to have fun with his little computer, pounding away at the keys, just like Mum does.

High Speed Turns!

(US Navy Photos)

We’re underway again (you’ll hear a lot of that over the next year). We’re doing some more tests of the ships systems: we tried, but just couldn’t get her to roll over (actually that’s what a 97,000 ton boat looks like in a high speed turn!). We’re all looking forward to getting some real airplanes on the flight deck – a new aircraft carrier just doesn’t look complete without 70+ warplanes onboard!