Don’t worry, we’re all settled back in, Pilgrim.
That bein’ from our long trip across the range.
For our first blog post of the new decade, we’ve decided to do a Vlog. Enjoy the video below of our Christmas adventures.
When we became pregnant, unsolicited advice came out of the woodwork. Everything from, “Enjoy your sleep now because you won’t have any more in ____ months” to “I hope you’ve been saving for years, because having a baby is SO expensive”.
Well, almost 9 months ago as we came home from the hospital prepared for countless sleepless nights, we found out the naysayers were exactly right. We didn’t sleep much that first week – but not so much from the crying. We didn’t sleep very well because we laid in bed listening to him breathe from the other room, hanging on every coo coming from his sleeping, precious little body.
New parents are often overwhelmed by how much their baby needs. The new baby needs food. The new baby needs milk. The new baby needs diapers. The new baby needs clothes. The new baby needs fisher price.
(insert sound of a record scratch here)
Wait. Fisher Price?
Its amazing how much money the toy industry generates when Gunner is completely enthralled with:
A desk drawer at Dad’s office:
A cardboard box that Daddy brought home from the gun range today:
The dust bunnies underneath the chair in the living room:
A steering wheel in the parking lot of the hospital while Mommy worked at the Emergency Room:
A Christmas tree with a few lights and ornaments on it.
As we prepare to celebrate the ultimate gift ever given by buying and sharing gifts with one another, we hope that you understand that it won’t make any difference whether a child receives an American Girl doll, or 15 Star Wars Lego sets: They’ll probably end up playing with the wrapping paper – or the box.
He’ll outgrow it.
This video is worth a blog post unto itself.
John’s Mom and Dad came to Louisville this weekend (and in fact, at the time of this writing are still here)
Jan really enjoyed making Gunner laugh by sneezing at him.
In case you can’t pick up the conversation being had while the camera was rolling, please, allow me to transcribe below the video below:
Jan: “a-a-a-a-achoo”
All: “hahaha”
Jan: “you’re the only one that laughs at me, Gunner, thank you, I love you.”
Rick (from across the room): “He’ll outgrow it.”
One more video can be added to this blog post. It could be titled: “the foolish lengths babies will compel fully grown adults to go to just to hear them laugh”. But I think I’ll just shorten it to “Mom making Gunner laugh”. Enjoy.
Big Tex
Do y’all remember where Gunner took his first step? That’s right, not two minutes after he entered this world he took his first step onto the great state of Texas. Tonight was his first opportunity to prove himself worthy of such a giant step. And he did us proud.
Katherine and I dug deep into our imaginations to come up with the perfect costume for our little cowhand’s first Halloween. Really it was quite easy. We just picked the clothes that were on top of all the other ones in his drawers (and mine).
For your viewing pleasure:
Upon the arrival at our church’s “Trunk or Treat,” we were informed by a church member (Chris Burtch) that Gunner and I looked most “natural” in our costumes.
Gunner’s friend, Sadie, decided that she didn’t like the scary costumes that came around. Skeletons, vampires, and werewolves weren’t her thing. Her parents told her she only had to give candy to the trick or treaters that didn’t scare her. This picture speaks for itself at how comfortable she was with the little wrangler.
What do you want to bet this isn’t the last time Gunner taps into his deep Texas roots for Halloween?
Gunner’s Daddy is hysterical
Gunner “gets” his first joke:
Actually, Gunner was in quite the laughing mood. Sometimes though, I can’t help but wonder if he’s laughing at me, and not with me.
All My X-es Live in Texas…
That’s why I make my home in Tennessee. Well, we don’t live in Tennessee, but a growing number of our close friends do.
This weekend was a special treat – the Powell’s got to visit both the Mangus’s and the Coppenger’s at their homes in the land of Country Music and Honkeytonks – Nashville.
Gunner got some new boots just for his trip to music city.
Gunner and his future best friend had the opportunity to hang out a little bit while in Nashville. They were pals from the beginning…. sucking on each others hands…. love pats…. and getting strawberries blown on their bellies at the same times:
Of course, I (John) enjoyed helping Brannon batton down the hatches for the long Nashville winter ahead. Because I couldn’t get much leverage on the drill, Dani lent her expertise by holding the belt that we hooked into my belt. It struck me in the middle of it all that this must be how the hillbillies hang shutters, and I’m sure there’s a much more “distinguished” way to fix an ailing house.
All in all, the weekend was a roaring success. All hearts involved were encouraged, and our only disappointment was that it didn’t last any longer than it did. This is what friendships are for.
Family Reunion
The Powell family visited the Summer’s Ranch in Unionville, Mo. over Labor Day. Here are a few pictures from the trip:
Family get-togethers with John somehow always devolve into wrestling.
The bird.
Friday was an eventful day for the Powell family. John woke up and immediately sat down at the computer to finish his summertime project in time for his training day at work tomorrow. I (Katherine) have watched him work on this project sporadically all summer long, and it’s good to see him finish it. After he finished with it (around lunch time) he decided to reward himself by going to the garage and working on a bullet proof vest he’s been designing while I prepared lunch.
Very soon, I heard a pounding at the back door, and I rushed through the house to find quite a look on John’s face. He said he’d cut his finger “really bad” and that I probably needed to take him to the emergency room. He wouldn’t let me look at it. I had to take his word for it.
I tried to fix my hair, put on makeup, and in other ways prepare to leave the house for a few hours, but John really didn’t want me to do that. He barked orders while writhing in pain from our bedroom floor with his head stuck under the dust ruffle so as to receive the maximum amount of cold air out of the air vent.
I really don’t know what I would have done had John passed out, as I don’t think I could have lifted him into the car, but praise the Lord it didn’t come to that.
The Emergency Room was very quick, all things considered, and John was talking to the doctor in no time. Talking…. and talking and talking. John says it was to keep his mind off of what they were doing. I still think the doctors slipped something in his drink. John talked about the mountains, trout fishing, Keith (his brother-in-law – whom the doctor reminded him of) and various other topics. John apologized many times for being a “wuss”, but the doctor assured him that most of the woozy patients he sees are middle-aged men… who are otherwise extremely tough – John bought it.
Three things we learned while in the emergency room:
1) John cannot handle sucking chest wounds…. nor can he handle flapping superficial ones.
2) Gunner needs to be around to show his father how to be brave in the ER (Gunner was a champ even amongst the yelling/screaming/crying/cursing/etc. – just kidding about the cursing)
3) Even when wounds are caused by razor blades while cutting something as masculine as kevlar, one’s man card must still be relinquished when he has to bite down on a bloody towel while getting the anesthetic shots to keep from crying.
After 8 stitches, John would like everyone to know that he’s fine, and that it was his left hand, so he can still shoot
…and that in some twisted way he’s going to enjoy having a medical reason for why he looks like he’s flipping people the bird all the time.
Just returned to Kentucky
The Powell family has returned from New Mexico with harrowing tales of adventure to tell. Frolicking in the creek, catching boat-loads of fish, and camping under the orbiting satellites…. the Powell family has returned unscathed, and with some great pictures.
Gunner and Granddad visited the creek one day. Everyone found out quickly that he much prefers his bath water to be warmer than the spring and snow-run-off fed mountain streams of Holy Ghost canyon, USA.
John and his cousin Ashley went on a backpacking excursion to discover previously unfished streams and see if they will be worth taking a more extended trip to. They were wildly successful.
Katherine stayed close to camp this year (her first year) in an effort to take it all in. Although most of her efforts were confined to the places with modern ameneties (camp stoves, sleeping pads, and outhouses), she, Gunner, Aunt Hannah and Ju Ju did go on a 4 mile walk with the boys while they caught all the fish.
All in all, the trip was great. Katherine and Gunner had a wonderful first trip to the famed Holy Ghost canyon. John, of course, was in hog heaven the whole time. No matter how much we loved it, it’s always good to be back home.
Hello world!
This Blog has just been created. Once Katherine gets back into town from lake Tenkiller in Oklahoma (and realizes that John has started a blog for her), then we’re sure that this will be the place for all of the updated information and pictures on the Powell family (John, Katherine and Gunner), and all of their epic adventures.
