Baptism

Max was baptized yesterday in Michele's parent's church.  His godparents are Michele's sister and brother-in-law.

Christmas

Max was a pro at opening presents.

He's not sure what to think about his practice baby.

He does like his John Deere tractor, though.

"Voila!  Kleenex soup!"  Aunt Chantal and her dog are very impressed with Max's pretend cooking skills.

First Visit with Santa

We knew it was going to turn out this way.  Good thing Santa is such a nice guy.

Company's Coming!

Ricky will need to set another place at the table on June 1st!

Flagen Family Photos

When we visited Nicole in Tucson we had family photos taken.  We are so pleased with what the photographer captured!  Here are some of my favorites.

Happy 9th Birthday, Ricky!

Sorry folks, no photos of Max this time.  This post is dedicated to our first baby.  Ricky was treated to a pumpkin cake with peanut butter frosting.  Unlike Max, Ricky did not need a bath after eating his cake.

He was such a good sport about wearing the hat.

Wishing he didn't have to pose next to the cake any longer.

He started off by giving the frosting a little taste.

I guess it passed the taste test.

Max in the Desert, Part 2

The first place Aunt Nicole took us was the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.  It's composed of mostly walking paths through desert habitat with some critters along the way.  It was a first for all of us to experience the desert.

Hugging the javelina at the entrance to the museum.

Walking on the trail.

Taking a break from hiking to look at rocks with grandma.

Note to self:  Get the family picture at the start of trip, not the end.  Little guys get tired.

A few days after going to the Desert Museum we took a trip to Reid Park Zoo.  An elephant was born just a few months prior to our visit and we were excited to see her.  It took Max a while to realize there were animals behind the fences but when he figured it out he was in awe.

First trip to the zoo!

Processing.

"I don't know what you are looking at behind this fence, but these lights are great!"

"Oh, THAT'S what's behind the fence."

Riding on the baby elephant.

"Hey you guys, there's animals down there!"

He wasn't scared of the giraffe at all.

Watching the anteater.

Happy First Birthday, Max!

It's been one heck of a year!   We couldn't be more happy with the little guy that Max turned out to be. 

 Someone is excited about getting their first taste of cake.

 "What's with the singing and lighting it on fire?  Let's eat it already!"

 He was a little unsure at first...

...but after a few bites he loved it.

"Mmmmm!"

Max shared his birthday cake with everyone.

It's not a good party unless you need a bath afterward.

On the Go

At this rate he will be running his first 5K next month.

Max in the Desert, Part 1

We have only been on our vacation a couple days but Max has already checked off a lot of firsts.

First plane ride.  He did really well!  There were lots of people to smile at so that kept him distracted.

 First flight cancellation.  He got to know the Dallas airport really well.  He kept himself entertained with empty water bottles and watching the action on the tarmac.

 First pair of cowboy boots.  He likes the way they "thump" when he steps.

 Real cowboys wear their boots with their jammies.

 First time watching Thanksgiving football.

First Thanksgiving dinner, complete with pumpkin pie for dessert!

Beep Beep!

Out of the way!  Max upgraded his vehicle from a cardboard box to a fancy new ride with wheels.

He doesn't know how to use his feet to get around but getting pushed is fun.

And he's off!  He covers a lot more ground walking with the car than he does crawling.  This might be the end of the crawling days!

It's easier to push when your tongue is sticking out.