Angie and Mike's Blog

My Little Brother Aaron gave us this blanket the first Christmas they were matched. I think the year was 2003. We pull it out each year during the holidays. It's always been a favorite of Harley's and now the other kids are starting to like it, too. Who'd have thought such a simple gift would turn out to be so special?

Labels: Aaron and Callie, Angie, Birthdays and Holidays, Harley, Maddie, nate, Tommy

This is the only one who will sit still long enough (while looking into the light) for me to get a portrait of her. You think Maddie or Nate will sit still for more than two seconds? Ha!

Labels: Birthdays and Holidays, Harley, Maddie, nate

On Friday, we made the trek to Kansas City to take in a Royals game with The Swearingens. We snapped this self-portrait in the left field stands. Renovations to Kauffman Stadium now allow fans to walk completely behind the outfield fountains. Unfortunately, the new stadium still houses the same ol' lousy Royals.


Maddie is an official Royals fan.


You'd never know the stadium was built in the early 70s. It's slated to host the All-Star Game in 2012. The Royals will probably have one league-mandated representative.


We got to our seats and I started snapping some photos. Angie didn't like her appearance so she grabbed my 17-35 and used the front element as a mirror. $1500 well spent, I suppose, but a bit bulky in her purse.


And Maddie made good use of the camera strap, too. Since we didn't have any chew toys with us she chewed on the strap.


Emily holds Cayden as Brian watches the game. A pitchers' dual for seven innings, the Royals blew their one-run lead in the eighth.


So as we lost interest in the game, Brian and Cayden made faces at each other.


Mommy and Maddie.


Maddie loves baseball!


She even tried to do "the wave."


Before the end of the game, we made our way out to the Kids' Zone where Maddie took her first carousel ride.


And it made her sweepy tired!


It was a buck night with post-game fireworks.


We probably would have had a better view from our hotel across the street.

Labels: baseball, family outings, Friends, Kansas City, Maddie, On Location, Royals

We took a few days off around the Memorial Day weekend and set out for Cincinnati. We made it all the way to the El Dorado rest area before we had to stop and change a diaper.


That made Maddie very happy. That and we were only 30 miles into a 2,000-mile journey.


At the next rest area, we stopped for a feeding.


Then, in Kansas City, it was time to feed ourselves. We also took time to feed Maddie.


Still a pretty happy camper!


But getting tuckered out as we pulled into Columbia, where we’d stay for the night.


The next morning I had breakfast with Gerik, a former newspaper colleague. We didn’t actually work at the same paper but had the (mis)fortune of working for the same company. He suggested the Broadway Diner.


Aren’t those some killer pancakes?


The place is pretty popular.


Driving through St. Louis we caught up with this car from Johnson County. I’ll seldom claim Johnson County as being a part of Kansas but when I’m in another state I usually get pretty excited to see another car from Kansas. I especially get excited if it has a dog sticking its head out the window!


We used a backroom at a small gas station to feed Maddie in rural Illinois.


This is eastbound I-64 entering Kentucky. The westbound lanes are on the top deck.


Downtown Louisville.


We detoured to Elizabethtown because Angie likes the movie so much. I like it, too. Afterall, it’s about a roadtrip. We got there too late to tour the Coca-Cola museum and were disappointed that we couldn’t find any quaint, local places to eat in the downtown. So we ate at Shoney’s near the interstate. It may be a chain but at least there isn’t one at home.


Aaron holds the tickets to our Reds game as we prepare to enter the stadium on Saturday.


The view of the plaza and downtown Cincinnati from the upper deck concourse.


Another view of downtown Cincinnati.


Aaron, my Little Brother from Topeka who now lives in Cincinnati, went with us. It was the first time he’d been to a Reds game. It was also the first time I had to look up to him as he’s grown to more than six feet tall.


Great American Ball Park from the upper deck. Our seats were just off to the first base side of home plate and while it looks far away in this shot, they were really good seats.


This was Maddie’s first Major League baseball game so we took a self-portrait after the game. I saw my first Major League baseball game in Cincinnati when I was nine years old.


I’m not sure how Aaron can see anything through his hair.


I had hoped that “Great American Ball Park” was an original name but it’s not. Turns out it’s an insurance company. Still sounds cool, though.


On Sunday, we went to the zoo, which we’d heard ranks up there in the top three or four in the country. It was a neat experience but we can see more animals at our zoo and not have near the walk or number of visitors to deal with.


Trying not to get too hot while waiting for the train.


The train ride was nice. It reminded me of the train rides we’d take at Joyland.


Maddie started to get a little cranky, as did we, so we made it a short visit to the zoo.


But we made sure to see the polar bears first.


And Angie wouldn’t leave the zoo without seeing the chimpanzees. She insists they are my cousins.


Of course, the real reason for the trip was to see Uncle Chuck. He’s my dad’s older, and only, brother. He’s got three kids, two of whom I don’t think I’ve ever met. I’m sure Angie’s got cousins she’s never met but her family is so stinkin’ big. On the Shepherd side, though, there aren’t very many of us (not counting the chimps) so I wanted them to meet Maddie.


This is Libby. She’s 13 and my second cousin. Her father, Scott, and I are first cousins and 17 years apart in age. I guess its only appropriate that Libby and I are also 17 years apart. She did a great job holding Maddie.


The last time I saw Libby she was a playful six years old. At this rate, the next time I see her she’ll be in college.


Maddie was is good spirits all weekend, despite all the driving we did. Here she’s pretty happy to be out of her car seat. Because she’s a Christmas Eve baby, and because Christmas is Angie’s favorite holiday, we decided to stop in Santa Claus, Ind., on the way home.


In Santa Claus, it’s Christmas all year long.


We also stopped at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, a family-owned ice cream shop along the original Route 66 alignment in southwest St. Louis.


Now, I don’t know of a dog that wouldn’t like ice cream but that’s not an insult to Ted. It was really pretty good stuff and I’m not even a big ice cream fan.


There weren’t as many photos taken on the way home as there were on the way out. We were just too pooped. I don’t think we were home an hour before Maddie and I fell asleep on the couch. And Harley was glad to see us, too. She’d been at Grandma and Grandpa Shepherd’s house while we were away. Right after Angie took this photo she sneaked out of the house to Target. We didn’t even hear her leave.

Labels: Aaron and Callie, Angie, Cincinnati, Family, family outings, Maddie, Mike, On Location, Route 66