;)
On December 26 at 3:19 AM, Alaska Standard Time, Kalib Lokaa' Dine Hess, my first grandson, turned one. About 12 hours later, he was presented with his first birthday cake. Kalib did not know that he was supposed to blow out the candle, which looked to him to be something fascinating, something that he should reach out and touch.
So his mother prepared to blow it out for him.
Of course, the party did not begin with the cake.
;)
It began with the arrival of guests, most of whom were adults - uncles and aunts, and friends of his parents. Two other little people did come, both of whom were slightly older than Kalib.
This is party-girl Bryne, Kalib's senior by three months. Sadly, she and her parents had to go to another dinner elsewhere, so she was unable to stay to the end, but Bryne was a delight while she was here.
;)
And this is party boy Lafe, Kalib's senior by one month. Lafe just might be the strongest baby that I have ever seen and he is a real tough guy.
He and Kalib have been buddies practically since the day Kalib was born. I think Lafe will be a good person to have as a buddy in future years.
I hope that the two don't raise too much hell together, but that they do raise just enough. For what is the life of boys if they don't raise some hell?
Hell. That's what such a life is.
Hell.
;)
A group picture of the three tots is needed, so Dad Jacob sets about to pose them on the front-room couch. He will face greater challenges in life, I am certain.
;)
The three tots: Kalib, Bryne and Lafe.
;)
Can you remember when you were very small and an adult, especially a pretty woman, smiled at you and spoke in a certain kind of voice and said something that made you feel like you were very unique and special?
That is how Sarah, Bryne's mom, is causing Kalib to feel, right here.
;)
Cake time! Lavina blows on Kalib's behalf, lays the flame down and out it goes.
;)
Sadly, Bryne was gone by now, leaving the cake all to the boys. Left to their natural male tendencies, they made hogs of themselves.
;)
"That's enough sugar for you," Lafe's Mom Markie says just before yanking him prematurely from the cake. "Remember what happened the last time you ate too much sugar?"
;)
With Lafe removed, Kalib has the cake to himself. He will be hyper not only for the remainder of the day, but on and off through the night, as well.
One only gets one first birthday party. Might as well go full hog.
;)
The adults eat their cake (cut from a second slab that no one had wallowed in). Kalib demands more.
;)
Something has upset Lafe. Maybe a ride in Kalib's new sled will make him feel better.
;)
When Kalib saw Lafe riding across the floor in the sled that he had received for Christmas, he came crawling across the floor about three times faster than I had ever saw him crawl before. Until this moment, I did not realize that Kalib had such a strong sense of ownership over that sled.
;)
Kalib opens his presents.
;)
A present lights up; Kalib reaches for the light.
;)
Among Kalib's new presents was a frog puppet. At first he wasn't interested, but Lafe was. Then, when Kalib saw how much Lafe liked the puppet, he became interested.
;)
Eventually, everyone had to say goodbye. Of course, this goodbye is from much earlier, when Bryne and her parents left, but I only wanted to have one goodbye here, so I saved it for now.
;)
My dear Melanie! When she arrived at the house, the driveway was filled with vehicles, so she decided to park at the side of the road. She did not realize that the snow plow operator had drug his blade partially over the culvert, cutting flat the snow that topped it so that the culvert looked like it was the shoulder of road.
Thus, when Melanie pulled over to park, her right wheels sank through the deception and into the culvert.
Jake had to pull her out. Kalib helped hook up the car as Muzzy supervised.
See how pretty the snow is, bunched up on the spruce branches?
A big wind would arise overnight and blow it all away.
Life, right here in Wasilla, Alaska, is like that.
Click on any photo to see a larger copy.