Caleb loves his cousins and he also loves birthday parties so when he heard that Bryce was having a party at Conder’s he was all in. Bryce comes from a family of paintball players; Dad, big bro Michael and big bro Jonathan all play and now he’s at a good age to dive in to the field and get marked up. Bryce had a good crowd of friends and a couple of their dads played too. We had about 14 ballers on the field today.
Halloween Festivities
Halloween is coming to a close for the MeddersNation, but I have to say we had a wonderful time and it was exciting to watch Caleb pridefully glide around on his Strider balance bike in his Evel Knievel costume that Aimee and I had the pleasure of putting together.
Festivities officially started on the 16th when we went to Bernheim Forest for Colorfest with the FirquinNation and then a little over a week ago Caleb visited a farm down the road from our house called Wooden Farms to pick out some pumpkins and gourds. This past Saturday, we attended the 2nd Annual Barzee Pumpkin Carving Party at John and Beth’s house followed by Trunk or Treat at Allen and Beth’s church on Sunday. The parking lot was blocked off, trunks were decorated, and flash mob dancing was in full effect. Caleb wore his M and M costume for this event and his day care party on Monday.
Halloween night: Daddy rushed home from work a half an hour early to help get Caleb ready, then we headed out the door to catch up with the rest of the gang, and to tear up the streets! Caleb rode his Strider practically the entire time we were trick or treating; only showing fatigue with about a block and half to go. He climbed up hills, through the grass, and up stairs to get candy from happy greeters. He said the magic words, “Trick or treat” and kindly said, “Thank you” after receiving treats. Riding his Strider and sporting that awesome Evel Knievel costume drew a lot of attention from kids and parents alike as he strode from door to door. Most of the time, he just wanted to ride down the sidewalk and we had to remind him to, “Follow your cousins” so he would make the sharp rights towards candy-giver’s doors. Aimee had such a great idea and I’m thankful we were able to compile it into a costume he was comfortable wearing. Great job Aimee! What will you come up with next year?
Thanks to all the family we walked along with tonight! We know that Caleb absolutely loves being around his cousins and it is times like this we cherish most of all.Â
Trip to Bernheim Forest for Colorfest
Yesterday the Medders Nation made a trip to Bernheim Forest with the Firquin Nation for a little fun at the annual Colorfest event. Everyone had a great time and the weather was perfect! Bernheim Forest is nearby and has a beautiful natural view of the great outdoors everywhere you turn.
There were plenty of events for the kids; like the music station where kids got to bang on drums as well as homemade wood and metal chimes of all sizes. They also had the opportunity to get their faces painted, paint pumpkins, go through a maze of stacked hay, go on a hay ride, and more. For the adults there were arts and crafts for sale, live music, and the joy of watching their kids have fun!
The first picture in the slideshow below is of Caleb wearing mommy’s shoes in the living room, because he likes the loud noises they make on the wood floor.
Easter 2011
Our focus on Easter started when we attended the brilliant Easter pageant at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY. The event was amazing, the house was full, and I imagine everyone in the audience shed at a tear or two during the dozen or so performances put on this year. Southeast Christian Church spared no details making the experience feel realistic with livestock like camels, sheep, goats, chickens, and more. They also had angels descending from the ceiling, a waterfall at one point, a large, lazy-susan on the stage to add and remove scenery enhancements, and Jesus ascending into heaven at the end.
- Southeast Christian Easter Pageant
Mentioned in my last post was the pre-egg hunt Caleb was able to attend in New Haven, KY thanks to Allen and Beth (see previous post here).
The Thursday before Easter, Aimee and I attended the Stations of the Cross exhibit at The Bridge Community Church in Elizabethtown, KY. The event was very personal as you take a self paced tour looking at several paintings of what Jesus did for us  from the Garden of Gethsemane to his death on the cross. It was an intimate to reflect on how He must have felt during his final days on Earth. See the online gallery on Facebook.

On Saturday, we headed to John and Beth’s house in Hodgenville, KY for time with family and friends. The weather had been pretty bad the day before and we were expecting more rain that night, but we still managed to keep the kiddos semi-dry as they hunted for eggs in the front yard. Caleb had lots of fun carrying his basket and putting eggs in it one by one. Near the end it got a little heavy for him and it was cute to watch him placing his elbow to his hip for extra support. See the slideshow of Saturday and Sunday below.
Sunday concluded our Easter experience with a trip to Severns Valley Baptist Church for their Easter service and then to Tim and Renee’s (both in Etown) for a Turkey lunch and some egg painting. This was Caleb’s first time painting eggs and he had his cousin’s Sami, Brittany, and Trey to help him out. Thanks to everyone for letting us share this time with them and we look forward to doing it again next year! Here’s a video of him painting an egg and another video of Southeast Christian’s Easter Pageant on my YouTube channel.