New blog address

From now on we will be posting to our new address:

http://maxwellandsam.blogspot.com/

we thought Sam should be included

Sam Mateo Lassen

He's here, at a whopping 9lb and 21 1/2 inches, Sam Mateo Lassen.

I realize it's been over 2 months and I'm only just getting around to posting a picture - I've been a little preoccupied and very disorganized. I wasn't ready for the shock of looking after two babies!! Nobody adequately warned me. It's exhausting but wonderful and Max (to our great surprise) is a most loving and sweet big brother.

There are many more photos and updates waiting for me to post and we have set up a new blog address which I will post here soon. Thank you to our wonderful friends and family who have done soooo much to help us during this crazy time.

living life to the Max

A few photos that give a glimpse of the mischief that is cooped up in this little body:


look at the glint in those eyes

up to no good in daddy's shoes - which frequently go missing for days at a time - do I look like I care????

I just love sticks

why bother with clothes?

Just woken up

4th July fun with fire

you'd throw things too if you were stuck in this chair all journey long

I have no idea who lost the remote

I like Richard's sense of style

Don't take my drink

Things taste so much better when you have to break through cupboards with child locks to get to them

Sometimes mum and dad get reeeaaaally frustrated with me but they never seem to stay cross for long - how could they??

Our summer

Most of our summer was spent at home in Nicholasville, KY. We have enjoyed doing our projects in the house and yard and watching Max discover his interests. So far he seems to prefer tools, other people's shoes, things with wheels that he can turn, rocks, sticks, dirt and kitchen utensils. He watches his dad work in the garage and garden and will copy most anything he sees him do. We will often find him bending over something Matt has been working on pounding it with a tool of some kind. Over the summer while Matt was off school he became quite the daddy's boy and now he gets very upset when dad leaves without him.
Matt, Max and Richard working on the patio


Max "helping" dad move roadbase

On the finished patio - note also the fence in the background.


Max loves tractors - old...

or new

Fruit picking at Boyd's Orchard


Quick bath in the kitchen sink - sometimes Max has to take several baths a day


All tuckered out after a long day of work


Dad's summer treat was a giant ribeye roast that he cut into steaks. He justified it as a thank you dinner to those who have helped us with work on the patio - Thank you again.


Father's day cheesecake made with fresh picked Kentucky berries.

Family trip to Pittsburgh

We headed up to Pittsburgh, PA for a few days to visit Uncle Nick and Auntie Dorothy. We had a great time exploring the city, playing in the pool and going to a Pirate's baseball game. We would have had a very relaxing trip had max not just received his 15 month shots and developed a fever. When he was fun he was very very fun but when he was bad he was "horrid". We'll be lucky if we ever get invited back.
Overlook of the city


PNC park where the Pittsburgh Pirate's play



Uncle Nick and Auntie Dorothy

Watching the game and devouring popcorn. Can't wait for mom and dad to give me the next mouthful - I need the whole bag.

Just can't stop eating this stuff

love the oversized Pirate's jersey


Splashing in the pool




Daddy's flip flop and Uncle Nick's Budweiser cooler make drinking milk muck more fun

Weekend at Tar Fork

A few weeks ago we went up to the Hollows of Eastern Kentucky with the Hamiltons. It is a little piece of paradise. We stayed in their lovely cabin where "Uncle Tom" was actually born - though it has changed a little since that time. It was so nice to get away and be out in the peaceful hollows. Somehow, in all this beauty, all we managed to get on camera was photos of us all on the 4-wheelers and our dog peeing! Don't know how we managed that.
The family on bikes

Uncle Tom and Aunt Bonnie

Baby boy 2 at 7 and a bit months.

no explanation needed

Marilyn and Abby visit from Utah

It was so nice to have Marilyn and Abby come and stay with us for a while. Having been adopted into the family since moving to San Diego in 1999 it is difficult not seeing them for so long - especially as they don't get to see Max growing up. Abby made up for lost time by spending every moment she could with Max. Unfortunately Max is not quite the snuggly baby she remembers from a year ago and didn't think that being held or picked up was an acceptable activity. The bottom photo pretty much depicts the relationship. I don't know what happened to any photos of Marilyn - I can't find them at the moment.

A few of Max's pals

Max's best friend, and up and coming swimsuit model, Rylee Romney.


Max's idols - Jacob and Drew - the big boys next door who love to throw mud and play rough. A few minutes after this picture all three boys ware covered head to toe in mud.



Max's good friends from the neighborhood - Matthew and Jonathan - who let us tag along on morning walks with them. Here they are playing in our back yard. Note the middle picture - an action shot of Max falling backwards from the slide while Jonathan looks on with his sippy cup.