Happy Father's Day

Like father like son: Sam and Dad enjoy the simpler things on Father's Day 2007.

Love at first bite

Sam enjoys his first taste of solid food (and his first taste of high chair).

Super Baby

Fatter than a sumo wrestler. More slobbery than an eager puppy. Able to fill size 4 diapers with a single push. Look up at the photo … it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s … Super Baby! (And if this photo isn't enough for you, there's plenty more in our Picasa Album).

Uncle Patrick and Miss Stefanie brought Sam this Super Man onesie. It’s adorable, but perhaps the super hero Sam most resembles is the Incredible Hulk – at least both have a problem of outgrowing their clothes too quickly.

- Amber

Used road bike, $225. New spandex bike shorts, $40. Riding 100 miles in one day, priceless.

Saturday, June 9, was the annual Emmaus Ministries* Endurance Ride. The ride is a 20-mile loop of country roads that bikers ride as often as they are able within the 12-hour time limit. I used my regular excuse – “I can’t, I have to take care of Sam.” – to keep myself off a bike. But excuses couldn’t stop Cliff.

Last year, Cliff rode 60 miles. This was quite an accomplishment, as Cliff’s new hip was just 9 months old, and he was riding a mountain bike built for someone much shorter. This year, Cliff pushed himself even further – literally – completing (drum roll please) … 100 miles! The perfect weather and his new road bike helped, but it was really his determination that got him to his goal. And, as a result, Cliff raised over $1300 for Emmaus.

“Just knowing that Amber – my beautiful, witty, and stunningly intelligent bride – was waiting at the finish line got me through those last difficult miles,” said Cliff.

Okay, he didn’t really say that. But I’m sure I was inspiring to him somehow. Sam did his best to cheer Daddy on too … and since he’s a little too young to use words, he wore his “Daddy’s team” onesie and brought a sign that said, “Go, Daddy, Go!”

*Most of you should remember that Cliff volunteered – full time – at Emmaus Ministries for two years after college. Emmaus helps guys struggling with addictions come off the streets. www.streets.org.

- Amber

Still Standing

So the strangest thing happened while Sam waited for his bath water the other night: we stopped holding him and he kept standing up. No, really, there's photographic proof below. Stay tuned for many other momentous occasions from Sam's last month of adventures.